Facade of Love

Chatper 284

Chapter 284 Are You Afraid?

A whole night of heavy rain had left the road slippery and treacherous, especially at higher elevations.

Charlie, with his injured leg and a fever that had raged all night, was showing signs of exhaustion after walking for a while.

Looking at him, I asked worriedly, “Are you okay?”

He gave a slight shake of his head, but his complexion had turned even paler. Worried that he might not have the strength to continue, I reached out to support him, and he did not refuse. He looked at me and muttered, “Thank you.”

I shook my head in return. My guilt and worry overwhelmed me. I could not help but sorry.” My heart ached, knowing that it was all my fault. A wealthy man accustomed to a life of say, “I’m luxury had no reason to endure such danger in a place like this.

He raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “What are you apologizing for? I chose to follow you. Just don’t leave me behind if I can’t walk later.”

Hearing his words, I furrowed my brow. “What are you saying? How could I ever leave you?” Given the circumstances, if I were to leave him behind, what kind of person would I be?

He smiled faintly, his dark eyes seemingly carrying a deeper meaning. I did not have the energy to delve into it. I continued to support him as we walked, taking in our surroundings. Looking at this real– life setting, I realized the insignificance of humanity.

After walking for what felt like a long time, there were no more signs of mudslides in the vicinity. However, the landscape had transformed into thick, lush woods. Towering trees obscured the gray sky

above, and underfoot, there was a tangle of vines and undergrowth. In front of us, there was no clear path anymore, only muddy clay and a labyrinth of vines, roots, and foliage.

I belatedly noticed that Charlie’s condition was deteriorating rapidly. My heart sank, and I asked in a hoarse voice, “Mr. Yates, are you okay?”

He raised his eyes slightly and weakly replied, “I’m fine. Let’s keep going.”

With that said, he pushed himself up to leave.

Suddenly, his massive frame toppled to the side, and in an instant, I desperately clung to his waist. Despite using all my strength, I could not stabilize him, and we both ended up falling to the ground.

Afraid that he might get injured, I cushioned the fall, but I hit something painfully, bringing tears to my eyes.

Charlie, who had fallen on top of me, looked pallid. His handsome face was still covered in sweat. He gazed at me, his brow furrowing, and leaned against something while looking up at

the sky.

I got up from the ground and approached him. He had his eyes closed, and his breath was extremely weak. His expensive tailored clothes were now covered in mud from the fall.

“Mr. Yates,” I said, my voice involuntarily trembling, as I reached out to touch his forehead,

Perhaps sensing my actions, he slightly opened his eyes and looked at me, repeating the same words, “I’m fine.”

I was on the verge of tears; it was already a critical situation, and he was still insisting that he was fine.

I wiped the sweat from his face and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Suddenly, I realized that we had no map, compass, or even our phones. They had all been buried in our rush to escape the cave. We had nothing; how were we going to navigate this vast, uninterrupted mountain range?

Looking at Charlie, who was struggling to hold on, panic surged within me. “Mr. Yates, we might… be lost.”

Charlie remained motionless. His eyes were closed, as if he were either asleep or…

I instinctively reached out to check his breathing, and my heart sank uncontrollably. Just as my fingertips grazed his nose, he suddenly grabbed my hand, and I found myself staring into his deep, pitch–black eyes.

With our eyes locked, I let out a sigh of relief. “You scared me to death.”

He looked at me, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. “What? Did you think I was dead?” Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.

I was in no mood for this. How could he still be joking right now? Looking at him, I said, ”

We’re surrounded by mountains. How are we going to get out of here?”

He looked at me with deep, unfazed eyes, seemingly unconcerned by the endless forest around us, and simply asked, “Are you afraid?”

I pursed my lips, not in the mood to joke around with him.