Chapter 2

I nearly laughed out loud just reading the headlines.

"Sacrificing Himself"? "The Strength of Kinship"?

Seriously, who even thought to come up with titles like these? These reporters sure had a way with words.

I tapped on one of the articles, and the accompanying photo that popped out immediately stung my eyes.

Dad's eyes were red and bloodshot in the photo, and he looked haggard and worried as he leaned against his assistant for support, unable to stand on his own.

Meanwhile, William was lying in a hospital bed with a pale face and an IV drip in his hand. Violet was sitting by the bed, peeling an apple for him.

What a touching scene of fatherly love, full of tender affection for each other.

I saved the photo to the phone before turning it off.

Time passed. I wrapped myself tighter in my last thermal blanket, curling myself up into a ball.

Even though I was sheltered from the falling snow and the chilling winds by the snow cave, the chill still seeped into my bones through my clothes.

After what felt like forever, my satellite phone rang once more. It was Zack.

"Wilfred! Wilfred, can you hear me? We've already arrived at the mountains, but the helicopter can't land. We can only come up from the foot of the mountain. Hold on tight!"

"Don't worry. I'm not going to die just yet," I said, licking my dry, chapped lips. "By the way, I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"Check all the flights going in and out of Lesterville in these past few days. Is there anyone named Violet Hathaway on the list?"

I was referring to my "gentle" and "quiet" fiancee, of course.

In my past life, it wasn't until after my death that I found out she and William had been seeing each other behind my back since a while back.

The so-called marriage alliance was just nothing more than a conspiracy between the Carsons and the Hathaways to seize the inheritance my mom left me after she passed away.

Violet played the role of the perfect fiancee in front of me, even though she was basically glued to the hips with William behind my back.

Zack went silent on the phone for a while. Then, I heard the sound of a keyboard tapping away.

"I got it. She returned from Parres three days ago. Business class."

She flew back three days ago, which was the day before the avalanche happened.

My heart sank at the realization.

She was in such a hurry, anticipating it after all.

"One more thing, Zack," I said, my voice as cold as ice. "Send photos of Violet and William being intimate with each other in the hospital's VIP ward to the largest entertainment media outlets in Lesterville. Make sure to stay anonymous.

"As for the headline, tell them to use, 'Body of Heir Not Yet Laid to Rest, but Fiancee and Stepbrother Begin Their Hospital Romance'."

Zack let out a low whistle. "That's a good, ruthless headline. I like it. You've finally come to your senses, Freddie. You know you can't be soft when dealing with scumbags like them."

"This is just the appetizer," I said before hanging up. Then, I stuffed the last of the energy bar into my mouth and forced myself to swallow.

I needed to conserve energy. A fierce battle was still awaiting me.

The sky had completely darkened by then, and the snow cave had turned pitch black.

Just as I was about to pass out, I suddenly heard faint footsteps and several muffled shouts outside the snow cave.

"Wilfred!"

"Freddie!"

It was Zack and the others!

I roused myself and crawled out of the snow cave with whatever energy I had left. Just a short distance away, several figures were braving the wind and snow as they struggled to approach me with powerful flashlights.

Zack was right in front of the group, leading them along.

When he caught sight of me, he immediately dashed toward me and pulled me tightly into his arms.

"You bastard! Thank God you're still alive!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling from relief.

I patted him on the back and said, "I told you I wasn't going to die yet."

"Cut the crap and let's get going. I don't want to stay in this hellhole for another second."

One of the rescue team members immediately draped a thick down jacket over my shoulders while another handed me a thermal flask. The warm cocoa flowed down my parched throat, dispelling much of the chill in my body.

The descent was far more difficult than I had imagined, yet Zack's team was very professional, securing a safety rope around my waist and protecting me from both sides as we climbed down.