Chapter 2

Wendy suddenly sneezed.

Joshua's brow furrowed, and his eyes filled with concern.

He immediately pried open my locker, pulled out my polar survival suit, and draped it over Wendy's shoulders.

I floated in midair and watched the scene coldly.

Wendy bit her lip and pretended to look uneasy.

"Josh, this is Linda's suit. Will she be upset if she comes back and sees me wearing it?"

Joshua snorted, looking completely unconcerned.

"She has spent years roughing it on glaciers. A little cold won't kill her. Besides, I was the one who gave her this suit.

"I decide who gets to wear it now. What right does she have to complain?"

His words struck me as utterly ridiculous.

Three years ago, I joined a rescue team for my first training exercise in a glacier crevasse.

I lacked experience, so I quickly became hypothermic and nearly lost consciousness from the cold.

Joshua took off his own survival suit despite the freezing temperatures and wrapped it around me. He then tucked my hands inside his jacket against his chest and used his body heat to warm me little by little.

His voice had been filled with lingering fear.

"Linda, don't be afraid. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

The next day, he arranged for someone to order a complete set of the finest polar survival gear from overseas.

He even chose custom-made goggles and ice cleats that fit me perfectly.

The initials of both our names were embroidered on the collar of that survival suit.

But now, he casually gave the tenderness that once belonged only to me to Wendy.

That was when I finally understood that some promises did not expire. They simply changed hands.

Joshua's favoritism toward Wendy had not started today, either.

Three months earlier, the Frostfall Expedition was preparing to depart for Everwinter Continent.

Joshua suddenly pulled strings to get his childhood sweetheart, Wendy, onto the team simply because she wanted to see penguins.

As deputy captain, I slammed my hand on the table and objected.

"Joshua, the Frostfall Expedition isn't a game! Wendy couldn't even pass the most basic physical fitness test. She'll only hold the entire team back!"

Joshua pointed at my face and roared.

"Linda, don't think I don't know what you're up to! You're just jealous because you can't stand seeing me treat Wendy well!"

Henry Lee, the team's longest-serving member, could not take it anymore. He stepped forward and accused Joshua of seriously violating protocol.

The very next day, Joshua kicked Henry off the expedition roster and used the incident as a legitimate excuse to bring Wendy onto the team.

Once we arrived in Everwinter Continent, his boundaries grew lower and lower.

Wendy complained about the awful base food and said she wanted a freshly seared steak, so Joshua unauthorizedly used emergency fuel and spent half the night cooking one for her.

Wendy wanted to play with the penguins, so Joshua violated international regulations and caught one just so she could pose with it for photos and post them on social media.

The worst incident happened when Wendy entered a restricted area to take pictures and nearly stepped into a hidden snow pit.

I rushed over and pulled her back just as Joshua arrived with several team members.

But she used the opportunity to throw herself to the ground and cry that I had pushed her.

From that day on, Joshua saw every well-intentioned attempt I made to stop Wendy as an excuse to settle a personal score.

A deafening bang rang out.

The control room door was suddenly thrown open, and Chunk rushed inside, drenched in sweat.

"Captain Shaw! Sound just came through Linda's radio channel!

"It was filled with deep, rumbling booms. That was definitely an avalanche!"

Joshua's brow furrowed.

"Enough with the scare tactics, Chunk. Everwinter Continent isn't even in avalanche season right now. Satellite reports haven't issued a single warning! Don't try to fool me with such an obvious lie."

Chunk stamped his feet in panic.

"Captain Shaw! The microclimate beneath a glacier crevasse can change in an instant. News reports can't monitor it!

"I heard that sound when I was with the rescue team. I know what it was!"

Joshua narrowed his eyes and studied Chunk coldly.

"Really, Chunk? You're willing to make up nonsense like this just to help Linda put on an act? Did the two of you arrange this beforehand?"

Chunk's face paled, and his voice trembled.

"Captain Shaw, I really wasn't lying. I swear! That sound was terrifying. Linda is definitely in serious danger! If we don't send someone now, she could really die!"

Joshua shoved Chunk aside, his eyes filled with disgust and impatience.

"Enough! Linda is really willing to do anything to force me to go looking for her! If she loves putting on a show so much, let her perform to her heart's content down there!"