Chapter 6

Nadia knew this was Quinton’s way of putting her in her place.

He wanted her to understand the price of leaving the Zeller family.

But she had married into the family with nothing to begin with. Losing all of this now only meant returning to where she had started.

So what was there to be afraid of?

Nadia said nothing more. She opened the door and walked straight out.

The estate where the Zeller villa was located was home to some of the most prominent families in Harbor City, so naturally, the property management was top-tier.

Outside taxis were not allowed in.

After all, who among the people living here would ever need to take a taxi?

Nadia walked along the wide road. It was almost dusk, and the sky had already begun to darken.

Aside from the occasional car passing by, she was the only person on the road.

The snow had stopped for a full day, but because the temperature was so low, it had already frozen over.

Fortunately, the property staff had cleared the roads in time. There was barely any snow left on the pavement, only a layer of ice crystals clinging to the landscaping trees along the roadside.

In weather like this, just walking outside for a short while was enough to make a person’s hands and feet go numb.

Nadia’s fever had only just gone down, and she had barely eaten over the past two days. Now, her vision kept going dark in waves.

Looking at the estate gate still some distance away, she pulled her down jacket tighter around herself, gritted her teeth, and kept walking.

The mountain road was quiet. There were hardly any cars now.

After the sun went down, the sky darkened almost instantly. Only the streetlights on both sides barely lit the road ahead.

Ever since that incident, Nadia had been afraid of the dark, especially walking alone at night.

She looked at the dark woods on both sides of the road, and her steps quickened without her realizing it.

Suddenly, a blinding light appeared behind her.

Nadia moved toward the side of the road, intending to let the car pass first.

But the car did not pass her.

Instead, it followed her at a steady distance, neither too close nor too far, lighting the road beneath her feet.

Fear rose in Nadia’s chest.

She couldn’t help speeding up, but the car kept following at the same unhurried pace. Even the distance between them didn’t change.

Nadia looked at the pool of light beneath her feet, and her heart nearly leaped into her throat.

The nightmare she least wanted to remember surfaced in her mind.

She didn’t dare look back. All she could do was run forward as fast as she could.

“Mr. Sanders.”

The assistant glanced at the man in the rearview mirror, waiting for his instruction.

“Follow her.”

Hugo Sanders had come here to visit an older family friend. On his way back, he saw a woman walking alone along the mountain road.

He recognized her at once.

It was Nadia Lincoln.

In this cold, she was walking alone on a mountain road. Did the Zeller family not even have a driver?

Or had she fought with her husband and come out here on purpose, hoping he would feel sorry for her?

Hugo thought of the media reports.

If he had known that Nadia’s fall into the lake that night hadn’t been an accident, but a reckless act after she found out about her husband’s affair, he might not have rushed in to save her.

At that thought, Hugo looked at the thin figure outside the car window and cursed under his breath.

Stupid woman.

Risking herself just to make a man feel guilty. What else could she be but stupid?

Even so, Hugo still told his assistant to slow down and follow her from a distance.

This was a mountain road, after all. It was already dark, and it was not safe for a woman to be walking here alone.

“Slow down. Keep following her.”

“Yes, sir.”

Declan Carter eased off the gas and followed the woman ahead.

The night before last, when Hugo had jumped into the icy lake to save her, Declan had nearly started writing his resignation letter on the spot. Fortunately, Hugo was a strong swimmer and had managed to bring her up quickly.

Only later did Declan learn that the woman was Mrs. Zeller of the Zeller family in Harbor City, and also the daughter of Harbor City’s former mayor.

Hugo had worked in Harbor City for a while in the past. Maybe he had helped her because of that old connection.

He just hadn’t expected them to run into Nadia again so soon.

In weather like this, and at this hour, it was strange for any woman to be walking alone on a mountain road.

“Ms. Lincoln doesn’t seem to be doing very well in the Zeller family,” Declan said as he turned the wheel, accidentally saying what was on his mind.

They had run into her twice now. Once, she had fallen into a lake. This time, she was walking alone on a mountain road on a winter night.

No matter how Declan looked at it, she didn’t seem like a happy woman.

Hugo was still watching the figure outside the window. At Declan’s words, he glanced at the rearview mirror.

Declan caught the look from the back seat and immediately realized he had said too much.

He fell silent and focused on driving, keeping a steady distance behind the woman ahead.

Nadia ran faster and faster. In her panic, she accidentally stepped on a patch of snow by the side of the road. Her foot slipped, and she fell hard onto the icy pavement.

She didn’t dare look back, and she didn’t dare waste even a second. She immediately tried to get up and keep running, but the moment she moved, a sharp pain shot through her ankle.

Behind her, she heard a car door open.

The footsteps slowly approaching her sounded like a nightmare closing in, dragging her back into the memory she least wanted to relive.

She stared at the shadow in front of her and watched the figure draw closer and closer.

The moment a firm hand landed on her shoulder, Nadia didn’t hesitate. She grabbed that hand and bit down hard.

Pain shot through Hugo’s wrist. He caught Nadia’s jaw with his other hand and finally managed to pull free.

“Help! Help!”

Nadia screamed for help, swinging her purse wildly. Fear had already overwhelmed all reason. The only thought in her mind was that she couldn’t be caught.

Ignoring the pain in her ankle, she staggered to her feet and tried to run down the mountain.

But someone grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Why are you running?” Hugo snapped coldly.

Declan hurried over at that moment.

“Mrs. Zeller, this is Mr. Sanders. He was the one who pulled you out of the water the night before last. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Only then did Nadia slowly come back to herself.

She looked at the man in front of her.

Under the dim yellow streetlight, his brow cast a shadow over his eyes. His gaze, half-hidden in the dark, carried a cold, distant restraint.

She remembered him.

Back when her father was still in office, Hugo had visited their home. He had been one of her father’s subordinates.

At the time, he had just been selected for a government-track position. Her father had said he had a limitless future ahead of him.

By coincidence, she had nearly drowned once as a child too, and Hugo had been the one who saved her then.

“Get up first.”

Hugo spoke and held out a hand, exposing part of his wrist.

Under the streetlight, Nadia saw the bite mark on it.

Embarrassment flickered across her face. She didn’t take Hugo’s hand. Instead, she forced herself to stand on her own.

“Thank you, Mr. Sanders. I was out of line just now. I’m sorry. And thank you for saving me yesterday.”

Hugo looked at the woman standing in front of him.

Her face hadn’t changed much from before, but the brightness and confidence she once had were gone.

The lively eyes he remembered were now dimmed by a dull shadow.

He had seen it clearly. When she refused his hand and forced herself up, her already pale face had gone even whiter for a moment. Her brows had drawn together, as if she were fighting through pain.

“Are you hurt?”