Chapter 4

The sun finally sank below the horizon.

The campfire was lit, casting a warm glow over the campsite.

Alex pulled out his phone and took a picture of Claire from behind as she busied herself around the camp.

Floating in midair, I clearly saw the post he uploaded to social media.

[Some people think leaving is the only way to prove how important they are.]

[They don’t realize that the people who truly care about you would ache even at the slightest frown on your face.]

[Grateful to have you. Our desert expedition has come to a successful end.]

Within a minute, a long row of likes appeared beneath the post.

They were all from members of the Raptor Expedition Team.

“Alex and Claire really are on the same wavelength!”

“Claire deserves so much better than a jealous boyfriend.”

“Daniel is probably sitting in some hotel right now, staring at this post and jumping up and down in anger. Ha-ha…”

Claire walked over carrying a plate of grilled lamb skewers.

She glanced at her watch, her brows knitting slightly.

“Has Daniel still not sent anything in the group chat?”

One of the team members, who was busy gnawing on a lamb chop, answered without looking up.

“Nope. He hasn’t even sent a punctuation mark.

“Claire, forget about him. He’s probably still waiting at that service station on the edge of the desert, hoping you’ll swallow your pride and go pick him up.

“What a drama queen. He’s been out there for hours. Isn’t he hungry?”

Claire stuffed the skewers into Alex’s hands before pulling her car keys from her pocket.

“We can’t keep letting him act like this.

“Everyone except Alex, get in the car. We’re going to pick him up together.”

The team members looked reluctant.

“Claire, why bother picking him up? Let him learn his lesson on his own.”

Claire gave a cold laugh.

“I’m taking you all there so he can apologize to each of you in person.

“This expedition team isn’t a place where he can throw a tantrum whenever he feels like it.

“He’s wasted everyone’s time. He needs to admit he was wrong.”

Alex immediately stood up.

“Claire, I’m coming too.

“Daniel did go too far, but he’s still my friend. When you guys lecture him later, I’ll at least try to keep things from getting too harsh.”

After earning a chorus of praise from the others, Alex climbed into the vehicle with them.

I followed their vehicle as it headed back toward where my body lay.

Half an hour later, they finally reached the same stretch of dunes where we’d separated earlier that day.

Under the glare of the headlights, the complaints inside the vehicle suddenly stopped.

One of the team members, Marcus Ashford, stammered as he pointed through the window.

“C-Claire… that person…”

Claire followed his gaze.

The moment she saw my horribly twisted body lying in the sand, her pupils contracted.

She scrambled out of the vehicle and rushed toward me.

“Daniel!”