All Chapters of Masked Desires: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Snow fell in heavy, relentless sheets, blanketing the landscape around the cabin in a silence so profound it felt sacred. The old structure groaned under the weight of it, the fireplace crackled with dimming embers, and the entire world outside seemed to hold its breath. Inside, warmth battled the cold creeping through the thick wooden walls. And in the center of it all, Ethan Lockwood lay beneath a pile of thick quilts, his body shivering despite the heat of the fire.Minnie sat beside him on the edge of the bed, a damp cloth in her hand. Her movements were slow, careful. She dabbed at his forehead and chest, her brows furrowed with worry.His fever was rising.She’d noticed it that morning—the way his hands trembled when he tried to pour himself coffee, the unusual quiet in his voice, the flush to his cheeks not caused by warmth but something deeper, darker. He’d brushed her off at first, as he always did, dismissing her concern with a sharp comment and a tighter fold of his arms. B

The storm had quieted overnight, its howl tapering into a low, mournful whisper that sighed through the trees. When Minnie stirred just past dawn, she could already sense the shift in the atmosphere — not warmth exactly, but a pause in the rage. The snow had slowed to a gentle dusting, no longer a whiteout. Somewhere, beyond the veil of gray sky, the storm was tiring.She rubbed her eyes, climbed out from under the thick quilt, and tiptoed into the living room. Ethan stood near the window, arms crossed, watching the snow-covered path that led away from the cabin.“Still snowing?” she asked, her voice rough with sleep.He turned slightly, his face drawn but alert. “Lightly. The storm’s breaking. It’s our best chance to leave before another front moves in.”"Aren't you still feeling sick?" she asked, " I don't think you should exert yourself..." "I'm better but yeah if we don't move now, I dont know when we would be able to. No one is searchin for us remember?"Minnie nodded, nerves st

The cave was damp, cold, and reeking of wet fur and rot. The three men who had been sent after Minnie huddled together near a small fire, cursing the storm that had stranded them. They hadn't expected a blizzard, let alone a full-on mountain lockdown. Their plan had been simple: grab the girl, hand her over, get paid. But she had gotten away. Slipped out of her restraints, stolen their car, and vanished into the storm. Worse, Amanda’s last message, crackling through their burner phones before the signal died, had changed everything: "Kill her. If you can't bring her back, make sure she doesn't come back at all." And now, as they sat there freezing and fuming over their failure and lost money, fate twisted again. Through the thinning snow outside the cave mouth, they saw them—Minnie and Ethan, walking together, unaware. The men looked at each other and stood. Maybe all wasn’t lost after all.--------------------------------------------------. Minnie wrapped Ethan’s coat tighter around

The jail cell inside the old ranger station was cold, damp, and reeked of mildew. Rust clung to the barred door, flaking off like scabs of forgotten violence. A chill crept in from the cracked windows above, letting the scent of pine and stormwater seep through. Ethan Lockwood sat slumped against the stone wall, his breath shallow, skin pale beneath the flickering light of a distant fire.Minnie sat beside him, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her soaked dress clung to her body, and the ropes that had tied her wrists had left angry red marks behind. She stared at the flickering shadows cast by the fire outside their cell, her thoughts a storm of guilt, fear, and a truth she had buried too deep for too long.Outside the cell, three men huddled around a makeshift fire built in an old metal trash barrel. One of them, the youngest kept glancing toward the cell, a frown etched into his rain-lined face. The other two, older and harder, spoke in hushed voices about what to do next. They

Minnie gripped Ethan’s arm tighter, steadying his half-limping body as they trudged through the wilderness.“Just a little more,” she whispered, though she didn’t know where “more” was.His face was pale, dotted with sweat and frost. His shoulder wound had reopened sometime during the escape, blood seeping through the bandage she’d wrapped hastily before they fled. His breaths were shallow but rhythmic. Every step seemed to cost him more.“I see something,” she breathed.There—just ahead, past a wall of thick pine—a small rocky formation loomed. At its base, a cave, dark and gaping, like the mouth of salvation. The moment they stepped inside, the hush of the outside world dropped away, replaced by their labored breathing and dripping water from melting icicles along the cave walls.It wasn’t much.But it was dry.And it was hidden.Minnie helped Ethan sit, using a roll of cloth she’d kept in her coat pocket to bolster his back against the rock wall. He slumped down, breathing heavily,