Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 81 - Chapitre 90

The helicopter hovered midair. The valley floor was covered in snow and massive boulders. There was no way to land safely.Gavin released the rope and dropped cleanly to the ground. The moment his boots hit the snow, he rushed toward Chris.He pulled off his coat to hand it over, but froze when he saw that Chris’s light-colored shirt was soaked through with blood.The cliff had been jagged rock. No one could fall that far without injury. Even though Gavin had prepared himself for the worst, the sight still made his stomach drop.Chris was hurt that badly, and he was still holding Winter.Gavin quickly draped the coat over Chris’s shoulders and reached for Winter. “Sir, you’re seriously injured. Let me carry her.”Chris didn’t loosen his grip. Instead, he tightened his arms around the woman in his chest and rose to his feet. His legs were stiff, and when he took a step, his body swayed dangerously.And yet, he didn't allow the woman in his arms to feel even a flicker of that inst

When Winter opened her eyes, someone was sitting by her bed.He looked like he had just crawled out of a construction site, dusty and disheveled. It startled her.“You… why are you back?” Her throat was raw and dry. Swallowing felt like dragging a blade down her throat.William frowned at the sound of her hoarse voice. He stood, poured a glass of warm water, and walked back to her bedside, about to help her drink.Winter's first thought was that lying down like this made drinking awkward. The hospital room probably didn't have straws either.Before he could say anything, she spoke first. “I’ll open my mouth. Just tilt the cup and pour slowly. Not too much or I’ll choke.”William froze, instantly picturing what she described. He clicked his tongue. “You're ridiculous.”He sat on the edge of the bed, slid an arm behind her back, and pulled her up against his chest. He brought the rim of the cup to her cracked lips. “Are you allergic to romance?”“We're both just…” Winter thought

Winter walked into the ward carrying a fruit basket, looking every bit the formal visitor paying respects to a patient rather than a wife tending to her husband.Chris’s eyes darkened.“Winter, how are your injuries? I went to your room, but William blocked me from seeing you. Still, knowing he was by your side all night puts my mind at ease,” Skyla, sitting at the small dining table nearest to the door, spoke with a gentle warmth.She glanced at Winter as if nothing was wrong. “Have you eaten breakfast yet? If you haven’t, I can have someone bring you something.”Winter didn’t even acknowledge her. Instead, she gave Zac a small nod. “I need to talk to him. Zac, you all should step out for a minute.”“What could you possibly need to say that we can’t hear?” Skyla said, unfazed by being ignored.Winter let out a quiet scoff. “Are you really that desperate to eavesdrop on private matters between a husband and wife?”Skyla’s fingers tightened slightly around the bowl, and she smile

“If Winter hurts Chris, can you handle the consequences?”Gavin looked at her calmly. “Mr. Xander will handle it himself.”*Inside the room, Winter shoved with everything she had. Chris had one leg in a cast, and his balance was off. He stumbled back several steps.He caught himself with one hand on the bed rail at the foot of the bed, breathing hard as he looked at Winter standing across from him. Her eyes were red from anger. He had kissed her until she could barely breathe, and now she was gulping air, chest heaving.Winter raised her hand and rubbed at her lips again and again, like she had been touched by something filthy.Chris watched the gesture. His eyes narrowed, and his expression turned even colder.“Tell me,” he said, voice flat. “What exactly did I agree to?”Winter stared at the divorce agreement on the floor, the pages crumpled into a ball. Humiliation and fury surged up her throat.“Back in the valley, didn't you say it yourself that no matter what I asked,

Mrs. Xander Sr. sat on the sofa beside the hospital bed. She watched the orthopedic doctor reapply the cast on Chris’s leg, her face tight with anger.She didn’t say a word until the doctor and nurses left, leaving the two of them alone.“You got hurt saving Winter,” she said at last. “I’m not going to lecture you about that. That’s what a husband is supposed to do.”Chris rolled an unlit cigarette between his fingers. “It’s just a minor injury. How did this end up reaching you?”The way he acted like it was nothing made her temper flare.“If I didn’t come, was I supposed to sit back and watch you and Winter get divorced?”Chris paused with the cigarette between his fingers. His lowered gaze turned dark and unreadable. Then he gave a short laugh.“I’m not divorcing her.”“She has already moved out of Blackwood Manor,” Mrs. Xander Sr. snapped, pointing at him. “How long were you planning to keep that from me? Do you have any idea how much Winter loves you? If she moved out, that