Chapter 88
Yvonne pulled into the gas station, finding it eerily empty with no other cars in sight.
The store inside was a self–service one. She planned to pick up a few things while figuring out an alternate route to the county
road.
Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Samuel.
The wind outside had picked up, and it was cold. Yvonne turned her back to the door and stepped into the store.
“Yes, Mr. Hover,” she answered.
As she spoke, she caught a glimpse of a black car pulling into the gas station. She didn’t get a good look, nor did she think much
of it.
“Ms. Jamison, the emerald has arrived. Do you have time to come take a look today?” Samuel asked.
“I’m afraid I don’t. I’m out for something important.”
As Yvonne spoke, the door sensor activated, and the welcoming chime played. “Welcome to Hillcrest Self–Serve Gas Station.”
Upon hearing that, she knew someone had entered to make a purchase. But when the presence suddenly drew closer, she was startled into a gasp.
As she turned around, she saw Jared. Her eyes widened in shock.
“Jared? What are you doing here? Are you following me?”
Yvonne’s uneasy tone immediately put Samuel on alert on the other end of the line.
Jared, standing right in front of her, didn’t even bother to explain. Instead, he grabbed her phone and car keys.
Yvonne immediately tried to snatch them back, but she couldn’t overpower him.
Without looking at her, Jared switched off her phone and backed away from her. He locked the door from the outside, leaving her trapped inside the store.
The whole sequence of events unfolded too quickly for her to process.
Yvonne, eyes wide, kicked at the door in panic and shouted, “Jared, are you out of your mind? Why are you locking me ir Let me out! I have important things to do. Open the door!”
Standing outside, Jared looked at her affectionately. “Yvvy, I’m going to bring you back to my side, no matter what.”
He couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering alone, and he didn’t want them to keep torturing each other emotionally
Whether it meant coaxing her or forcing her, he had to bring her back to him. He wasn’t going to wait anymore.
“Jared, you’re insane!” Yvonne continued to kick at the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Her desperation made her change her tune. “Okay, okay, I’ll go with you! Just let me out, and I’ll come with you!”
“It’s no use trying to trick me now, Yvvy.”
Jared glanced at his watch and added, “You’re safe here. Once I finish what I need to do, I’ll come back for you.”
He had to get his hands on Andrew’s posthumous work first.
With that, he turned and drove away.
Yvonne watched him leave through the glass. He couldn’t believe that Jared actually trapped her inside. She felt angry and
alarmed all at once.
“Jared…”
Chapter 88
+25 BONUS
Yvonne’s phone and car keys were gone, and her car was parked outside. The store was fully self–service, with only a pay–by- scan option for the phone, and she had no cash.
At that moment, Yvonne completely broke down.
Who could help her now?
She couldn’t miss the auction. She couldn’t miss Andrew’s posthumous work.
The rain outside grew heavier. Yvonne squeezed her eyes shut, forging herself to calm down.
After waiting half an hour with no sign of any other cars, she realized there was no way for her to get help.
“I can’t stay here. I need to get out.”
She found a fire extinguisher in the store. Holding her breath, she swung it at the glass door and struggled to squeeze herself out through the window.
But even after getting out, she was stuck there. She had no phone or car keys.
The misty rain made it impossible to see clearly.
“Why isn’t there a single car passing by?”
Yvonne didn’t want to wait, but she couldn’t just walk off either. She was stranded on a desolate stretch of highway with nothing in sight in either direction.
She’d waited for this chance to get Andrew’s posthumous work. Now, it seemed like she was going to lose it.
Yvonne stood there alone. The bitterness in her chest grew stronger with each passing moment.
After what felt like an eternity, a muffled boom echoed from the direction of the mountains.
Yvonne froze.
She blinked hard and stared ahead, finally noticing that the green of the forest slowly turned to a dull, yellow–brown.
It was…
A landslide!
