Chapter 181 The Man
Jodie looked back as the car entered the tunnel, but the man’s face vanished in the darkness.
All she could see was his hand on his knee, repeatedly flicking a lighter.
It was a silver lighter without any decorative patterns. It wasn’t a famous brand, nor did it have any design flair. Just a plain, old–fashioned lighter.
Despite its simplicity, it bore an orange gem at its base, resembling the sunset.
The lighter seemed out of place for someone of his stature, yet he carried it faithfully every day for years.
As the vehicle exited the tunnel, Marcel glanced at the lanes on both sides. Seeing no other ears, he stepped on the accelerator, speeding off toward the eastern woods.
However, their journey was halted by dense trees and undergrowth, forcing them to leave the car behind and walk.
Jodie, in her leather jacket, pants, and short boots, looked sharp with her short hair.
She and Marcel grabbed an emergency flashlight from the car’s compartment. They quickly inserted batteries and raised them to shine into the woods.
She turned to the man and said, “Sic, Marcel and 1 will go look for her. Please wait for us in the car.”
As she spoke, the man swiftly took the emergency flashlight from her hand and stepped into the woods ahead.
Marcel shrugged, then followed into the woods, staying close to him.
The woods were dark. The light only brightened the path, leaving the man’s face in shadow.
With swill strides, be navigated through the densely packed trees. His coat swept through the bushes on the ground, but he paid no attention to it.
Jodie struggled to keep pace with him. His usually composed demeanor was completely different now.
But then again, it was Emelle.
As the man stepped over a small ditch, he remembered what Emelle had told him before he went abroad.
“If you leave this time, I won’t pursue you anymore.”
A cold gust of night wind pierced through him, chilling him deeply. He looked ahead with a sense of foreboding
It felt emelie was right there, waiting.
The dense forest blocked out the sky and any moonlight or starlight.
Emelie walked through the woods like a blind person, unable to see anything. Not only could she not see, but she was also very cold.
She had taken off her coat when she got into the car, leaving her only in a loose–knit sweater. The wind cut through the sweater’s seams, making her shiver uncontrollably. As she stumbled forward, relying on memory, the blackness seemed endless. There were no signs of civilization. Unable to find an exit, she decided to stop moving forward. She returned to where she was left by the car and found a tree with a faint light. She crouched beside it, hugging her knees to keep warm.
Emelie was suce Patricia wouldn’t actually leave her here or harm her. She didn’t have the nerve for it.
Someone would definitely come to pick her up in a few hours.
Hypothetically, Jayden and the others would ask Patricia and the driver about her whereabouts if they didn’t see her return
In any case, she would surely be rescued
So, rather than blindly wandering around, it was best for her to wait where she was. This way, the rescuers could easily find her, and both sides wouldn’t waste time searching in the woods.
Emelie didn’t care about why Patricia did it. It she dared to act that way, Emelie was determined to make her face the consequences.
As her legs grew numb from crouching, she sat on the ground.
Luckily, it was winter, so most animals were hibernating Otherwise, snakes and poisonous insects would likely be in the rugged forest.
However, as she thought about it, she heard rustling in the bushes, as if something was moving quickly past.