Chapter 177
Jack thought that the idea was incredibly childish. "You go ahead. I think I will pass."
Well, if you say so. It's impossible to do it alone, though... Mikayla could only proceed with the snowball fight, but just as she was frustrated, she was approached by a few foreigners. "Hey lovely, are you alone?"
Immediately, she looked at them warily and planned to leave, but she was stopped by one of the girls. "Join us! It's more fun than playing alone."
When she met their friendly gazes, she changed her mind and agreed to join them because she would be bored, anyway.
Meanwhile, Elise and Alexander skied their way through the peak. Elise stood at the apex and gazed down at the magical and breathtaking winter scenery.
"How I wish I could stay here for a few more days!" Elise sighed from the bottom of her heart. Seeing that she was in a good mood, Alexander quickly added, "If you like, we could stay a few more days here." She beamed at him, but right then, she felt a slight tremor from the ground underneath her, and her expression changed to one of shock. "Why is the ground moving?"
He felt it as well, but before he could utter a word, he saw the snow on the mountains opposite them sliding down. "Oh crap! It's an avalanche!"
A shiver went down her spine, and her mind was filled with the scene of the aftermath. She could feel the snow underneath her feet loosening as she lost her balance and started plunging forward. Frantically, he reached out to grab her.
Around them, the mountains were shifting, and the ground was shaking. The terrifying movement of nature was intertwined with shrill screams from panicked skiers.
He hugged her tight in his arms to protect her, and they both rolled down the slope from the peak.
A long time later, she finally regained her consciousness and moved her stiff arms. Then, she found out that the lower half of her body was buried in snow. She recalled what happened before her blackout, and she was caught by fear. "Alexander! Alexander!"
She called out to him over and over again, but there was no answer except for her empty echoes in the mountains. That moment was filled with intense fear. She got up from the ground and staggered forward. However, after the avalanche, the environment went through a drastic change, with no human being seen around. She plowed forward aimlessly while yelling, "Anyone there?!"
No matter how many times she shouted, no one replied to her. Dragging her exhausted body along, she went on until she found the rest area they had passed by when they first arrived. At that time, the members of the rescue team noticed her. "Hey, look! There's a lady over there!"
Without wasting a single second, she reached out for help. "Help me! I have a friend with me, but he's probably buried under the snow. You have to help find him! You must!"
The rescue team staff quickly comforted her, saying, "Now, don't worry. We will try our best."
As they spoke, they settled her down before splitting into two teams and making their way up the snowy mountains for the search. Her heart leaped up to her throat as she wallowed in regret. Why did I even say yes to skiing in the first place?
Staring at the landscape of endless snow, she felt her eyes welling up with tears. God, please let Alexander return safe and sound. Please...
A few days passed, and Elise was still staying guard at the foot of the mountains. During the long and soul-crushing wait, she witnessed the rescue team pulling out victims from the snowy grounds, and more than half of those people did not show vital signs.
Even after a few days, they did not find Alexander, Mikayla, or Jack. With all the anxiety building up, Elise was significantly weaker, and despite being advised to leave the scene by the concerned rescuers, she insisted on waiting.
She waited until Danny's call came in. "Boss, the company is in chaos now. Everyone heard the news about Alexander, and there's no one to lead the company now."
Her heart sank after she heard the news. Jonah's reminder once again popped up in her mind, so she tried her best to stay strong. "How's the situation in the office right now? Tell me all the details." Promptly, Danny explained, "A few shareholders are starting to make a fuss. They even plan to call for a new shareholders' meeting to elect a new company president."
"Those rebels!"
"Boss, is there no news of Alexander till now? I'm afraid that "
Elise quickly cut him off. "He'll be fine. He must still be alive." She did not know if she was trying to console Danny or herself. When she looked up at the vast snowy mountain in front of her, she had a feeling that Alexander must be alive somewhere. Perhaps he's still waiting for me to save him!
She lost her composure after the possibility crossed her mind. "Danny, if there are issues at the company, or if there's anything you need, just look for Jamie Keller. He will help to hold the fort for the time being."
Danny knew that Elise and Jamie had a close relationship from the way she entrusted the latter to handle the situation. Just when he was about to ask something else, she already hung up on him. Staring at the swaths of white, she felt that she could not afford to wait anymore. I have to find him!
She meticulously refreshed the memories from the day of the avalanche. Before she fainted, she could sense the warmth of his body against her. Could it be that he was right beside me all the time? Could I have overlooked him?
Her eyes lighting up, she ran over to the rescue team. "Please, please, he's still trapped in there. Can you help me?"
The rescuers sighed helplessly at her obstinance. "We're sorry, ma'am. We have been searching the mountain for a few days. If there had been a sign of life, our tools would have picked that up. Plus, the 72- hour golden period has passed. There's a high chance that your friend has passed on."
Their direct words triggered her. "No, that's impossible! He could not have died. Stop spewing nonsense!"
Knowing that she was in denial, they merely comforted her. "Ma'am, we have searched the mountains a few times. It is impossible for us to get up there again-there is a risk of another avalanche coming. We can't take the risk to save a victim who is likely gone."
Her heart sank to the bottom. Despite knowing their rationale, she still felt indignant, for she had a feeling that he must still be alive. Suddenly, an idea came into her mind. She recalled that Cynthia once told her about an elite self-defense force in Switzerland. Without a second thought, she gave her aunt a call.
Once Cynthia learned about the purpose of Elise's call, she quickly arranged for a trip to the snowy mountains in Switzerland. When she arrived with the team, she was greeted by a pale and feeble Elise, a sight that pained her heart. "Ellie, how have you been living for the past few days?"
Elise went up and clutched her hands tightly. "Aunt Cynthia, he must still be alive somewhere. Please save him!"
From the desperate look on Elise's face, Cynthia assumed that the missing victim must be someone important to her niece. Hence, for now, she could only try her best to reassure the poor girl. "Don't worry, Ellie. I will save your friend as long as there's a shred of hope."