Chapter 1223
Chapter 1223:
“Come on. Get up. I’ll help you down. If we wait any longer, it’ll be dangerous to move in the dark, and we might not even find our way out p>
Herman stared at her, stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected her to offer support—especially since he was the man. How could he let a woman assist him?
Annabel’s patience thinned at his hesitation. “Hurry up. I’m helping you up. Otherwise, we’ll have to spend the night in these mountains,” she said firmly.
Knowing Annabel was right, Herman had no choice but to take her hand.
With a firm grip, Annabel pulled him to his feet and carefully draped his arm over her shoulder. She clenched her teeth, brows drawn tight, as she took some of his weight. Step by careful step, she guided him downhill.
They said climbing was easy, but going down was far worse—especially on these steep slopes. After a long time, Annabel’s legs felt like they were about to give out. More than once, she stumbled and nearly lost her footing. Still, she forced herself to stay steady—for her sake and for Herman’s. Her pace was slow, but she kept going.
Two hours passed before they finally reached level ground. The moment her feet touched solid earth, Annabel breathed out in relief. She turned to Herman, gripped his arm, and said urgently, “I just checked the sign. If we head about eight hundred meters north, we should reach the entrance to the scenic area. It’s almost dark. Let’s get out quickly. Can you hold on a little longer p>
Herman clenched his teeth. The throbbing in his swollen ankle was getting worse, but he still nodded firmly. Guilt gnawed at him. His craving for adventure had caused the injury and dragged Annabel into this mess. Worse, he didn’t even know which way the entrance was, and they still had a long distance to go.
He looked at her, searching her face. “Annabel, I’m sorry. We wouldn’t be trapped here if it weren’t for me. I didn’t know p>
“It’s okay,” Annabel said quietly. What was done was done. There was no point blaming anyone. She already knew how impulsive Herman could be. “Let’s focus on getting out. If you can’t take it anymore, tell me. We can stop and rest for a while p>
Ł Ŧ ¢ħ∆₽ŧ€Ř$ įŋ g𝒶l𝑛ovєl𝑠𝒸o𝓂
Unfortunately, things didn’t go the way they expected.
Their progress stayed painfully slow, and Herman needed frequent breaks to ease the strain on his ankle. Night fell, yet they still hadn’t made it out of the mountains.
Herman glanced around, regret and embarrassment in his voice. “I’m sorry. You’re still stuck here with me p>
Annabel’s strength was fading, too. Her steps slowed, and her breathing grew heavier as the minutes dragged on.
“Don’t say that,” she replied, trying to stay calm. “It won’t help. It’s not completely dark yet. Give me a moment to figure out where we are p>
Annabel scanned their surroundings, only to realize the trees were far denser than she had expected—and there wasn’t a single person in sight. Her heart sank as the truth hit her.
They were lost.
Then the sky dimmed rapidly overhead. Annabel looked up and saw ominous clouds gathering, followed by a low, distant rumble of thunder.
Her eyes widened. Their situation was worse than she’d thought. Not only could they not find their way out, but neither of them had brought an umbrella.
“Oh no… is it going to rain p>