Chapter 902

Fear paralyzed everyone's ability to distinguish reality from illusion. This was no laughing matter.

Car doors flew open as they scrambled out.

Thankfully, Evelyn and Natalie had worn practical shoes.

Isabella Montgomery, ever the fashionista, had stubbornly refused to sacrifice style for practicality. Even in a mudslide, she'd face disaster in stilettos.

Her impractical footwear now hindered their escape.

Natalie's face turned ghostly pale.

"Sebastian, take Natalie! I've got Isabella!" Evelyn shouted. "No time to argue - just run!"

"Evelyn, keep up!" Natalie's voice trembled.

Gritting her teeth, Natalie sprinted ahead with Sebastian.

Their disaster preparedness training dictated running perpendicular to the mudslide's path. But complete darkness swallowed everything.

Phone flashlights provided pitiful illumination against the consuming blackness.

Blind and desperate, they could only flee in the opposite direction.

Freezing rain lashed their faces like shards of glass.

Isabella clutched Evelyn's hand, sobbing as they ran. Her mind had gone blank with terror.

The ominous rumble of approaching debris grew louder.

It promised to obliterate all warmth, all hope.

Evelyn saw nothing. Heard nothing beyond the storm.

Isabella's tears mixed with rain as Evelyn dragged her forward, but the designer heels kept slowing them down.

Drenched. Frozen. Terrified.

With a frustrated cry, Isabella kicked off her shoes. "I'm sorry, Evie," she gasped, gripping Evelyn's hand tighter.

"Don't apologize," Evelyn panted. "Sebastian and Natalie are just ahead. We'll catch them!"

But the deafening roar behind them intensified. Evelyn's pulse hammered in her throat.

Natalie's warning sliced through the storm: "Faster! It's gaining!"

The icy rain stung like needles. Evelyn tightened her grip on Isabella's hand.

Their slowing pace made the approaching destruction sound even more horrifying.

Evelyn had excellent stamina, but Isabella's exhaustion dragged them both down. Still, Evelyn refused to let go.

Losing her best friend wasn't an option.

Not after already losing the man she loved.

Isabella's breathing grew ragged. "Leave me, Evie. Save yourself!"

"Never." Evelyn's grip turned vice-like.

Amidst the howling wind, Isabella's choked sobs stood out starkly.

Evelyn focused solely on moving forward when - CRACK! Her foot caught on a rock.

White-hot pain shot through her ankle. She heard rather than felt the bone snap.

Then - impact. Her skull connected with frozen earth.

Darkness swallowed her consciousness.

Isabella's scream echoed strangely - both distant and immediate.

What cruel irony. Was this her punishment for seeking revenge against Nathan?

Warmth trickled down Evelyn's forehead. Blood? Hers? Someone else's?

The world faded to black.