When There Is Nothing Left But Love

The rain pelted down harshly on our bodies. Laurel, who was completely soaked through like everyone else, peered at me with worry lining her features. “We have to go now!”

“This place is prone to sinkholes, especially on rainy days. C’mon, let’s leave first!” Tabitha urged.

As though on cue, lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Everyone couldn’t care less about anything else and immediately scurried toward the tents.

“I think that area just collapsed!” Tabitha’s boyfriend suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone glanced back as one and sure enough, a large area of the ground had sunken in.

“This place used to be a mine. Some spots were dug to a depth of approximately ten meters and no one has been managing this area in years. On rainy days, accidents are prone to happen,” Tabitha’s boyfriend explained.

Tabitha gasped in terror. “I saw many tea trees on the mountain. Isn’t it dangerous for the tea farmers there? They could lose their lives!”

Laurel spoke up right then, aiming her words at Ashton. “Mr. Fuller, where did you guys go off to? If we weren’t looking for you guys, Scarlett would never have been in danger and we wouldn’t have gotten caught in the downpour either.”

At that, everyone turned their attention to Ashton. He cast a fleeting gaze at them, but remained otherwise calm. In a polite and sophisticated manner, he expressed his regret. “What happened today was an oversight on my part. To show my sincere apology, I’ll treat everyone to a meal tomorrow.”

blaming you. It’s not

pit, my entire body was pumping with adrenaline, but now that I escaped from that precarious

I listened to their conversation, my knees suddenly gave

reflexes kicked in and he caught me before I hit the

Let me take a look at you.” Anxiously, Nora squatted beside

blocked her and contradicted in an authoritative voice, “She’s not injured. She’s just tired after the stress her body was put through. All she needs is a

at her. Then, I tried to get to my feet, but Ashton hugged me close to his body

could feel his body temperature radiating and

my face flushed a

ordeal in the pit. Worried that I would catch a cold, Nora gave me the clothes

the tiny space because she was worried I wouldn’t be able to change my clothes

“You really don’t need to watch me like that. I’m fine.

but her eyes remained trained on me as she sighed. “Thank God Laurel’s call for help was loud enough to travel through the forest. Otherwise, only God knows what would’ve happened to you if you were still trapped down there

their actions and I looked at her in perplexity. “Didn’t you guys search for me because Tessa

came back with Rachel later on. It turns out that she sprained her ankle and couldn’t walk back. Ashton was

out, “Then, has