Free Web NovelChapter 39: Chapter 39: Worrying Sick Over Her
Frostfall was located in a mountain range in the northwest. It earned its name because the average temperature never exceeded ten degrees Celsius, leaving it covered in snow year-round.
Cecelia Archer, Mr. Lee, and their team departed from Veridia. After a connecting flight, a train ride, a chartered bus, and even an oxcart, they spent over twenty grueling hours traveling before finally reaching their destination in the early hours of the next day.
Before their arrival, Mr. Lee had contacted the local power bureau. The person in charge had arranged for them to stay in a village at the very foot of the mountains.
The village consisted of just five scattered households and had no electricity. It was pitch-black. In the sub-twenty-degree-Celsius weather, the team had pulled out and layered every piece of clothing from their suitcases, yet they still couldn’t get warm.
An old couple, tasked with receiving them, waited with several young men holding flashlights. The moment the groups met, the locals surrounded them with enthusiasm.
Having finally made contact, Mr. Lee immediately sent a message to Damien Vaughn to report their safe arrival.
President Vaughn placed immense importance on their small team—so much so that it was touching. He had already checked in on them twice during their twenty-plus-hour journey.
"President Vaughn, we’ve arrived safely at our destination. It’s colder than we imagined, but otherwise, everything went smoothly. No need to worry."
It was two in the morning. Mr. Lee assumed Damien Vaughn would definitely be asleep and was just sending the update for him to see first thing in the morning.
But to his surprise, a reply came less than a minute after he sent the message.
"Good."
"Have your accommodations and everything been arranged?"
Mr. Lee was astonished, and at the same time, even more moved.
’President Vaughn was still up waiting for my message at this hour!’
"All arranged." He was just about to reply when a sudden commotion erupted nearby. Cecelia Archer’s voice cried out, mixed with the shouting and clamoring of a group of men.
"What’s going on? What happened?"
Forgetting all about his message, Mr. Lee scrambled forward.
A few steps ahead, Cecelia Archer was nearly being torn in two.
Her colleagues from the tech department were pulling on one of her arms, while a group of shadowy figures—young local men in traditional ethnic clothing—pulled on the other.
He couldn’t understand what they were jabbering about, but from the looks of it, some of them had taken a fancy to Cecelia Archer and were trying to drag her away.
’This is outrageous!’
’Never mind that it seemed like Cecelia and President Vaughn had... that night... even if they hadn’t, I can’t just stand by and let this happen to her!’
"What are you doing? What do you think you’re doing?"
Mr. Lee rushed in front of the group of young men, trying desperately to hold them back as he questioned them.
Looking closely in the flashlight beams, he saw that these local youths were actually quite handsome. freёwebnoѵel.com
They all had high-bridged noses, large eyes, and tall builds, looking almost like they were of mixed descent. They were just too boorish!
The young men were completely unfazed by Mr. Lee’s questioning. Ignoring Cecelia’s reluctance, they shouted self-righteously, clearly determined to get their way.
After a few attempts to stop them, it was clear he couldn’t. The guys from the tech department were no match for the locals. Mr. Lee started to panic.
"Make a call! Quick, call the people from the power bureau! What is this? They’re trying to kidnap someone the moment we arrive! Are they bandits? Were we wrong to come here to help alleviate their poverty?"
One of the technicians quickly let go of Cecelia to grab his phone.
But when he took it out, he found it had already automatically shut down—the battery had drained too quickly due to the low temperature.
"My phone’s dead! Does anyone else have a charge?"
Everyone frantically pulled out their phones to check. Good grief, they were all off!
"Mr. Lee, they’re all dead! You have to make the call!"
Cecelia’s arms felt like they were about to be ripped off, so the others rushed in to grab her by the legs and waist.
With the situation temporarily stabilized, Mr. Lee shakily took out his phone.
’Just a moment ago, it was at twenty percent, and now it’s less than five!’
The cold, the anxiety, and now the dying phone battery made him even more agitated. With a trembling hand, he dialed Damien Vaughn’s number. freewёbnoνel.com
Damien Vaughn had finished getting ready for bed, but for some reason, he felt no desire to sleep. He kept looking at his phone. The Stratton tech group chat was silent.
’They’ve been gone for a day and a night, and they still haven’t arrived.’
Since he couldn’t sleep, he decided not to try. He picked up a financial magazine.
As he was reading, a message finally came through on his phone.
In all his years, he had never anticipated the sound of a phone notification as eagerly as he did today.
He wanted to grab it immediately to see if it was from Cecelia Archer’s group, confirming their safe arrival, but his pride made him wait for half a minute.
He stared at the magazine for another thirty seconds without reading a single word before he slowly picked up his phone.
He opened it. It was indeed a message from Mr. Lee. They had arrived.
The frown that had been fixed on Damien Vaughn’s face all day unconsciously eased a little.
He replied to Mr. Lee, wanting to get more details about their situation, but Mr. Lee seemed busy. After that one message, he went silent, and the tech group chat fell quiet once again.
Damien Vaughn stared at his phone, refreshing it dozens of times, but there was still no reply. Annoyed, he threw the phone aside.
’Someone’s actually ignoring my messages? Ever since I met Cecelia Archer, it’s been one weird thing after another!’
Agitated and restless, he couldn’t sleep or focus on the magazine. He went to pour himself a glass of red wine.
He hadn’t expected that after half a glass of wine, his phone would ring again. It was a call from Mr. Lee.
Damien Vaughn deliberately let the phone vibrate for a while before answering, his voice low. "What is it?"
"What’s wrong with you? Did you send us to a den of bandits? Weren’t we supposed to be staying with a local family for a few days? How come they started grabbing people the moment we met? This is a society ruled by law! Is there no law here anymore?"
Damien Vaughn froze. He could hear a clamor in the background, with Cecelia Archer’s screams mixed in.
"What’s wrong, Lee? What the hell is going on?"
Moments later, Damien Vaughn was on another call.
"What’s going on? My people just arrived and they’re already in trouble? How do you manage public security over there? Give the order now! Tell them to release her at once! Not a single hair on my people’s heads is to be harmed!"
The person on the other end listened and exclaimed, "Your people went to the Vokari Clan? That’s bad! That place is remote, cut-off, has no electricity, and bride-snatching is tacitly allowed. This is..."
Damien Vaughn hadn’t expected that Mr. Lee, after all his careful selection, would pick such a den of wolves.
’Bride-snatching is tacitly allowed? Then isn’t Cecelia done for?’
"I don’t care! Use whatever means necessary, you have to stop this immediately! If anything at all happens to my people, you can wait for your dismissal notice."
A dozen or so minutes later, two police cars, lights flashing, sped toward them.
As soon as they got out of the cars, the officers began shouting at the group of local young men.
The young men were clearly defiant and not at all intimidated, talking back several times. It was only when the officers brandished their handcuffs that they reluctantly let go of Cecelia Archer.
Exhausted, the team collapsed to the ground and asked the officers, "What was all that about? Is that it? Why aren’t you arresting them?"
An officer explained, "Here, bride-snatching is a custom. If a man takes a liking to a woman, he can seize her and take her home to be his wife. It’s been a popular tradition for many years. Why didn’t you do your research before you came? And why would you bring a young woman with you, especially one so beautiful?"
The group was stunned. ’Bride-snatching is a custom? How can something like this still exist in the world?’
"Well, we’re here now. Doesn’t that mean she’s in constant danger?"
"You could say that. That’s why your president has instructed us to escort her back to Veridia tonight. Miss, please come with us."
