She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 463

Lucian didn't waste a second on words. He quickly found a sturdy tree trunk nearby, anchored a tactical rope, secured the other end around his waist, and rappelled down the slick rock face.

His boots splashed into the freezing water as he knelt in front of Loyce. She looked up at him, her eyelashes fluttering with the cold.

She fully expected the man to scold her, but he remained utterly silent. He simply slipped his strong arms around her waist, hoisted her up, and secured her tightly to his own body with the harness before beginning the grueling, inch-by-inch climb back up the rope.

The hail pelted mercilessly against his helmet and broad shoulders with heavy, sickening thuds, but his wide back shielded her from almost all the impact.

An unprecedented, overwhelming sense of security washed over Loyce, like a surge of warmth breaking through a frozen river. It violently enveloped her heart—a heart that had long been accustomed to shouldering every burden alone.

She had never realized it as profoundly as she did in this exact moment: she could trust this man unconditionally.

No matter how deadly the situation, he would find her.

Reaching the surface, Lucian unclipped the harness. He pulled a thermal blanket from his pack and wrapped it tightly around her to help her retain whatever body heat she had left. Then, he hoisted her onto his back and began the slow, torturous trek toward the extraction point.

Loyce rested her chin against his shoulder, finally breaking the long silence between them. "Why did you come? Do you really like me that much? Enough to risk your own life?"

Lucian's response was simple. Just a low, gravelly hum. "Mhm."

"Then... should we be together?" she asked.

Lucian's footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second. He turned his head slightly, her warm, slightly ragged breaths ghosting across his neck.

"That's my business," he said firmly. "It has nothing to do with you."

He had never intended to force her into accepting his feelings. After all, he was a man surrounded by danger.

Moreover, what he wanted from her was never some cliché 'repaying a life debt with a relationship.'

The sinkhole was miles away from the extraction point, but thankfully, the weather stabilized during their hike, sparing them any further disasters.

Lucian stubbornly carried her on his back for two agonizing hours until they neared the exit and were met by the frantic search and rescue teams.

Blinding floodlights washed over their faces, cutting through the night, accompanied by joyous shouts.

"The General is alive!"

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