Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Every single person in that room turned toward the entrance.
I walked in slowly, backlit by the hallway lights.
I was still wearing the simple white dress the hotel had given me, with Zeke’s oversized jacket draped over my shoulders. My hair hung loose and unstyled. Without makeup, my face looked ghostly pale.
Bin to everyone staring at me right then?
I might as well have crawled straight out of hell.
“ AHHH p>
Someone screamed.
For a split second, the reporters just froze.
Then they EXPLODED into motion, surging toward me like a tidal wave.
“Miss Montgomery! Oh my GOD, you’re ALIVE! ”
“When did you get back?! ”
“Is the video real? Was your disappearance connected to your father and stepsister?! ”
Microphones jabbed toward my face from every direction.
Immediately, Zeke’s security team formed a human wall around me, pushing the swarm back.
But I didn’t even look at them.
My eyes were locked on the three people onstage.
My father, Richard Montgomery, had gone completely colorless. His lips trembled as he pointed a shaking finger at me.
“You.. you … ”
He couldn’t get another word out.
My darling stepsister Jade? She literally fell out of her chair and collapsed onto the floor, staring at me like I was a ghost,
And my beloved fiancé Julian? He was glaring at me with pure, unfiltered HATRED–like he wanted to rip me apart with his bare hands.
I met their stares head–on.
And slowly, I smiled.
“What’s wrong? Not happy to see me p>
I walked up to the stage. One of the guards pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down gracefully.
“ Dad,” I said sweetly. “Were you guys just holding my memorial service? ”
Dad’s whole body jerked.
“Vivian! Sweetheart! Thank GOD you’re back! You have NO idea how worried I’ve been! ”
He rushed down from the stage, arms outstretched, trying to grab my hands. His smile looked more like a grimace.
C
I shifted slightly to the side.
He missed.
“Worried?” I tilted my head. “Worried I didn’t actually DIE on that mountain p>
His expression froze.
The camera flashes went into overdrive,
Every reporter in the room could smell blood in the water.
“Miss Montgomery, please answer us directly! Did your father and stepsister orchestrate your disappearance?! ”
“Is the video real?! Were they plotting to steal your inheritance?! ”
l ignored them.
Instead, I kept my gaze locked on my father, whose face had turned ashen.
“You know, Dad, the storm got really bad up there. But you told me the next rescue team would come soon.
“So I waited. And waited. It got dark. And colder. And no one came p>
My voice stayed calm, but I let just a hint of hurt seep through. Several people in the audience teared up.
“Later, I found out it wasn’t that the rescue team COULDN’T come p>
I leaned forward slightly.
“It’s that YOU personally called them off p>
“That’s–that’s a LIE p>
Dad’s voice cracked as he shouted.
“I would NEVER! I’m your FATHER! How could I possibly hurt you?! ”
“Never p>
I smiled again, pulling out my satellite phone,
Then I hit play.
A recording filled the room–crystal clear,
Zeke had intercepted it from the official rescue team’s internal communications.
* “Command, this is Unit 03. Requesting orders p>
“Unit 03, Mr. Montgomery’s assistant just called. Due to weather conditions, all search and rescue operations are suspended. Evacuate immediately p>
“But there’s still one person unaccounted for on the mountain p>
“That’s an ORDER p>
The recording wasn’t long. Read full story at.net
But every single word shattered whatever was left of my father’s carefully crafted facade.
He stumbled backward, face white as a sheet.
“No… that’s not… I was just worried about the rescue team’s safety p>
“Worried about THEIR safety p>
I cut him off, voice ice–cold.
“But not worried about MINE p>
I stood up slowly, looking him dead in the eye.
Tell me, Dad–in your heart, is my life really worth that little p>
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.