Chapter 984

The journey was slow, with frequent stops to clear fallen branches and other debris blown onto the road by the typhoon. When Andrew and the staff member got out to clear the path, Emily and Elizabeth offered to help but were told to stay put and not
get in the way.
After a bumpy ride, they finally made it back to the main resort building. The staff had other people to rescue, so they dropped them off at the entrance and left. Andrew went with them.
Emily and Elizabeth wheeled their suitcases to the front desk, where the receptionist explained, “We’re short on rooms at the moment, so you’ll have to share one.”
Emily nodded and took the key card.
Once inside their twin room, Elizabeth tossed her suitcase aside and collapsed onto one of the beds. Emily walked to the other bed, took her laptop out of her suitcase, and powered it on.
“It’s so good to have electricity, water, and a signal again,” Elizabeth sighed from behind her. “I can finally get back to my phone.”
Unable to stand the feeling of her damp clothes any longer, Emily grabbed a fresh set and headed for the bathroom.
“So, tell me,” Elizabeth said, propping herself up on her elbows. “What’s Andrew’s deal? Is he trying to win you back or something? He called the staff for us, volunteered to come get us himself… Everything he’s doing feels like it’s aimed at you.”
Emily placed her clean clothes down, found a fresh towel, and turned back. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“What’s the point in asking him?” Elizabeth’s gaze sharpened. “I think you’re hiding something from me. You’ve been acting weird since that night at the party. Did Andrew say something to you?”
As Emily closed the bathroom door, she glanced back at Elizabeth. “What do you think?”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at the closed door. “Guess what? I’m done guessing!”
Silence was her only answer. She huffed and picked up her phone to reply to work messages. The sudden loss of signal had cut the meeting short, and now her phone was blowing up with inquiries from her team. She began to type out replies.
A short while later, Emily emerged from the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. Elizabeth immediately sidled up to her. “Come on, tell me,” she whispered. “What did Andrew say to you?”
Emily tilted her head, gathering her hair to one side to dry it more thoroughly. “What do you think he said?” she asked coolly.
Elizabeth jumped up and sat next to her. “Okay, my theory is that he regrets how things ended. He’s apologizing and wants to… get you back?”
“And what makes you think that?” Emily asked.
Elizabeth’s eyebrows shot up. “So I’m right?”
Emily just gave her a look.
Elizabeth draped an arm around Emily’s shoulders. “Let me break it down for you. When that foreign guy was harassing you, Andrew stepped in. At the fishing spot, he specifically sat next to you even though there was plenty of space next to me. And when that guy insulted you, Andrew got angry but didn’t deny that he was there to see you.”
The more she spoke, the more convinced she became. “And today! He’s the one who called for a rescue, and he came along himself. Then he said all that weird stuff in the car about you thanking him and asking to take you to dinner. The signs are all there.”
Elizabeth leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Is Andrew Lane pursuing you?”
Emily hadn’t realized just how entangled she and Andrew had become in only three days. It was a mistake. Agitated, she began rubbing her hair more roughly with the towel. “He’s lost his mind. You shouldn’t take him seriously.”