Chapter 163
Violet glanced over at the photographer she’d brought along, her brows drawing together in concern. “Did you take Victoria with you?”
The photographer looked a little aggrieved.
“I did ask Ms. Turner to help me scout locations. I noticed she still had plenty of energy, and everyone else was exhausted. She’s about your height too, so I thought I’d snap a few shots with her to see if they worked for the campaign.”
He hesitated, then added, “But as soon as we set off, she just started admiring the scenery. I told her to slow down, but she wouldn’t listen. She even said she knew the area pretty well and told me to head back first.”
Ailie’s temper flared the moment she heard that. She jabbed a finger at the photographer, her voice rising.
“Are you out of your mind? What woman in her right mind just wanders off sightseeing alone in the middle of nowhere and tells you to leave her behind? Cut the crap-did you ditch Victoria somewhere on purpose?”
Just picturing Victoria out there alone made Ailie’s heart twist in anxiety.
Curtis’ expression darkened, his gaze sharpening as he looked at the photographer. Violet’s tone was cool and measured.
“My photographer has no quarrel with Ms. Turner. Why would he single her out to abandon, and not someone else? If he’s working with me, it means he has a keen eye for beauty—and Ms. Turner, with her looks and figure, would make a fantastic model. It would be a shame if she wasn’t in a few shots. But to claim that he lured her away just to ditch her? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
She paused, her eyes cold.
“Ms. Turner knew perfectly well we were only taking a short break before heading out again. If she decided to wander off alone and hold up the schedule, that’s on her. Mr. Garcia, I think you need to get your people in line.”
That last comment brought a wave of satisfaction to the rest of the staff. They’d always resented how Curtis seemed to go out of his way to favor Victoria.
If Mr. Garcia was really so fond of her, why didn’t he just keep her as a pampered mistress instead of bringing her into the company, where she made more in a month with her looks than they did working themselves to the bone all year?
Curtis didn’t say a word, but the worry on his face was real.
“Everyone stay here. I’ll go look for her myself.”
He was genuinely anxious now.
Ailie shot to her feet. “I’m coming with you.”
Violet fell silent, her face impassive, making no move to stop them.
At that moment, McNeil spoke up.
“Women stay here. The men will split up and search.”
Violet hesitated, finally snapping out of her daze.
“It’s almost dark. We should all stick together-it’s safer.”
Was McNeil actually feeling sorry for Victoria now? He stared at Violet for a long, tense moment, making her uneasy.
At last, he answered, “No need.”
Under McNeil and Curtis’ directions, all the female staff were ordered to stay put, while the men paired off and fanned out into the woods.
The mountain weather was unpredictable; as dusk approached, the sky grew heavy overhead, dark clouds pressing low over the treetops. Somewhere beyond the trees, Victoria hurried along, feeling the storm brewing above her, the air thick and suffocating.
She pulled out her compass-thankfully, there was no interference here, and she still had a phone signal. The compass worked just fine. Shouldering her backpack, Victoria scanned the area for shelter.
Rain was coming, and soon. If she didn’t find a place to hole up, she’d be drenched and sick, and finding her way back would be even harder.
Following the compass, she quickened her pace. Luck was on her side: just as the first drops fell, she spotted a cave in the hillside and ducked inside.
A moment later, the skies opened up. Rain hammered down outside, but inside the cave, Victoria felt a rare calm settle over her.
There was a gentle stream trickling somewhere in the darkness. Victoria found a dry patch of ground and sat down, pulling a flashlight from her bag to keep the gloom at bay as night settled in.
But then-
Footsteps echoed at the cave entrance, shuffling through the deluge. A dark silhouette moved steadily closer, and Victoria’s heart leapt into her throat.