When fate plays its hand

As Tina was heading back to her lodging, she overheard two staff members whispering, saying that someone high up was demanding answers and had even issued an ultimatum. It was something along the lines of if they couldn’t find her, they might as well quit!

What kind of connections, what sort of powerful influence, could cause that level of pressure? Tina felt a surge of anger, almost ready to storm up to them and yell, “She doesn’t have any connections or any influence! She’s nothing but a secondhand plaything my brother tossed aside!*

When Hansel called, she instinctively assumed it was about Miranda as well.

“Did you just say Miranda is missing? How could she go missing? Where are you now?” Hansel sat up abruptly, gripping his glass so tightly, he nearly crushed it.

Tina was taken aback. “You… you didn’t call to ask about Miranda?”

Hansel’s eyes flashed. His voice was steely as he pressed on, word by word. “Answer my questions. Why is Miranda missing? Where did she go missing? Where are you?”

Shocked by his intensity, Tina stammered, “I–I just heard the broadcast too… They said Miranda went missing in the tropical rainforest area of the botanical garden, and now the entire base is. ”

Before she could finish, he hung up. This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

Meanwhile, Calvin was absorbed in the action; the stakes had doubled again, now at two cars and two houses. Suddenly, he felt a gust of air sweep past him.

When he turned around, he was stunned. “Wait, was that Hans just now? He took off faster than a rat! I wonder what happened?”

In the pitch–black forest, Miranda sat with her injured foot, waiting for rescue.

The rain had stopped, and in the silent depths of the night, her hearing seemed sharper than ever. Droplets trickled off leaves, falling into small puddles with an occasional, soft “plink“.

Awakened night birds and chirping insects added intermittent sounds, their cries magnified by the quiet night. Yet even with all this, Miranda stayed calm and clear–headed.

First, there were definitely no large predators in the botanical garden, so there was no need to fear an attack. Second, the park conducted regular pest control, so while there might be snakes, they were likely

nonvenomous.

Most importantly, she was simply lost in a managed botanical garden, which was vastly different from the true wilderness.

Hence, she knew that all she had to do was wait long enough, and she would surely be rescued.

The only discomfort was her soaked clothing, which was clinging to her skin. Fortunately, she was in a temperature–controlled area simulating tropical warmth, so it wasn’t too cold. She’d sought shelter between two rocks during the rain, forcing her to sit in a cramped position.

Now that the rain had stopped and her strength was gradually returning, she considered moving to a

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more comfortable spot where she could stretch out a bit. Just as she began to reposition herself, she froze when she heard footsteps.

Was the rescue team finally here?

She held her breath, listening closely to pinpoint the direction of the sound. It was coming from the northeast, and… it wasn’t far!

Just as she was about to call out, she heard a familiar voice shout, “Miranda! Miranda! Can you hear me? Answer if you can!”

That voice…