Chapter 15
Meanwhile, Naomi was lying in a hospital thousands of miles away. When she had left, she hadn’t fully recovered.
She had been bleeding throughout the journey, fainting multiple times from severe anemia. Eventually, she had no choice but to stop and be hospitalized.
On the third day of her hospital stay, she received an update from Roy. The documents had been handed over to Cassian, and Cassian seemed to have lost his mind. He was searching for her everywhere.
Naomi felt nothing. She no longer loved or hated Cassian. Whatever he did couldn’t stir the slightest emotion in her anymore.
“Mr. Carrington, thank you. You don’t need to update me on anything related to Cassian from now on.”
“Ms. Whitaker, are you all right? If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know,” Roy said, his tone laced with a subtle but unmistakable concern.
Naomi smiled. “I’m doing just fine, thank you. If you have time, I hope you can visit my parents’ graves when spring comes.”
“All right.” Roy agreed without hesitation. Naomi thanked him once more before hanging up the phone.
After some time, she had finally recovered. Once again, she bought tickets for every flight departing around the same time.
Having grown up with Cassian, she knew just how smart and well-connected he was. If he didn’t give up the search, it was only a matter of time before he found her. This was the only way she could slow him down.
Naomi had planned to continue traveling, but her journey came to a halt in the southwestern mountains. Halfway up the mountain was a tiny village. It was picturesque yet deeply impoverished.
Only elderly villagers and children left behind lived there. There was no school. The lucky few were taken by their parents to study elsewhere.
Most of the children were raised freely in the village until they were teenagers, when they would leave to find work.
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Naomi had stumbled upon the village by accident after getting lost. The place had only basic electricity and running water. There was no internet or entertainment.
ON 15
Families exchanged homegrown grain and vegetables. If someone’s child was doing well outside the village, they made sure to help feed those who had helped raise them.
From the very first day, Naomi was warmly welcomed. The elders and children quickly grew
fond of her.
They were fascinated by the snacks and gadgets she had brought. The children crowded around her, listening intently as she explained how everything worked.
The villagers offered her the best they owned. She was stunned because she never imagined such a simple, untouched village could still exist in today’s world.
Naomi decided to stay for a while. Each day, she woke to the chirping of birds and the hum of insects, watching the blue sky and drifting clouds. Her mood steadily began to improve.
On the third day, a sudden downpour hit the village. At the edge of the village, the house of an elderly woman, Dorothy Foster, was destroyed by the heavy rain. Everyone rushed over to pull Dorothy out.
“Sweetheart, go take shelter. We’ve got this,” said Mabel Bennett, the elderly woman who had taken Naomi in, gently pushing her aside.
“Let me help, too. One more person means one more bit of strength.”
She had been pampered since childhood, raised in comfort, and spoiled by Cassian for so many years. In truth, she didn’t know how to do anything. But at that moment, she dug into the mud with her bare hands, trying to help rescue Dorothy.
The rain was pouring so hard that her vision quickly blurred. Her head grew heavier and heavier until everything tilted, and she passed out. By the time she woke up, the rain had stopped.
Mabel looked at her with a heartbroken expression. “Sweetheart, you were down with a fever for three days. This village isn’t the place for someone like you. You should go back to the city.
Looking at the worry and reluctance on Mabel’s face, Naomi suddenly realized what she needed to do.
