Chapter 509: Coming for Her
When Aurora woke up again, her whole body was screaming in pain.
"Ugh! If I remember right, I just got shoved off a cliff by a giant python?"
She forced her eyes open and took in her surroundings. She was now at the bottom of the cliff.
It was pitch dark and steep all around her. Climbing back up was out of the question.
And the worst part? There was only one path ahead, leading into a pitch-black abyss.
“Seriously? Why is today so freaking unlucky?”
Aurora muttered under her breath, suddenly pausing as a thought struck her.
Something was off here!
Before the show started filming, Aurora had done a tarot reading for herself, and it had shown that everything would be fine for the next few days.
How could she have encountered such a disaster with no warning from the reading?
Suddenly, a cold sweat broke out on Aurora’s back, and she got goosebumps all over.
She had a chilling feeling.
Could it all be a setup?
From the silent depths of the cliff came a rustling sound, like some kind of reptile moving.
Aurora’s mind flashed back to the giant creature from earlier, and her face turned pale.
Instinctively, she hid.
Aurora turned on her flashlight, scanning her surroundings warily.
Sure enough, when the flashlight beam hit a steep platform above her, an orange-yellow vertical pupil appeared in front of her.
It was the giant python from before!
The python was flicking its tongue, making rustling sounds, as if searching for something.
Was it looking for her?
Based on her knowledge of nature, pythons have poor eyesight but are highly sensitive to smells and sounds.
Should she give it a try?
Looking at the deepest part of the mud pit in front of her, Aurora gritted her teeth and lay down on the ground.
She rolled around, letting the mud cover her entire body.
In a few minutes, Aurora was a filthy, muddy mess.
She sniffed herself lightly and almost gagged. The mud had a rotten, moldy smell from years of being in the dark.
She was disgustingly smelly.
Suppressing her nausea, Aurora carefully took a few tentative steps.
She moved slowly forward, and to her surprise, the python didn’t notice her!
It remained in its previous position, standing still.
Relieved but certain, Aurora knew: this python was definitely after her.
A wave of indescribable despair and helplessness washed over her. She wasn’t sure if she could escape or if she would die here.
But giving up was never Aurora’s style. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to move deeper into the cave.
Even if it was a den of dragons and tigers ahead, she had to take her chances.
...
Meanwhile, back at the camp, Leonard finally caught his breath and regained his composure.
He hurried over to Eugene and spoke slowly.
“Do we have any emergency response plan? Like the security team you came with, or any local security personnel?”
Leonard’s thinking was straightforward. The Triangle area was always chaotic, so it made sense for the show to have some security personnel on standby.
But when Eugene heard this, a guilty look flashed in his eyes.
He turned his head, trying not to meet Leonard’s gaze, and stammered, “We’re in the first phase of filming, and the security personnel haven’t arrived yet.”
“Not arrived yet? Meaning there are none at all?” Leonard’s eyes widened in rage, a murderous look flashing in them as he coldly questioned, “If you knew there were no security personnel, why did you agree to let them go up the mountain to gather herbs? Was this intentional?”
Though Leonard usually had a laid-back demeanor, he was the legitimate heir to the Brown family. When he got angry, his authoritative presence was undeniable.
Eugene swallowed nervously, his voice trembling. “But, but I thought they wouldn’t go that deep, so I agreed.”
“Bullshit! You thought, you thought. How many times can you think? Now that something’s happened, are you still thinking?” Leonard almost lost it, ready to curse out loud, but he held back. “I’ll deal with you later!”
The priority now was to find a way to rescue Aurora, not to vent his anger here.
Leonard expressionlessly took out his satellite phone and dialed a familiar number. “It’s Leonard. Yes, that’s right, there’s an emergency. Can you send some people over? No matter the cost, money is no object. Yes, just send people over. Within three hours—no, within one hour. It’s a matter of life and death!”
Finally, Leonard fell silent, gripping the phone tightly, his arm veins bulging. He calmly hung up the phone. With a sharp crack, Leonard smashed the phone to pieces on the ground, silently venting his anger.
This was the Triangle area, a lawless zone. Even the powerful Brown family was out of reach here! Even if the entire Brown family mobilized all their resources at full speed, it would take at least three hours. And in those three hours, Aurora might be lost forever.
Leonard, his face cold, looked at Eugene, who was trying to blend into the background, and spoke icily, “You, get me another set of climbing gear. I’m going to rescue her now.”
If he couldn’t rely on others, he’d do it himself! This mess was his responsibility, and he had to fix it! Even if it cost him his life, Aurora couldn’t be harmed.
Eugene trembled, looking at Leonard in terror, already guessing what Leonard intended to do. But if something happened to Leonard, his own life would be over too. He signaled to the nearby staff to try to dissuade Leonard, but no one dared to move.
Only one staff member, wearing a baseball cap, slowly approached Leonard. “Leonard, I understand your urgency, but this is irrational. I advise you to stay calm and wait for rescue. Rest assured, you’ll be informed immediately if there’s any news.”