Chapter161 The Accident at the Club
On the track.
After that little incident, Miranda and Castillo's moods weren't affected for long.
The two each picked a gentle mare and trotted leisurely around the grounds for a few laps.
The wind blowing in their faces swept away their frustrations.
"This is great!"
Castillo squeezed the horse's flanks, picking up a bit of speed. "This is way better than being cooped up in an office."
Miranda smiled in agreement. She was skilled at riding and loved the feeling of galloping on horseback.
As the horses ran, her body's tension gradually disappeared, replaced by a sense of exhilarating control.
After they'd been riding for a while and stopped to rest, a staff member in the club's uniform approached them.
"Ladies."
The staff member wore a standard professional smile, his attitude respectful. "Excuse me for the interruption."
"We recently set up some new outdoor obstacle courses in the back hills to reward our VIP customers."
The staff member pointed toward distant hills. "The scenery there is beautiful, and we've set up several fun challenges. If you can successfully complete the entire course, the club has prepared exquisite prizes."
"Would you two ladies be interested in trying it out? It's not far ahead. I can take you there."
New obstacle courses?
Castillo immediately perked up. "Obstacle courses? That sounds exciting."
She turned to Miranda, eyes bright. "Miranda, should we go? Running around on flat ground is pretty boring anyway. Want to try it?"
Miranda glanced in the direction the staff member had indicated.
It was indeed an open woodland area, and the terrain didn't look too treacherous.
"Sure."
Miranda nodded, her lips curving slightly. "Let's check it out."
The two exchanged a look, both seeing eagerness in each other's eyes.
Neither noticed the flicker of panic and guilt in the eyes of the staff member who kept his head lowered as he turned to lead the way.
"Please follow me, ladies."
The sound of hoofbeats rang out as they headed toward the unknown.
At that moment, on the distant balcony, Celeste swirled the red wine in her glass, tipped her head back to drain it, her smile growing deeper and colder.
Enjoy yourself, Miranda.
This is a special "gift" I've prepared just for you.
The staff member led them through neatly trimmed bushes, and the view suddenly opened up before them.
This area in the back hills had indeed been carefully designed. The rolling slopes featured horizontal bars, water ditches, and low walls. Moderately challenging yet full of fun.
As soon as they arrived, they saw several men and women in professional riding gear cheering together.
One man held up an exquisite saddle, the prize for completing the course.
The staff member introduced it at just the right moment. "That's a limited edition custom saddle. Only fifty exist worldwide. Anyone who completes the full course without mistakes within the time limit wins that prize."
Castillo, who knew quality when she saw it, immediately brightened.
She turned to Miranda, raising an eyebrow, her eyes full of competitive spirit.
"What do you say? Want to race?"
Seeing her enthusiasm, Miranda nimbly mounted her horse.
"Sure." Miranda's lips curved into a confident smile, her eyes bright. "Same rules as always. Loser buys dinner."
She and Castillo had been good friends for years, but when it came to shared interests, they were competitive while keeping "friendship first, competition second."
At the starting line.
Almost simultaneously, two figures on horseback burst forward.
"Miranda, I'm definitely winning this one!"
Castillo shouted, lowering her body and urging her horse to speed up, trying to overtake at a turn.
Miranda wasn't about to back down. She squeezed her legs tight against the horse's flanks, steadily controlling the rhythm. "Don't get cocky yet!"
The race was already halfway through when the path ahead narrowed, with dense forest on both sides.
This was a visual blind spot.
Miranda held the inside lane, preparing to accelerate through the turn.
However...
Just as she turned the corner, the moment the horse's hooves were about to land.
A small figure suddenly shot out from the grass beside the path without warning, stopping right in the middle of the track.
It was a little boy, only five or six years old, dressed in an exquisite little suit, like a little prince lost in the forest.
But his timing couldn't have been more deadly.
"Move!"
Miranda's pupils contracted sharply, her heart leaping to her throat as she shouted at the boy.
"Get out of the way!"
A horse running at high speed had tremendous momentum. There was no way it could stop instantly.
And that little boy acted as if he hadn't heard anything.
He didn't dodge or flee, didn't even lift his head, just crouched there stupidly, completely focused on something on the ground.
Miranda's mind went blank, but her body reacted faster than her thoughts.
She yanked hard on the reins, the rough leather cutting painfully into her palms as she forced the horse's head to change direction.
Frightened, the horse reared up on its front legs with a piercing whinny.
But the distance was too close.
Even with the reins pulled, where the hooves would land would still crush the child.
Looking at the child who still hadn't moved, determination flashed in Miranda's eyes.
She released the reins and threw herself off the horse.
"Miranda!"
A terrified, shrill scream came from ahead.
Using the momentum of her leap, in the second before that massive hoof would have crushed that small body, Miranda fiercely wrapped her arms around the child.
"Bang!"
They hit the ground hard.
The tremendous impact felt like it had displaced Miranda's internal organs.
She didn't dare stop. She pressed the child's head firmly against her chest, using her back to shield him as they rolled frantically across the ground with the momentum.
One roll, two rolls, three rolls...
They rolled several meters off the track until they crashed into a haystack on the side, finally coming to a stop.
"Hiss..."
Sharp pain immediately struck.
The fine gravel and pebbles on the ground scraped across her body. Even through the riding outfit, she could feel the burning sensation of abrasions.
Miranda's brow furrowed tight with pain, her face deathly pale, cold sweat instantly beading on her forehead.
She sat up and released the person in her arms.
"Are you hurt?"
As Miranda spoke, she looked the little boy up and down.
Fortunately, aside from slightly dirty clothes, there didn't seem to be any obvious injuries.
But soon, Miranda sensed something was wrong.
Too quiet.
Having just experienced such a terrifying moment, nearly being trampled by a horse, any ordinary child would have been crying or panicking.
But this little boy wasn't crying or making a fuss.
There wasn't even the slightest emotional fluctuation on his delicate, almost too-perfect little face.
He was like a soulless porcelain doll. Pale, beautiful, but completely lifeless.
"Does it hurt anywhere?"
Miranda softened her voice, reaching out to gently pat his head. "Don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person."
She tried to get the child to speak, even if just to cry out.
But still no response.
The little boy just kept his head down, seemingly immersed in his own world, completely unresponsive to any external stimuli.
This kind of reaction...
Miranda's heart sank.
Autism?