Chapter 97 Make Peace

Chapter 97 Make Peace

Jason... missing?

The words on my phone screen gradually blurred. The text turned into playful little tadpoles swimming around. My brain went blank, ears ringing.

Operating on pure instinct, I typed back asking Samuel when this happened.

He seemed prepared for the question. The moment my message went through, a news link came through as well.

Samuel added, [I only caught this so fast because you asked me to keep tabs on Jason. Don't do anything rash. Don't forget—you've already cut ties with the Rosewood family.]

Those words hit me like a bucket of ice water, snapping me back to reality.

Right. Why was I even worried? The Rosewoods weren't my family anymore.

I assured him I'd be fine, exchanged good nights, then scrolled back up through our chat history.

My finger hovered over the news link, unable to click.

What good would knowing Jason's situation do me? Would it make me happy? After all, they'd never treated me like their sister anyway.

In the quiet of my room, all I could hear was my own heart pounding like a drum.

Turns out I still couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

I smiled bitterly and opened the link.

An official news report appeared on screen.

"Recently, a photography expedition team mysteriously vanished in the Wolfshead Mountain region. They've been out of contact for 72 hours. Authorities have launched an investigation..."

At the end of the article was a list of missing persons. Jason's name was right there.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes to stay calm. I kept telling myself I'd severed ties with the Rosewood family—this had nothing to do with me.

But my hand moved on its own, dialing Melissa's number.

"Cate? Are you calling about Jason?"

The moment she picked up, Melissa cut straight to the point.

I hummed softly in acknowledgment.

Melissa seemed moved too, but she told me everything she knew.

"Sorry, today's my day off. I just found out myself and was about to contact you when you called. From what I know, Jason left the city while you were still unconscious. This expedition team isn't just photographers—it's a mixed group. There are adventure tourists, wilderness survival enthusiasts, all kinds of people. That's why they felt confident going into undeveloped territory."

"Don't worry too much, and definitely don't do anything stupid. The Rosewoods have already sent people to search. I'll let you know the second I hear anything."

Melissa kept going on and on with warnings and advice. I didn't absorb a word of the rest.

Why did both she and Samuel keep telling me not to "do anything stupid"?

Because something similar had happened when I was fourteen.

I gave her some half-hearted responses, made an excuse about work in the morning, and hung up.

I went through my nighttime routine like a zombie, trying to keep busy so I wouldn't overthink things.

But once a thought takes root, it grows out of control.

Because of my search history, my phone kept pushing notifications about Wolfshead Mountain. The mountain was considered one of the ten most dangerous places on Earth. Legend said it held incredible treasures and stunning scenery—along with deadly dangers.

Every article I read made my heart sink lower.

Those two little figures—one black, one white—popped up in my head again to make trouble.

"Just let Jason die in there. Have you forgotten? In your past life, he was the one who personally locked you out of the Rosewood house."

The little white angel looked grief-stricken. "But he... wasn't always this terrible."

I couldn't stop them. I just let them argue in my head.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, I fell asleep again.

In my dream, I was fourteen again.

That year, Jason hadn't yet turned into the tattletale who only protected Sabrina.

I'd said I wanted to see the sunrise with my own eyes.

Jason had agreed without hesitation.

I'd thought he'd take me to climb a mountain. Instead, Jason left home before dawn by himself, taking his camera to the tallest peak near the city.

Looking for the perfect spot, he'd walked right to the edge of a steep cliff. On his way down, morning dew made him slip and fall.

When I heard what happened, I skipped class without a second thought and went up the mountain to find him.

When I saw Jason injured and unconscious, still protecting his camera's memory card, something in my heart broke.

I was so small back then. I dragged Jason bit by bit until I found the rescue team. Then I passed out from exhaustion.

When I woke up, Jason threw the memory card at me with disgust on his face, saying he'd never do anything for me again.

I had no idea what had happened.

Until one day, Sabrina deliberately provoked me and told me the truth.

While I was unconscious, she'd taken credit for the rescue. When Michael arrived, he only saw Sabrina supporting Jason.

In their version, I was the one who knew Jason had gotten hurt because of me but still went off playing with friends, only bothering to visit much later.

After that, Jason found fault with everything I did. And believing Sabrina had saved him, he grew closer and closer to her.

It wasn't that I didn't try to explain. No one would believe me. Even Melissa and Samuel had vouched for me. But they were just labeled as accomplices.

The scenes replayed over and over in my dream. The little moments I'd shared with Jason as a child mixed with those painful memories, becoming a nightmare I couldn't escape.

In the morning, my work alarm went off right on time.

Like a drowning person breaking the surface, I jerked upright. Still not fully out of the dream, my splitting headache made me reach up to massage my temples.

I accidentally brushed my lashes—still damp with tears that hadn't dried.

I sat stunned for a long moment. So I'd lived through that gut-wrenching pain all over again in my sleep.

Back then I'd had no way to defend myself, no one to help me. Everything I'd done had been a joke.

When the alarm rang a second time, I quickly pulled myself together, got out of bed, washed up, changed, put on makeup, and headed out.

After such a terrible night's sleep, I was in the worst shape. I couldn't remember any of the tricks Blake had taught me over dinner yesterday.

I knocked my head in frustration, feeling defeated. The urge to give up resurfaced, but I'd lost the will to fight for anything. Like a deflated balloon, I couldn't muster the energy for anything.

Thinking about how Wendy and Oliver probably had a whole new set of traps waiting for me made my chest feel even tighter.

"What am I supposed to do? There's still a battle ahead."

Getting into the elevator, I tried to figure out how to protect myself.

As I approached my work area, I spotted two people waiting by my desk from several steps away.

I was about to say something when they both suddenly broke into bright smiles and came toward me.

"Ms. Rosewood, good morning."