Ch. 171..180
Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 176
Snowball Fight
“What are you worrying about? It doesn’t seem like he minds.”
“Ha! I’m just feeling bad for the guy. After all, it’s a pity for a handsome guy like him to be paired with a girl like her. He is exactly my type. I’ll be happy if I can date him myself.”
With a wine glass in hand, the girl with the blonde hair couldn’t help but walk over to Alexander and Elise. “Sir, can I buy you a drink?”
It was true that Western women were more enthusiastic and bold. Experiencing it upfront, Elise was displeased but just as she was about to speak, Alexander opened his mouth and said, “I’m sorry, but my fiancée won’t allow that.”
“What? She’s your fiancée?” the woman repeated in disbelief. It was only then that she walked away reluctantly after glancing at Elise.
“Alexander, don’t you mind how I look?” Elise asked carefully. She knew that the first thing a man saw was always a woman’s appearance. Even so, she was still hoping that she would get a different answer from him.
“Does it matter? To me, looks and status are all unimportant to being my wife. I don’t focus on these.”
“But if you and I get together, there will be many people talking behind us.” An example would be the two foreigners just now.
He could tell that she was not confident with herself, so he patted her head and said, “Why do you have to care about the opinions of others? We should live for ourselves and not for others.”
Immediately, his answer made her heart flutter. She never thought that one day she would get such comments from a man despite her ugly looks. And so, she thanked him from the bottom of her heart. “Thank you, Alexander.”
Although she had always been carefree about her image, a girl would still be vulnerable to criticisms that were directed to her looks.
“Quickly eat your food before it gets cold.”
And so, she lowered her eyes and began to hesitate deep down. Should I tell him the truth that this face of mine is just a disguise? Will he be able to accept it?
“Alexander, can I ask you something?” She paused for a second and continued, “If one day you found out that someone you trusted deceived you, what would you do?”
Just as the sentence came out of her mouth, she could feel the atmosphere turn icy. As she lifted her gaze to meet Alexander’s eyes, she felt the coldness exuding from him.
“There are two things I will never accept—one is betrayal and the other is deception,” Alexander replied with a light tone as if it was something trivial but deep down, Elise knew that these were his boundaries.
“I was just asking. Don’t take it too seriously.” She tried to change the topic, but Alexander was still staring at her as he commented, “As long as you don’t do something unacceptable, our marriage will last long.”
She was so startled that it felt as though there was something stuck in her throat. Therefore, she turned away and started coughing vigorously, but Alexander was quick to respond by giving her a cup of water. “Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine.” She shook her head as she had lost all her courage to tell him the truth. Now, all she could do was to take it one step at a time.
After the meal, they walked out of the restaurant. At the same time, Mikayla and Jack also came back. “Elise, you such a deep sleeper! It was already noon but I still couldn’t wake you up, so I went and got you some local delicacies. Would you like to have a taste once we’re back?” Mikayla asked as she quickly locked arms with Elise.
Looking at the takeaway containers, Elise felt a bit embarrassed as she mumbled, “We already ate.”
Mikayla was clearly surprised but she still replied, “It’s okay. You can eat them later when you are hungry.”
Then, the four of them took the elevator upstairs. When Elise and Mikayla returned to their room, the former sat alone in front of the windows in a daze thinking about something, so Mikayla came over and waved her hand in front of her. “What are you thinking about?”
Elise lifted her eyes and looked at her. “Mikayla, are you able to accept being deceived?”
“It depends on where the lie is coming from. I can accept it if it’s a white lie but if it’s a blatant lie, I don’t think I can. I might even cut ties with the one who lied to me,” Mikayla answered after giving it a serious thought.
Elise found it hard to accept that almost everyone couldn’t accept being lied to. However, she didn’t have a choice back then because she didn’t want to be engaged to one of the young masters of the Griffith Family, so she disguised herself. She never expected herself to fall in love with one in the end.
“Elise, are you okay?”
Upon hearing that, Elise snapped out of it and said hurriedly, “I’m fine. I was just thinking about tomorrow’s skiing plan.”
As soon as she mentioned it, Mikayla became worried. “Elise, I don’t know how to ski. What should I do? It seems like I can only look at all of you skiing tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll hire a trainer to teach you tomorrow. It’s quite easy. You’ll be able to learn it.”
“Really?” Mikayla questioned, feeling still unsure. “But I’m a slow learner. I always fail to learn anything.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be alright.”
Seeing Elise’s confidence in her, Mikayla felt as though she was actually capable of learning it. Yet, she really overestimated herself in the end. Even after being guided by the trainer several times, she still couldn’t figure it out. Several times falling down later, she finally gave up. “You guys can continue skiing. I can’t do this anymore.”
Dressed in a ski suit, Elise looked at her and said, “Let’s try a few more times. I will hold you.”
However, Mikayla declined her offer without hesitation. “No, I really can’t figure it out. I’ll wait for you guys at the lounge.”
Seeing her situation, Jack also joined her. “I won’t go skiing either. The two of you can go without us.”
With Jack by Mikayla’s side, Elise continued skiing with Alexander. The Swiss Alps were enormous and many people from all over the world gathered here for holiday. Elise only knew the basics of skiing, so her skill was not refined. Thankfully, she had Alexander following her by her side as the two of them skied at the same pace with their poles.
“Honestly, I think the two of them are quite a match,” Mikayla said while looking at the two of them skiing.
Listening to her, Jack couldn’t help but add, “Hopefully they both feel the same thing and it’s not just a fling.”
Mikayla felt as if his words meant something more, but she didn’t ask him much. Knowing that she didn’t have any talent in skiing, she had a sudden idea when she saw people gathering at the ski site to have a snowball fight. “Why don’t we have a snowball fight?”
Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 177
He Must Still Be Alive
Jack thought that the idea was incredibly childish. “You go ahead. I think I will pass.”
Well, if you say so. It’s impossible to do it alone, though… Mikayla could only proceed with the snowball fight, but just as she was frustrated, she was approached by a few foreigners. “Hey lovely, are you alone?”
Immediately, she looked at them warily and planned to leave, but she was stopped by one of the girls. “Join us! It’s more fun than playing alone.”
When she met their friendly gazes, she changed her mind and agreed to join them because she would be bored, anyway.
Meanwhile, Elise and Alexander skied their way through the peak. Elise stood at the apex and gazed down at the magical and breathtaking winter scenery.
“How I wish I could stay here for a few more days!” Elise sighed from the bottom of her heart. Seeing that she was in a good mood, Alexander quickly added, “If you like, we could stay a few more days here.”
She beamed at him, but right then, she felt a slight tremor from the ground underneath her, and her expression changed to one of shock. “Why is the ground moving?”
He felt it as well, but before he could utter a word, he saw the snow on the mountains opposite them sliding down. “Oh crap! It’s an avalanche!”
A shiver went down her spine, and her mind was filled with the scene of the aftermath. She could feel the snow underneath her feet loosening as she lost her balance and started plunging forward. Frantically, he reached out to grab her.
Around them, the mountains were shifting, and the ground was shaking. The terrifying movement of nature was intertwined with shrill screams from panicked skiers.
He hugged her tight in his arms to protect her, and they both rolled down the slope from the peak.
A long time later, she finally regained her consciousness and moved her stiff arms. Then, she found out that the lower half of her body was buried in snow. She recalled what happened before her blackout, and she was caught by fear. “Alexander! Alexander!”
She called out to him over and over again, but there was no answer except for her empty echoes in the mountains. That moment was filled with intense fear. She got up from the ground and staggered forward. However, after the avalanche, the environment went through a drastic change, with no human being seen around. She plowed forward aimlessly while yelling, “Anyone there?!”
No matter how many times she shouted, no one replied to her. Dragging her exhausted body along, she went on until she found the rest area they had passed by when they first arrived. At that time, the members of the rescue team noticed her. “Hey, look! There’s a lady over there!”
Without wasting a single second, she reached out for help. “Help me! I have a friend with me, but he’s probably buried under the snow. You have to help find him! You must!”
The rescue team staff quickly comforted her, saying, “Now, don’t worry. We will try our best.”
As they spoke, they settled her down before splitting into two teams and making their way up the snowy mountains for the search. Her heart leaped up to her throat as she wallowed in regret. Why did I even say yes to skiing in the first place?
Staring at the landscape of endless snow, she felt her eyes welling up with tears. God, please let Alexander return safe and sound. Please…
A few days passed, and Elise was still staying guard at the foot of the mountains. During the long and soul-crushing wait, she witnessed the rescue team pulling out victims from the snowy grounds, and more than half of those people did not show vital signs.
Even after a few days, they did not find Alexander, Mikayla, or Jack. With all the anxiety building up, Elise was significantly weaker, and despite being advised to leave the scene by the concerned rescuers, she insisted on waiting.
She waited until Danny’s call came in. “Boss, the company is in chaos now. Everyone heard the news about Alexander, and there’s no one to lead the company now.”
Her heart sank after she heard the news. Jonah’s reminder once again popped up in her mind, so she tried her best to stay strong. “How’s the situation in the office right now? Tell me all the details.”
Promptly, Danny explained, “A few shareholders are starting to make a fuss. They even plan to call for a new shareholders’ meeting to elect a new company president.”
“Those rebels!”
“Boss, is there no news of Alexander till now? I’m afraid that—”
Elise quickly cut him off. “He’ll be fine. He must still be alive.” She did not know if she was trying to console Danny or herself. When she looked up at the vast snowy mountain in front of her, she had a feeling that Alexander must be alive somewhere. Perhaps he’s still waiting for me to save him!
She lost her composure after the possibility crossed her mind. “Danny, if there are issues at the company, or if there’s anything you need, just look for Jamie Keller. He will help to hold the fort for the time being.”
Danny knew that Elise and Jamie had a close relationship from the way she entrusted the latter to handle the situation. Just when he was about to ask something else, she already hung up on him.
Staring at the swaths of white, she felt that she could not afford to wait anymore. I have to find him!
She meticulously refreshed the memories from the day of the avalanche. Before she fainted, she could sense the warmth of his body against her. Could it be that he was right beside me all the time? Could I have overlooked him?
Her eyes lighting up, she ran over to the rescue team. “Please, please, he’s still trapped in there. Can you help me?”
The rescuers sighed helplessly at her obstinance. “We’re sorry, ma’am. We have been searching the mountain for a few days. If there had been a sign of life, our tools would have picked that up. Plus, the 72-hour golden period has passed. There’s a high chance that your friend has passed on.”
Their direct words triggered her. “No, that’s impossible! He could not have died. Stop spewing nonsense!”
Knowing that she was in denial, they merely comforted her. “Ma’am, we have searched the mountains a few times. It is impossible for us to get up there again—there is a risk of another avalanche coming. We can’t take the risk to save a victim who is likely gone.”
Her heart sank to the bottom. Despite knowing their rationale, she still felt indignant, for she had a feeling that he must still be alive. Suddenly, an idea came into her mind. She recalled that Cynthia once told her about an elite self-defense force in Switzerland. Without a second thought, she gave her aunt a call.
Once Cynthia learned about the purpose of Elise’s call, she quickly arranged for a trip to the snowy mountains in Switzerland. When she arrived with the team, she was greeted by a pale and feeble Elise, a sight that pained her heart. “Ellie, how have you been living for the past few days?”
Elise went up and clutched her hands tightly. “Aunt Cynthia, he must still be alive somewhere. Please save him!”
From the desperate look on Elise’s face, Cynthia assumed that the missing victim must be someone important to her niece. Hence, for now, she could only try her best to reassure the poor girl.
“Don’t worry, Ellie. I will save your friend as long as there’s a shred of hope.”
Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 178
You Must Save Him
That was how Elise brought the elite self-defense force up into the snowy mountains. As much as the rescue team wanted to stop them, they could not do anything because Elise and her men insisted on going.
Based solely on her memories, she found her way up the mountains until she reached the spot where she first woke up. “It’s here, Aunt Cynthia! He shouldn’t be too far away from me.”
Cynthia quickly surveyed the area around them. “Quick, take a look to see if there’s anyone around here.”
The self-defense force went to work right after she gave out the orders. After a round of search, they did not find anything. Elise looked extremely dejected when she learned about it.
“How is that possible?”
Burying her head in her arms, she slumped into the snow. Alexander, where on earth are you?
Hugging her knees, she sat there as tears glided down her cheeks in silence. Out of desperation, she punched her fists on the ground, but after hitting the ground two times, she felt the snow shifting and giving way underneath her. Cynthia exclaimed in fear, “Is it a second avalanche?”
Everyone exchanged looks, but they did not sense any movements on the ground.
“What is going on?”
Cynthia was curious as Elise grew hopeful. Suddenly, Elise started digging in the snow with her hands. When Cynthia saw that, she called the others to help. The group started digging through the thick layers of snow. Not long after, they created a gigantic hole and surprisingly discovered a huge tree underneath it that provided shelter space.
There, they found a few motionless people, one of them being Alexander. Feeling overjoyed, she ran up to him. “Alexander! Alexander, wake up!”
No matter how many times she yelled, he did not give any response, which sent her into a panic spiral. She placed her finger under his nose, and once she detected his feeble breathing, she let out a sigh of relief. “Aunt Cynthia, save him first! Save him!”
The self-defense force came up and lifted Alexander out of the tree cave. Luckily, the other victims in the cave were all alive, so Cynthia had them brought out along with Alexander.
All the while, Elise followed Alexander closely until he was admitted to the ER of a private hospital in Switzerland. In the corridor, she sat tensely on the bench, staring intently at the doors of the ER. “Ellie, it’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Cynthia hurried over to comfort her.
Like grasping onto the last straw, Elise grabbed Cynthia’s wrist tightly. “Aunt Cynthia, he’ll be alright, right? He’ll be alright.”
After a slight sigh, Cynthia uttered, “Sweetie, don’t worry. He’s a good man, so he will be safe. You should get something to eat to take care of your health. If not, you might collapse by the time he wakes up.”
“No! I want to wait until he’s awake and fine.”
Knowing that Elise was as stubborn as a mule, Cynthia didn’t bother to change her mind, only silently praying for Alexander’s safety.
As time passed by, and soon it had been a day. After eight hours of operation, the light of the ER room was finally switched off, causing Elise to flinch and shoot up. At the same time, the doors flung open, and the surgeon emerged. She went up to him and asked in French, “Doctor, how’s my friend doing? Is he out of danger?”
The doctor took a look at her and pursed his lips. “The patient has not suffered any external injuries. He’s only in a coma from asphyxia. After the emergency operation, he is now breathing normally. As for when he is going to wake up… We cannot say for sure. It could be as fast as a few days; it could take months or years.”
Gasp! Her heart sank to the bottom as though her soul had left her body.
The doctor could only try his best to console her. “He’s in good shape, so I guess he’d wake up soon. Don’t worry too much.”
Cynthia was supporting Elise and frowned at the doctor’s words. “Ellie, don’t worry. I will get the best doctor to save him.”
“Aunt Cynthia, you must save him.”
Cynthia nodded solemnly at her niece. “Now, quit worrying and get some food.”
Elise wanted to refuse, but she was attacked by a wave of nausea due to low blood sugar. Cynthia ignored Elise’s opinion and asked for some soup. After drinking the soup, Elise finally recovered, but she was consumed by another sudden thought. “Aunt Cynthia, Jack and Mikayla are in the mountains too.”
“Calm down. I have sent my men to search for them. We’ll hear about your friends soon. Just stop overthinking.”
Elise was immersed in guilt. “If I had not insisted that Mikayla join us, she wouldn’t have gotten into this accident! It’s all my fault!”
It pained Cynthia to see Elise blaming herself—it was a scene that gave her deja vu. “Ellie, this is not your fault. You didn’t want this to happen. Since the accident has happened, the only thing we could do is to try our best to find them and to pray for their safety.”
“Aunt Cynthia…” Elise hugged her aunt tightly. Cynthia patted her on the back. “Sweetie, do you want to visit Alexander? He’s transferred to a normal ward.”
Lying in the hospital bed in the ward, Alexander—unlike his usual self—was pale and motionless. Elise visited him alone, and the closer she went to him, the harder it was to contain the pain in her chest. Unable to hold her tears back any longer, she started sobbing uncontrollably. “Alexander, please wake up soon. Okay?”
Scenes from them tumbling in the avalanche replayed in her mind. She recalled that he had been shielding her during the fall. “Alexander, you’re a fool, you know? Why would you bother protecting me? Stop lying there and wake up! You promised me an engagement. We haven’t held our engagement party. You can’t take back your words!”
She leaned against the bed and whispered lots of words to him, but he still gave no response. Finally, she took a deep breath and decided that she would wait until the day he woke up.
Then, she drifted to sleep beside him.
When she woke up the next day, the room was filled with the warmth of sunshine from the windows. Cynthia happened to enter the room as she announced, “Ellie, we have news of Jack! He’s rescued by the rescue team and is now resting at the temporary shelter. He’s been looking for you all the time. That’s why I could get in touch with him very soon.”
Elise hurriedly asked, “What about Mikayla? Where is she now?”
To that, Cynthia shook her head apologetically. “Jack told me that he wasn’t with Mikayla when the avalanche happened. But don’t you worry. I have sent some men to search for her. As long as she’s alive, we will definitely find her.”
The news depressed Elise. They showed up to ski in a group of four, but only three of them were accounted for.
Mikayla, where are you?
Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 179
Unfortunate News
Elise stayed in the hospital to take care of Alexander. The next day, Jack dropped by for a visit. The sight of him was unforgettable for Elise—she had never seen him more disconsolate than this.
“How’s Alexander?” Jack’s hoarse voice cut through the silence, significantly sounding less energetic than his usual self.
“He’s fine. As long as he wakes up, there shouldn’t be any serious issue. I’m just worried because it has been days, but his condition isn’t improving.”
Jack went up to the patient bed and stared at the almost lifeless Alexander. “Alexander, since we were kids, you’ve always been a role model to us. Now, you need to wake up quickly as well.” He reached out to clutch Alexander’s hand so tightly that it almost looked as if he was channeling energy into his brother.
“About Mikayla… Is there still no news about her?” Elise meekly asked the question. After Mikayla’s name was mentioned, Jack’s already tired eyes appeared a tad dimmer.
If only I had agreed to go for the snowball fight with her, the outcome might have been different.
After the avalanche, Jack searched through the area but could not locate her.
“She’ll be fine.”
Even though he told Elise that Mikayla would be fine, he didn’t know for sure. She’ll be fine. She will…
“Just take good care of Alexander. I will search for Mikayla to the best of my ability. If I can’t find her, I won’t return.” Next, he let go of Alexander’s hand and turned to leave.
Elise’s heart sank to the bottom. Mikayla, come back to us soon! We’re all waiting for you.
That night, she was looking after Alexander at the bedside as usual. He had been in a coma for days, but his eyes suddenly fluttered. Moving his stiff arms, he slowly inched around to sit up. The next second, his arm accidentally came in touch with the girl by the bedside.
In the darkness, he could still recognize Elise. The sight of her warmed his heart. He pulled the blanket over to cover her. To his surprise, Elise jumped in her dream and mumbled, “Alexander… Alexander, don’t leave me!”
After she was awake, she sat up and looked across the empty room. Soon, she seemed to have felt the gaze of someone else in the darkness. “A-Are you awake?”
Out of nowhere, she was yanked into his embrace with great force. He was clumsy, but he savored the moment like the world would end the instant and she would disappear along with it. It’s her…
“Alexander, I’m scared to death because of you.” Her voice cracked, and he tightened his hug around her. His magnetic voice rang in her ears. “Don’t worry. I’m always here for you.”
The familiarity of his voice brought tears to her eyes. No one knew the extent of the heartache and stress she had suffered in the past few days.
“Are you feeling fine? Should I call the doctor? You’ve just woken up. Don’t move around. If you need anything, just let me know.”
While speaking, she let go of his hand.
“I’m turning on the lights. Wait for me here.”
She rose up only to be struck by a thought. Reflexively, she reached out to touch her face. In the past few days, she had been so busy looking after him that she did not have the time to put on her disguise. If she turned on the lights, he would see her real face.
I can’t let him see my face. She came to a decision right away.
“I need to use the washroom. I’ll turn on the lights after that.”
As she explained, she deftly sneaked into the washroom and locked the door from the inside.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she gasped for air to calm herself down and frantically took out her foundation cushion to powder her face.
He was taken aback by her odd behavior but did not pursue it further. Instead, he switched on the lights by himself, and the room was brightly lit. His pupils struggled to adjust to the influx of brightness, and he closed his eyes from the irritation.
When his vision adjusted, he got out of bed. “Elise, are you done?”
Elise scrambled to get ready and shouted, “Give me a minute! Wait for me.” In a few moves, she quickly put on her ugly disguise with makeup.
When she was satisfied with her appearance, she opened the door and strolled out.
“I’m done,” she said to him. Seeing the face he missed dearly, he opened his arms to her. After a little hesitation, she walked to him and gave him a hug.
“It’s great that you woke up,” she told him earnestly, and his lips curled up into a dazzling smile.
“It’s great to hug you again.”
After he woke up from the coma, doctors performed a multitude of tests on him, and she was there for him the whole time.
“This is good. His body is in great shape, and his recovery is going well. He will be under observation for two more days before we discharge him.” The doctor’s comment soothed her worried heart.
“Just stay here for another two days, and we can go home.”
Alexander looked at her and nodded in obedience without any questions or comments. At the same time, he received a call from home, so he picked it up. “Oh, Alexander, you’re finally awake!”
Alexander lifted a brow and asked, “Is everything okay in the company?”
Danny was straightforward. “Well, things were not going well at first, but thankfully, Boss told me to look for Jamie. The situation has stabilized for now. We’re only waiting for your return.”
Alexander shot a puzzled look in her direction after hearing about Jamie. It sounds like she’s close to Jamie.
“Alexander, are you listening?” Danny’s voice pulled him back to the conversation, and he said, “You’ve gone through a lot. I’ll be back in a few days’ time.”
“It’s not a problem if Jamie’s around. He has great business acumen, and he acts aggressively. Even if you want to take a longer break, the company will turn out fine,” Danny praised Jamie to the heavens, to which Alexander replied with a grunt as a sign of acknowledgment.
After he ended the call, Elise followed up, “How’s the situation back home? If you need to deal with company matters, we could fly home earlier.”
“It’s fine. The company is in good hands,” he answered and followed up with a question. “Are you close to Jamie?”
Elise felt her heart skip a beat and quickly clarified, “Yes, I guess you can say so.”
She had thought that he’d pester her with more questions, but he changed the topic. “Any news about Mikayla?”
The light in Elise’s eyes went out as she shook her head. “Nothing yet.”
Although Cynthia joined the search, Mikayla had, in fact, been missing after such a long time. It was difficult to keep the news under wraps any longer, so Elise had informed Mikayla’s parents in the most cautious manner possible. Mikayla’s parents were on their way to Switzerland and were expected to arrive in the next two days.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry. Mikayla is a lucky girl. She’ll be safe.”
Elise had no choice but to pray fervently for her friend’s safety in her heart.
The next day, Mikayla’s parents arrived with a heavy heart, but they did not point their fingers at anyone. The couple cooperatively worked with the rescue team to look for their daughter.
Not long after, Cynthia rushed to Elise with a grave expression. “Ellie, I have some unfortunate news for you. I hope you’re mentally prepared.”
Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 180
This Is Definitely Not Mikayla
Elise had already formed a guess from the look on Cynthia’s face. She gripped her sleeve tightly and mumbled, “So, you have news about Mikayla?”
Cynthia gazed at her and nodded. Without warning, Elise’s legs gave away, and she stumbled. Neither were her tears controllable, as she could clearly feel tears gliding down her cheeks.
“That’s… That’s impossible! Nothing’s going to happen to her! How could she have…”
Cynthia tried her best to calm her down. “We are not a hundred percent sure right now. It’s just that… the rescue team has found a body with descriptions that resemble her.”
The shocking news shattered Elise’s world, and she refused to accept the reality. Jack showed up out of the blue and grabbed Cynthia’s arm, descending into madness as he barked at her, “Is that true? Where is she now? Tell me! Where is she?”
Jack’s reckless reaction put a frown on Cynthia’s forehead. She knew the guy, but she had not expected him to act in such a rash manner. Based on his anxious reaction, she had a vague idea of his relationship with Mikayla. Therefore, she decided to forgive his rudeness and shared all the details with him.
“The body is placed at the rescue station. No one has come forward to claim it.” She barely finished speaking when Jack dashed out of the hospital. Elise followed suit with tears brimming in her eyes.
When Mikayla’s parents got the news, they almost fainted from crying. Finally, the group rushed to the temporary mortuary at the rescue station. Elise was shaking from head to toe when she laid eyes on the white cloth that was draped over the body.
“Mikayla…” Elise couldn’t help but mumble her friend’s name, and tears kept falling down her face. Meanwhile, Mikayla’s parents were out of breath from crying, and the atmosphere sank to the lowest point.
In an attempt to keep Elise calm, Alexander stood firmrly and held her hand in silence.She stumbled forward and flipped the cloth open to reveal a body that was almost unidentifiable. However, because the size of the victim was similar to Mikayla’s frame, she once again plunged into sadness. The people around didn’t seem too positive either
Yet, Jack was the only one who reacted differently. Looking like a lifeless walking corpse when he arrived, he suddenly perked up after seeing the body, and his eyes shone. “That’s not Mikayla!”
Without a doubt, his curt declaration changed the air around them.
Meanwhile, Elise watched on through her misty eyes as Jack explained with all seriousness, “That is not her! She wore a different outfit on that day. She’s also wearing a fishbone necklace, which is not seen anywhere on this body!”
Elise’s gaze traveled over to the body and confirmed that there was no fishbone necklace, which rendered her speechless. “W-What is going on?”
Again, Jack declared with confidence, “You got the wrong person! This body is not Mikayla’s! Trust me!”
Then, he turned around to leave. The rest of the group was utterly confused by Jack’s words. Soon, Mikayla’s parents regained their composure. Staring at the body, they seemed to prefer Jack’s narrative, even if it was only for emotional relief. “That’s not Mikayla. It’s not her,” Mrs. Jameson muttered repeatedly, but her husband remained rational. “Since we can’t identify her, the best way forward is to send the body for a postmortem exam.”
So, Mr. Jameson contacted a local lab for a postmortem exam. The results were out in less than 24 hours and delivered to them.
Everyone held their breath as he took out the document. When they saw that the body did not even have a 1% match with Mikayla’s DNA, they let out a collective sigh of relief.
“I knew it! It was not Mikayla. It’s definitely not her…” Mrs. Jameson burst into tears agitatedly. Since the body was not Mikayla, there was hope that she could still be alive.
Elise’s heart slowly calmed down as well. Mikayla, you must still be alive. Am I right?
“Found her! They found her!” Jack’s joyful screams cut through the pensive atmosphere. Elise was the first to get a grip of herself and hurried over to him. “Did they find Mikayla?”
Jack nodded in happiness. “The embassy sent me the news. They said that Mikayla had contacted them. She was there to get her ID and passport reissued, probably for the flight home.”
The sudden news swept Elise off her feet. “Is that true? Where is she now?”
Jack added, “She went to the embassy two days ago. I guess she’s already back to Cittadel now. Once we’re back, we will definitely get a hold of her!”
“But if she’s safe, why did she not contact us?” She vocalized her question, and silence descended. That was indeed a mystery, for it did not align with Mikayla’s usual behavior.
“But the embassy clearly told me that the ID information was correct. It was Mikayla.”
In the face of Jack’s confirmation, Elise also believed that the embassy visitor was Mikayla. “Let’s head home then,” Alexander chimed in, and she agreed with him.
Mikayla’s parents were overjoyed to learn that their daughter had taken the flight home. They proceeded to book the closest flight available and went home with Elise and the others.
After a ten-hour-long flight, the plane landed at Athesea’s airport. The group exited the arrivals and immediately rushed to Mikayla’s home. However, they were shocked to find the house empty—Mikayla did not come home.
Looking disappointed, Jack mumbled, “How is this possible? What is going on?”
Elise comforted him, saying, “Don’t worry. If it’s really Mikayla, she will come home sooner or later.”
“But where is she now?” His words prompted everyone to fall into deep thoughts. Elise and Alexander left Mikayla’s place and went home together. In the car, she couldn’t help but ask, “What do you think? Since she’s already back in Cittadel, why is she not coming home?”
Before this, Alexander had observed the way Elise worried about Mikayla’s disappearance. He could tell how important Mikayla was to her, and he silently gave her moral support along the way. “Don’t worry. Who knows? Maybe she is under some difficult circumstances.”
Elise looked confused but could not come up with a plausible explanation.
“Alright now. Stop overthinking. At least we have proof that she’s well and alive. The other mysteries will be unraveled once she gets home. You shouldn’t lose your hair over it.”
Staring out of the window moodily, Elise once again prayed that Mikayla could come home soon.
When they reached home, she immediately got ready to attend school due to the time difference. She had spent a lot of time in Switzerland following the accident and took leaves of absence for it. Since she delivered satisfactory results in her previous exams, the teachers did not comment on her absence.
“The final exam is tomorrow. Use your time wisely for revision.” The homeroom teacher was speaking to the class, but her eyes were clearly on Elise. “If you have any questions, feel free to drop by my office for clarification.”