The Day Our Promise Breaks

He sprinted over, but as he reached the car, he stumbled slightly. "Evelyn!"

"Mr. Brooks, there's no one in the car."

Only then did Brooks notice the windshield was shattered. It was clear the car had hit the guardrail hard enough to break it. Even if someone had managed to crawl out, the odds of surviving were slim.

The rescue team had little hope left. Over the years, many had chosen this spot as their final destination, and there'd been plenty of accidents where people accidentally fell. Without exception, none had survived. Some bodies were recovered, while others were swept away by the river, never to be found again.

"Mr. Brooks, the riverbed's full of hidden currents and jagged rocks. The car's completely wrecked. It's impossible for anyone to have survived..."

The rescue team knew it was hard for family members to accept the truth, but they still offered their advice.

"Keep searching."

Brooks had a different perspective. Seeing the empty car was a relief to him. If she had been in the car, she would have been gone by now. But she wasn't, which meant there was hope. He believed Evelyn had managed to save herself and get out. As long as Evelyn had the will to survive, she had to be somewhere waiting for rescue. He couldn't give up on her. He had to find her.

The rescue team kept looking.

...

By the time Charles woke up again, night had fallen. Dahlia had been keeping vigil by his side. As soon as she saw him awake, she immediately asked someone to prepare some food.

"Dahlia, you should get some rest. Aiden and the nurse are here to take care of me," Charles said gently, noticing how worn out Dahlia looked.

"I'm not at ease," Dahlia replied, her eyes filled with concern.

"Don't worry about me. I'll eat with you, and then I'll head back to my room to rest, okay?"

"Alright," Charles agreed softly.

They ate a little, and Dahlia reluctantly got ready to leave for the room next door. Just as she reached the door, she heard Charles telling the nurse, "Turn on the TV to the finance channel."noveldrama

The nurse quickly turned on the TV and searched for the remote to

switch to the finance channel for Charles. The TV was running a news broadcast: "This afternoon, there was a traffic accident on xx road. A car with the license plate NYA 62231..."

Before the report finished, the nurse had already changed the channel. Hearing

the license plate number, Charles suddenly looked up, his face shifting

dramatically. "Turn it back."

NYA 62231 was Eve's license plate

number. The sudden command caught the nurse off guard, and she didn't react immediately. Charles felt his heart deap into his throat; he couldn't wait any longer. He threw off the covers, ignoring the pain in his abdomen, and got out of bed. Amid Dahlia's worried cries, he clutched his abdomen and stumbled over to the nurse, snatching the remote with trembling hands to switch the channel back.

The news continued, "The car has been recovered, but the owner is currently

missing. The search and rescue team is still searching..."

The remote slipped from Charles's hand. The news had already ended and moved on to the next story, leaving him pale and shell-shocked. What had he just heard? Eve's car had gone into the river! The search was ongoing, but she hadn't been found yet. Which meant... her fate was uncertain.

Those words hit Charles like a punch to the gut. His chest tightened with a rush of

emotions, his vision blurring as he swayed unsteadily.

"Charles!"

"Mr. Jenkins!"

Dahlia and the nurse cried out in alarm simultaneously.