"Are we as dumb as you?" Everett shot back with a smirk. His usually serious face carried a hint of mischief, making Aurora’s cheeks flush. Her face and ears felt burning hot.
"Hey, why do you always call me stupid?" Aurora wrinkled her nose in frustration. She actually looked quite adorable when she was angry, and Everett felt a sudden tug at his heart.
He really, really wanted to hold her.
And he really, really wanted to kiss her.
But... Everett forced himself to suppress the impulse. He turned his head away, refusing to let himself be tempted.
If he wanted a real future with Aurora, he had to take things slow—earn her trust, build a connection, and help her forget the unpleasant moments between them.
"The truth is always hard to hear," Everett said matter-of-factly.
After finishing several drumsticks, two sandwiches, and a bottle of water, he finally put out the fire.
Aurora ran to the cave entrance and looked back at the smoldering ashes. Strangely, she felt... reluctant to leave.
What was wrong with her? Was she losing her mind?
Why would she feel attached to this place?
She regretted following Autumn into the temple. If she had just stayed put, none of this would’ve happened. When she got back, she’d probably have nightmares about it—being tied to that tree was a kind of trauma that wouldn’t fade easily.
Everett walked out of the cave and checked his phone, which had a built-in compass.
But... in order to spend more time with her, he deliberately took a longer route, heading in the opposite direction.
Aurora was completely lost. She had no idea if they were going the right way, so she simply followed by his side in silence.
The forest was alive in the early morning. Birds chirped cheerfully, flapping their wings in alarm as the two of them passed by.
Aurora walked quietly, pressing her lips together. Something felt strange, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Everett rarely came to places , but the crisp mountain air was refreshing. It gave him a sense of freedom.
Walking beside her ... it actually made him feel happy.
Aurora suddenly spotted a small stream up ahead and cheered. "Water means people! We should follow the stream!"
Everett’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. "Mm," he hummed in response, his voice softer than usual.
Aurora’s heart skipped a beat.
She scolded herself internally—was she really being this much of a fangirl? Everett was ridiculously handsome, sure, but did she really have to react like every other woman who was drawn to him?
Ugh. She was supposed to hate him. She was supposed to be mad at him. So why was she feeling this way?
Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the round, fallen log in front of her.
Her foot landed right on it.
"Aah!" Aurora yelped as her body lurched forward.
Luckily, Everett was right behind her. He grabbed her coat just in time, stopping her from face-planting into the ground.
Before she could process what had happened, she found herself wrapped in his arms. His piercing gaze met hers, filled with concern.
"Are you okay, Aurora?"
Aurora’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She shoved him away in a panic. "Let go! I’m fine... don’t take advantage of me!"
Her face turned red—Richard red—and she immediately regretted her choice of words.
She snuck a glance at Everett and, sure enough, his expression had darkened.
He let out a cold chuckle. "Haven’t I already taken advantage of you? What’s with the sudden act?"
Aurora fumed, glaring at him. "Obviously, I’m acting for you!"
Everett stared at her, watching her puffed-up cheeks and pouty lips. She looked like a sulking child—adorable, almost cartoonishly so.
His irritation vanished in an instant.
With a smirk, he turned and strode forward. Aurora quickly followed, afraid of getting separated.
Everett actually took her advice and followed the stream.
But after more than an hour of walking, there was still no sign of a village.
Aurora groaned in frustration. She stopped by the water’s edge, splashed some cold water on her face, and took a deep breath. The running stream reflected her face in broken fragments.
Everett stood next to her, hands in his pockets. His tall frame cast a shadow over the water, almost as if it was merging with hers.
She suddenly thought of that night.
Her face heated up again, and she pinched herself hard.
What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she remembering that right now?
"How much longer do we have to walk before we get out of here?"
Aurora looked up at him, frustration lacing her voice. She had been gone for an entire day and night. Had Dominic and the others made it out of the forest? Were they worried sick about her?
"I have no idea either!" Everett raised an eyebrow and said casually.
Aurora’s eyes widened. "What? You... you don’t know how to get out either?"
"You can get lost, but I can’t?"
Everett’s confident response made Aurora so mad her nose almost twisted. "You—! You’re a man! How can you not know the way?"
"And what does being a man have to do with it? Do men not need to eat and wear clothes? Sure, my IQ is higher than yours, but I’m not familiar with this place either. I don’t have GPS. How am I not supposed to get lost?"
As he spoke, a smirk tugged at his lips. Even he found it ridiculous—arguing with a woman felt so childish, so immature.
But somehow, he actually enjoyed it.
Tch, is this what they call masochism?
Aurora clenched her teeth in frustration and turned away, refusing to look at his annoyingly smug face.
He checked his phone—10 a.m. No signal, so there was no way to contact his men.
Spending another night out here? Definitely possible. There was still plenty of food in his backpack, enough to last both of them two more days.
A flicker of cunning flashed in Everett’s eyes. If Tobias hadn’t pointed it out, he wouldn’t have realized what a perfect opportunity this was.
When he first heard that Aurora was lost, he had rushed over without hesitation—his only thought was protecting her.
But now... his motives weren’t entirely pure anymore.
Still, better this than forcing anything, right?
They set off again, walking for over an hour. Eventually, Aurora couldn’t take another step. She collapsed onto a fallen log, panting heavily. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and her entire body ached. Her legs felt like they weren’t even hers anymore.
She wasn’t out of shape, but these mountains were brutal—steep, endless. They had climbed peak after peak, yet the stone quarry from before was nowhere in sight.
Little did she know, Everett had been leading her in the opposite direction the entire time. No wonder they weren’t getting anywhere.
"I can’t walk anymore... ugh, I’m exhausted. How much longer? I’m starving!" Aurora leaned against a tree, wiping her sweat as she spoke naturally to Everett.
Everett wordlessly pulled some food from his backpack and tossed it at her feet.
"We might have been going the wrong way."
"What?!" Aurora’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at this utterly unreliable man.