“Mr. Scott!” Phillips called after him, alarmed and rushing to catch up. “Your injury!”

“Mr. Scott! Your hand…” The doctor’s voice rang out behind them.

But Eric didn’t stop. He didn’t even slow down. He had to go back. He had to find it. That peach-pit whistle had been given to him by Hadley. They weren’t together anymore. He had destroyed what they had and hurt her beyond repair. There was no turning back now. She hadn’t left him with much—just an old shirt from ten years ago, a bright red sweater she had knitted, and this whistle.

Only those few things, and now he had lost one of them. He couldn’t let it go. He had to find it. He would.

Hadley’s fingers closed tightly around the , her chest rising and falling with uncertainty. What Eric was searching for was right there in her hand. Should she give it back to him, letting him know she knew he had saved her?

“Tamara.” Hadley drew a deep breath and reached for her arm. “Help me over there.”

“Okay.” Tamara smiled softly, supporting Hadley with a steady arm. Inside, she couldn’t help thinking how overjoyed Eric would be. Hadley had barely woken, and the first thing she’d done was ask about him, then insist on seeing him.

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“Mr. Scott!”

Phillips rushed to Eric’s side and draped a dry coat across his shoulders. The medical staff had just finished treating the gashes on his back, yet he had bolted from the treatment area without proper clothing, letting the torrential rain soak him once more.

“Bring the car around! Right now!” Eric’s voice cracked with desperate urgency.

“Mr. Scott, please listen.” Phillips shook his head grimly, delivering the harsh reality. “The entire road is impassable. There’s no way through.”

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“Impassable?” Eric froze, his mouth compressing into a razor-thin line. “Are you trying to dismiss me with excuses? Do you honestly believe some debris will stop me?”

“Well… we would require official authorization from the rescue team to proceed. I’ll need to submit a formal request first…”

“And exactly how long will that bureaucratic nonsense take?” Eric’s agitation escalated as he paced like a trapped predator. “With this heavy downpour, the longer it takes, the less likely I’ll find it!”

“But…”

“So the vehicle cannot pass through?” Eric’s mind raced for alternatives. “Then you handle the rescue team negotiations. I’ll gather a few men and proceed on foot.”

While vehicles remained trapped, a small group could navigate the treacherous terrain on foot with relative ease.

“Mr. Scott…” Phillips wavered, clearly opposed to the strategy.

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