Rewrite Her Thrilling Life (Lillian and Sebastian) novel Chapter 217

Chapter 217: The Search

Lillian kept close, never letting more than a step separate her from the little fox.

Unno hesitated for a moment, watching her dash after the small creature with a mixture of uncertainty and resolve. Should he follow? The decision was clear in the end—his sole purpose right now was to protect Lillian, to obey her every command without question.

Silently, Lillian glided through the dense rainforest, her movements fluid and careful as she navigated the tangled undergrowth. The air was thick with humidity and the scent of damp earth, the canopy above filtering the sunlight into muted green patterns on the forest floor.

After nearly two hours of steady trekking, Sunny suddenly stopped, crouching down beside a heap of stones. Lillian hurried to her side, curiosity sharpening her features. “What is it, Sunny?” she asked softly.

The little fox pawed insistently at the pile, its small claws scraping against the rocks.

“We’re not here to collect herbs today,” Lillian said quickly, a flicker of anxiety threading through her voice. Despite her words, Sunny continued digging, emitting a soft, plaintive whine that tugged at Lillian’s heart.

With a reluctant sigh, she knelt down and began to move the stones herself. Beneath the rubble, something gleamed—a watch. Her breath caught in her throat as she snatched it up, her fingers trembling. It was unmistakable. Sebastian had worn this watch often. But how could it have ended up buried here, hidden beneath all this debris?

Her eyes stung with unshed tears as she stared at the shattered face of the watch. “Mr. Whitmore,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion, “please hold on.”

They pressed deeper into the rainforest, the light dimming with every step as the thick foliage swallowed the sun’s rays. The silence ahead was heavy, almost suffocating, causing Lillian to bite her lip in determination as she quickened her pace.

Following Sunny’s lead, Lillian twisted and turned through the labyrinth of trees and vines. The dense jungle made it easy to lose her bearings, but she dared not stop or hesitate—not when Sebastian’s life was at stake.

Suddenly, the little fox froze behind a thick tree trunk, refusing to move forward. Lillian peered cautiously around the bark and froze. A group of burly foreigners was passing by, speaking in low, gruff voices. The faint crackle of earpieces added an ominous edge to their presence as they exchanged updates with unseen handlers.

Unno noticed them too. Pressing himself silently against the rough tree bark, he and Lillian held their breath, striving to remain unseen.

As the men drew closer, one of them—a white man with a harsh voice—grumbled, “We’ve been searching for three days and still nothing. Maybe he was blown to bits.”

“Quiet,” another hissed sharply. “If we don’t confirm he’s dead, it’ll be us who end up dead.”

“Mr. Whitmore’s a slippery one. If we let this slip, we won’t get another chance. So stop whining.”

Lillian exchanged a sharp glance with Unno. There was more than one group searching for Sebastian. The danger was far greater than she had imagined.

Not willing to risk being discovered, Lillian’s fingers flicked with lightning speed. Silver needles flashed through the air, too fast for the eye to follow. In the stunned silence that followed, the needles had already lodged in the men’s eyebrows, dropping them instantly.

The opening yawned before them, dark and foreboding, a chill breeze whispering out like a silent warning.

Unno’s expression tightened with concern. “Maybe we should wait until morning. It’s already getting dark.”

Lillian glanced at him, her voice firm and resolute. “We’re going in tonight. He’s been missing for three days. Every second counts.”

From her backpack, she pulled out a luminous night pearl. Its soft, cold glow illuminated the cave entrance, casting long shadows on the jagged walls.

Sunny darted inside without hesitation.

With one hand pressed against the cool stone wall for balance, Lillian began to edge into the narrow passage, Unno close behind. Neither made a sound. In the suffocating stillness, the only noises were their steady breaths and the pounding of their hearts.

They moved forward for nearly fifteen minutes before Sunny suddenly stopped dead ahead, tail stiff and eyes fixed.

Lillian followed the fox’s gaze, and a shiver ran down her spine. Even Unno froze beside her, his eyes wide with shock.

The stone walls ahead were crawling with them—countless slick, green snakes writhing and twisting over one another in an unbroken, living wave.