Save Her Lose Us (Evangeline and Soren) novel Chapter 367

"I just wanted revenge," Melvin continued, his tone light and conversational. "I wanted to see you despair. And I have. I'm quite satisfied, really." He seemed completely oblivious to his own predicament.

Soren stared at him, his voice dangerously low. "Then why was the knot on Poppy a dead knot, while Evangeline's was a slipknot?"

On the drive over, he had questioned Gregory relentlessly about the details. Evangeline hadn't fallen because Finn lost his grip; she had untied the rope herself. But when they'd retrieved the other rope, the one that had been secured to Poppy, the knot was tied fast. That dead knot had cost them precious seconds—seconds that could have saved Evangeline.

Melvin's eyebrows shot up. A look of realization dawned on his face, followed by a loud burst of laughter. "Soren, there were no dead knots. They were both slipknots. It seems your future wife has played you for a fool."

He leaned forward, his eyes glinting with malicious glee. "Why did I do it? Because when I gave you a choice, I gave them one, too. The one who truly loves you wouldn't want to see you suffer. She would choose to die herself to spare you the pain. But it looks like neither of them really loves you after all. What a shame."

…

The search for Evangeline and Finn continued. Dozens of tents now dotted the mountaintop, and the harsh glare of temporary floodlights bathed the peak in an artificial daylight. The cliff face was steep, and magnetic interference from the mountain prevented the drones from reaching the bottom. They had to rely on professional rescue teams, while others rappelled down as far as they safely could, shouting their names into the vast, echoing valley.

Arabella returned from a descent, shivering and exhausted. She collapsed onto a large rock as her bodyguards rushed to wrap a thick coat around her shoulders.

She could see his hands trembling on the controls. He hadn't put the heavy remote down once, except to swap out batteries. Her own hands ached after just a few minutes of holding it.

"Thanks. Just leave it here," he mumbled, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Arabella glanced at the several other untouched, cold meals sitting beside him. More than a day had passed. She had moved through the initial stages of rage and denial into a grim acceptance, but Glenn was still trapped in the first moments of the crisis. From what little she knew of him, he was always composed, unshakable. She had never seen him like this, so frayed and on edge, his nerves stretched to the breaking point.