Chapter 286: It’s Over!

No! No way! This can’t be happening! Antony refused to believe Claire could be dead. They’d both fallen off the cliff together, and here he was, still alive. How could Claire be gone?

“Claire!” Antony shouted, trying desperately to drag his battered body toward her. He was in agony, every inch of him screaming in pain, covered in blood from the fall. His movements were painfully slow. Even his voice was barely above a whisper.

“Claire… wake up…” Antony kept calling her name, but his voice was so faint it felt like nothing. Claire hung lifelessly from a branch, with no sign of movement. Antony’s panic grew with each passing second.

His fear overwhelmed him, and he shouted her name again with everything he had left. But still, no response. Slowly, inch by agonizing inch, Antony crawled toward her, pushing through the pain. It took him half an hour just to reach her.

He braced himself against the tree, forcing himself up despite the searing pain. He managed to touch her. But that was all he could do—he didn’t have the strength to pull her down. Using what little energy he had, he tried to shake her gently.

“Claire, wake up…” “Claire, please, just open your eyes for me, just once.” “Claire…” At that moment, Antony felt a fear unlike anything he’d ever known. He was terrified that this was it—that she was gone forever, that he’d never hear her voice again or see her smile. The thought paralyzed him. He couldn’t bring himself to move.

“Oh thank God, she’s still breathing.” Her breaths were shallow, barely there, but it was enough—it meant she was still alive. Tears welled up in Antony’s eyes, his chest tightening with relief.

“Claire, I swear, I won’t let you die.” He stroked her cheek gently, his voice filled with determination. Then he tore his shirt into strips, gritting his teeth as he tried to bandage his own wounds, doing whatever he could to stop the bleeding.

He also did what he could for Claire. Thankfully, when they’d fallen, he’d managed to shield her as much as possible. Her injuries weren’t as severe as his—except for the broken branch lodged in her side. That was the biggest danger. He had to get it out soon and then get her out of here to a hospital. The heat wasn’t helping—if an infection set in, things would get bad fast.

Antony reached out to touch Claire’s forehead. At least for now, there was no fever. But this wasn’t a solution. He had to get her down from the tree. The problem was, he was too injured to do it.

“Somebody! Anyone! Help, please! There’s someone hurt here!” Antony looked around, calling out for help. He hoped, prayed that someone might hear him and come to their rescue. But they were at the bottom of Wits Mountain, surrounded by thick trees—it was like being in the middle of a jungle. The chances of anyone being nearby were slim.

His voice was hoarse from shouting, and still, there was no answer. Antony looked up at Claire, took a deep breath, and decided he had to try and get her down himself. He studied their position, found the best spot to brace himself, and prepared to pull her down. But he had underestimated how badly he was hurt.

Just as he managed to get both hands on Claire and started to pull her towards him, his wounds flared up. The pain was too much—he couldn’t hold her weight. With a thud, Claire fell, landing right on top of him. Antony, already weak and in pain, felt the world spin. His vision blurred.

“No, I can’t pass out… if I black out now, we’ll both die here, and no one will ever find us.” Antony fought to stay conscious, but it was no use. His eyelids felt impossibly heavy.

Just then, a voice rang out nearby, “Ms. Beaumont, we’re still searching for both of them.” Ms. Beaumont? Caroline! There was no doubt about it. And whoever it was, they were close—maybe only a few yards away. Antony’s face went pale. This was it!