Chapter 514

People scattered everywhere, total panic mode. I grabbed Yuna’s hand, and we bolted, trying to keep up with the crowd heading for higher ground. But the flood was way faster. Before we knew it, the water was right behind us, closing in like some freak tidal wave.

“Keira, Keira…” Yuna’s voice wobbled as she clung to my arm, her face white with fear. I was just as scared, but I knew flipping out wouldn’t help. I spotted a flagpole platform a few yards away and yanked her toward it, moving as fast as we could.

I managed to lift her up onto the platform, but before I could pull myself up, the water hit—hard. It swept me right off my feet. Luckily, I didn’t get dragged too far. I fought to stay above water, clawing for anything solid to grab. The current roared around me, icy and fierce, but I held on, just trying to keep my head above the waves.

“Keira! Keira!” Yuna’s voice broke through the chaos, shrill and panicked as she clung to the pole, crying and calling for me. Debris and trash shot past, slamming into me, the freezing water numbing everything except the raw fear thrumming through me. People say life’s full of surprises, but this? Fighting to survive a flood? Not the plot twist I’d expected.

“Keira! Keira!” Yuna kept screaming my name. I couldn’t look up to calm her down. As long as she held on tight, she’d be okay until help showed up. Right now, I had to keep my head above water and figure out how to survive. But there was nothing—just endless water stretching across the flooded street, murky and wild.

“Hayden, please… save Keira… she got swept away!” I barely heard Yuna’s shaky voice. It sounded like Hayden had called her. Perfect timing—if he knew where we were, he’d come find me. In that moment, I didn’t care that we’d broken up. All I wanted was for him to show up. Fast.

But before he even could, a rescue team arrived. They pulled me out of the water and got Yuna down from the flagpole.

“Keira, are you okay?”

“I’m so sorry, this is all my fault…” Yuna’s eyes were glassy, guilt written all over her face. But I was too drained to reassure her. My whole body was soaked, freezing, and aching like I’d been slammed by bricks, not just battered by water.

“Yuna.” That voice—Hayden’s. I looked up, and there he was, in full work gear, standing steady like he could hold back the storm if he wanted.

“Hayden!” Yuna grabbed his arm, clinging. “Keira almost got swept away trying to save me…”

Hayden’s gaze shifted to me, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t read. But he didn’t move—he just looked at me, his face unreadable. All I wanted was for him to come over, wrap me in his arms, and chase away the bone-deep chill that wouldn’t go away.

But after a second, he turned back to Yuna and asked, “Are you alright?” A new kind of cold washed over me, sharper than the floodwaters, and it cut deeper than any of my bruises.

Yuna shook her head, her tears falling fast. “I’m fine. Keira helped me up onto that platform; I didn’t get hurt at all. Please, go check on her!” She gave him a little push, practically begging him to come over. Finally, Hayden took a step in my direction—but by then, I was over it. If he’d just asked if I was okay, just once, I wouldn’t have felt so… crushed.

Instead, I turned to one of the rescue workers and grabbed his arm. “I’m freezing. Could you help me get to the ambulance?” The rescue worker nodded and lifted me up, carrying me right past Hayden and gently setting me down inside the ambulance.

Just as the doors were about to close, I heard Yuna’s voice urging, “Go with her, Hayden! Go with Keira!” But Hayden didn’t budge. He just stood there, watching. I knew we’d broken up, but I never thought he’d be this indifferent. Not even when I was hurt, not even after I got in this mess trying to help his sister.

Chapter 515