Johanna pursed her lips, feigning offense. “Last time I called you that, Stephan scolded me. How dare I repeat it?”

Imogen, aware of the incident, felt a pang of resentment toward Stephan's tactlessness. Comforting Johanna, she said, “Don’t worry about him! We’re sisters-in-law and sisters at heart. Nothing can change that!”

Johanna nodded docilely, her smile, however, hinting at mockery. Unfortunately, Imogen missed it.

Unable to openly flaunt her triumph, Johanna felt a slight pang of disappointment. Yet, the thought of her and Archie enjoying themselves under Imogen's unsuspecting nose filled her with secret delight.

Johanna scoffed inwardly. “So what if you’re the eldest Russell daughter? So what if your status makes you untouchable? I’m the one who climbed alongside him, step by step! I’m the one with the deepest bond! I’m the one he truly loves and understands!”

A smile curled her lips; she eagerly anticipated the day her efforts would bear fruit.

At the bottom of the canyon, Felicia released her rappel rope and unhooked her safety harness before surveying her surroundings. The area was shrouded in thick, damp fog. Tiny water droplets quickly gathered on her eyelashes, and even the stray hairs on her forehead were dampened.

Visibility was severely limited, forcing her to proceed cautiously, step by step, to avoid hidden pitfalls. She recalled seeing Stephan running southeast from above, toward the flat area where Pete and the Carrell family camped. The poor visibility and the wind blowing in the opposite direction hindered her efforts to locate him.

Softly, she called, “Stephan!” Her voice carried only a short distance. There was no response; he must have gone farther away.

Just as she started to move, she sensed a shift in the air currents behind her. She sidestepped, evading a hand that lunged from the fog. Without hesitation, she drove her knee into the attacker's abdomen, forcing a retreat and seizing the opportunity to deliver a sharp uppercut to his chin.

A pained cry, unfamiliar to her, echoed as the attacker collapsed. Before she could recover, another figure emerged from the fog.

“Nice timing,” she thought, her eyes flashing with determination. Her close-combat skills, honed in a previous life during her imprisonment, had saved her countless times. Rebirth hadn't offered many opportunities to use them, but now, someone had presented a challenge.

Felicia charged, smoothly applying a chokehold and executing an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming the second attacker to the ground.