Chapter 1344
This is the wilderness of North America, where at any given moment one might encounter a wild beast
lurking behind the dense foliage, or perhaps even more unnerving, a man with malicious intent and a
firearm. For her, staying meant certain capture, and another chance at escape would never present
itself. K would not allow himself to blunder twice.
Maja flung the car door open and stepped into the inky embrace of the forest. The car sat abandoned
at the roadside as she tossed aside her high-heeled inserts and began to run in her ts, descending
further into the woods.
Fearful of taking the main paths, her heart hammered against her chest—a desperate yearning for
freedom, a longing to be reunited with Ian. She felt an adrenaline rush so potent that even the specter
of death seemed trivial inparison. Tears of fervor streaked her face as she ran from dusk till dawn,
running on fumes but driven by sheer instinct towards the distant glow of the city.
Her trajectory was a straight line, across unknown roads, tripping and stumbling over the rugged
terrain. Her hands were shredded, but the city lights seemed an eternity away, and she feared she
might faint at any moment.
Reaching a quaintkeside cabin at the foot of the mountain, a wave of dizziness washed over her. Yet,
she mustered the strength to knock, driven by the dire need for sustenance.
The modest two-hundred-square-foot cabin, she knew, was leagues away from K''s mansion. After a
three-hour drive the previous evening and her continued flight into the morning, it was unlikely K could
catch up that quickly. She needed food, and she needed to keep moving.
The door swung open, revealing an elderly gentleman with a kindly face, white hair, and piercing blue
eyes. Startled at her appearance, he met her gaze with a mix of surprise and concern. Maja quickly
exined her plight, scanning the cozy interior for any sign of danger—just the old man and his dog
lounging on the sofa.
"Could I have some bread?" she asked, her voice hoarse. Her fever had broken, but the night''s
exertions had left her weak. No one could run all night without consequence.
Without a word, the old man brought her bread and a ss of milk. She took a bite, tears welling up as
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she murmured her thanks. He then offered her a ss of warm water and asked how she came to be
there. Maja spun a tale of a vacation gone awry, separated from her family.
"Do you have a phone I could use to call them?" she inquired.
"Sorry, my phone''s on the fritz. I''ve got a new oneing with the doc from town. You can use that one
when it arrives," he responded kindly.
Gratitude was an understatement for what Maja felt, and now in the calm, every ache in her body
screamed for attention. But the pain only sharpened her resolve to find Ian. She missed him with every
fiber of her being.
Half an hourter, a knock at the door signaled the arrival of a man carrying a medical bag. Maja''s
heart skipped a beat as she recognized Dr. Herrington, a friendly face from Greenfield.
The old man warmly greeted the neer, pulling him into a hug like old friends. "This poor girl here''s
been waiting to use my new phone to contact her family. Did you bring it along?"
As Dr. Herrington''s gaze met hers, Maja''s cheeks flushed with relief. The old man reassured her, "Don''t
worry, he''s not a stranger. This is Dr. Herrington, a fine doctor I knew back in North America. A good
kid."
The dog, previously curled on the couch, sprang to life at the sight of Dr. Herrington, clearly an old
acquaintance.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Maja stepped forward and clutched at the doctor''s arm as if he were her
lifeline. "Dr. Herrington! I never imagined I''d find you here!"
After a harrowing escape, the sight of a familiar face was like a balm to her soul. It was as if, after a
long and treacherous night, she had finally glimpsed the light of day.