Chapter 497 Carrying Her Forward
Even with the night vision goggles, which allowed them to see every detail of the jungle, Abella still managed to trip over a stone at her feet.
"Careful," Phillipe said, pulling her into his arms just in time. "Did you hurt your foot?"
Before Abella could answer, Phillipe had already crouched down, letting her sit on his knee as he took off her shoe to inspect.
Her foot was fine, but her ankle had a few scratches from a branch, looking red and painful.
Abella's skin was naturally delicate, and the sight of those red marks made Phillipe ask, "Does it hurt?"
Abella shook her head.
If she hadn't seen the scratches herself, she wouldn't have known she had been scraped by a branch. She never paid much attention to such minor injuries.
To her, it wasn't even a wound.
At most, the branch had just tickled her.
"And your foot? Does it hurt from tripping over the stone? Can you walk?" Phillipe asked.
"I can walk; it's fine," Abella said, thinking he was being overly worried. "I'm not that fragile."
After helping her put her shoe back on, Phillipe, without another word, lifted her onto his back.
"I'm really fine," Abella protested.
"I just want to carry you," Phillipe said, walking forward step by step with her on his back. "You're too light. You must not have been eating well these past few days."
"Was I heavy before?"
"You were always light, but now you're even lighter," Phillipe said, slowing his pace because he was carrying her. "You need to eat more. I can cook all your favorite dishes now. I'll make them for you when we get back."
"Have you been practicing in secret?"
"No, I've been practicing openly," Phillipe said, his lips curling into a warm, indulgent smile. "Is there anything else you'd like me to learn?"
"What?"
"In other words, what areas can I improve in? Give me some pointers," Phillipe said, smiling gently.
Abella wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly covered his lips and whispered in his ear, "Someone's coming."
Phillipe heard it, too. He set Abella down, and they hid in a concealed spot. Phillipe pulled Abella into his arms, not wanting her to be in any danger.
Two men with flashlights were scanning the jungle, grumbling as they went.
"It's so cold, and we still have to patrol. I tell you, the boss is overthinking it. That traitor wouldn't dare come back here."
"Even if she did come back, the two of us wouldn't stand a chance against her. I bet that traitor is long dead. The boss is just worried about that thing she took."
"No, you're too young to understand. She was once the boss' most valued person. When she betrayed them, they were so disappointed that they issued a kill order."
"Women, in the end, they always get lost in love. If it were me, I'd choose power. Love is worthless."
"And now we have to patrol in the middle of the night because of her. How about we skip the patrol and grab a drink? It's cold, and a little drink would warm us up."
"If the boss catches us slacking off, we'll be severely punished. You know that better than I do."
"Fine, let's finish the patrol and then get a drink."
Phillipe and Abella listened as their voices grew fainter and eventually disappeared. Only then did they look at each other and stand up.
Phillipe lifted Abella onto his back again. "It sounds like the person they're talking about is Winston's girlfriend, Nicole."
Abella didn't hesitate, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I didn't realize Nicole held such a high position in the organization."
To be highly regarded by the boss, she must have been very skilled.
Winston had always thought Nicole was a delicate, obedient girl.
It seemed Nicole had always presented a sweet, compliant image to Winston and her parents, much like Abella herself.
"Think about it. She's been missing for a year, and the organization still can't find her. That means she's very capable," Phillipe analyzed.
Who knew what kind of organization this was? Had they heard of it before?
"To evade capture for over 300 days is impressive," Abella said, looking at Phillipe's profile. "It seems we were right. Nicole wanted to leave the organization for Winston, but the boss was so disappointed that he issued a kill order."
"She's loyal and righteous," Phillipe commented. "She's someone worth knowing."
"I wonder if she's hiding nearby," Abella speculated. "The most dangerous place might be the safest."
"Not likely."
No matter how safe, it was improbable that she could hide right under their noses for over 300 days without being discovered.
"I think there's something here worth investigating," Phillipe guessed. "It could be the organization's Achilles' heel."
If the boss was so ruthless, Nicole might be planning to expose all their secrets.
The two men had mentioned that the boss was concerned about "that thing"—it could very well be evidence of their crimes.
"Look, something's up ahead."
Abella's gaze fell on a mountain peak. The terrain was steep, not suitable for building camps, so it was rarely visited.
But at the base of the mountain, there were lights and people.
"Put me down," Abella whispered in Phillipe's ear.
Phillipe crouched down, and after she got off, he took the binoculars she handed him and looked ahead.
There were indeed people gathered at the base of the mountain, not many, just a dozen or so, seemingly guarding the mountain.
Could there be a hidden secret within the mountain?
Abella also took out her binoculars and looked at the base of the mountain. The people were patrolling as if guarding the mountain. Could there be a secret hidden inside?
"Something's off," Abella said, trying to get a clearer view, but the terrain obstructed her vision.
She noticed a large tree nearby and said softly to Phillipe, "Wait here."
She quickly climbed the tree and sat on a sturdy branch, continuing her observation with the binoculars.
Phillipe chuckled and followed her up the tree. "I need some special skills to keep up with you."
Abella didn't expect him to climb up, too. She smiled and continued watching the base of the mountain. "Look, someone's coming out."
There seemed to be an exit in the mountain, and the person coming out was treated with great respect by the others.
"What do you think they use to get in and out?" Abella speculated. "Fingerprint? Or something like a key card?"
"Could it be the small silver key Nicole left behind?"
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