Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

With the impact, Lacey felt as if she'd been knocked senseless.

Seeing the photograph wedged between the rocks about to be swept away by the current, she disregarded her own safety. Struggling to her feet, she lunged forward and clutched the photo in her hand.

The icy river water crashed against her body as she attempted to make her way to shore. The cold had nearly numbed her entire body, and the injury to her foot made it impossible to stand. She stumbled, swallowing several mouthfuls of water.

Just then, she heard a splash.

Turning toward the sound, she saw Jason wading through the water toward her.

He reached her side and pulled her up, but when her foot touched the ground, pain shot through her, making her wince.

"What happened to your foot?" Jason asked.

"I think I stepped on some glass," Lacey replied, still gripping the photograph tightly.

Without hesitation, Jason scooped her into his arms and carried her to shore, setting her down gently on a rock. He examined her foot and discovered a shard of glass deeply embedded in it. His brow furrowed with concern.

Ignoring her own injury, Lacey carefully handed the now-soaked photograph to David. "I got it back," she said softly.

David took it, wiping the water off with his sleeve. Suddenly remembering, he glanced at Lacey's foot. "Are you alright?"

Despite being completely drenched, her hair plastered to her face, Lacey shook her head and forced a smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Before she could say anything more, Jason warned, "This might hurt," and swiftly removed the glass shard from her foot.

She stared at the bloodstained piece of glass in Jason's hand, her face pale from pain.

Without another word, Jason lifted her into his arms again and carried her all the way home.

David, now understanding the severity of the situation, followed quietly, his eyes fixed AT RYOUSTY VTTLacey' s'ihteenting, fort

"Your foot is bleeding," he said worriedly.

Though in considerable pain, Lacey didn't want him to feel guilty. She managed a

strained smile. "Please don't worry. It's just a small cut. I'll be fine."

Back in the house, Jason eyed her soaked clothing with concern. "You need to change before you catch a cold."

Despite his words, he made no move to put her down.

Inexplicably, Lacey felt her face flush.

She quickly jumped from his arms, balancing on one foot while steadying herself against a chair. "I'll go take a shower and change. Your clothes are wet too-you should change as well," she said awkwardly.

Jason watched as she hastily grabbed some clothes and hobbled into the bathroom, keeping her injured foot barely touching the ground.

At that moment, Lacey was grateful she had injured only one foot.

After her shower, dressed in fresh clothes, she emerged to find Jason sitting by her bed with a first aid kit on the nightstand.

Hearing the door open, he turned to her. "Come here. I need to clean and bandage that wound."

Lacey wasn't one to make a fuss. The pain had subsided somewhat, so she smiled and said, "It's nothing, really. Just a scratch."

Jason stood up, facing her with professional seriousness. "Don't brush off small injuries. A lot of big issues start with something minor. You can trust me I'm a doctor."

Seeing his earnest expression, Lacey reluctantly sat on the edge of the bed.

She hadn't expected Jason to wait for her, and she felt suddenly self-conscious about her bare legs in her nightgown as he attended to her foot.

Jason held her foot with one hand while cleaning, treating, and bandaging the wound with the other. Throughout the process, his focus remained entirely clinical.

After finishing, he packed away the first aid kit but didn't leave immediately.

From his expression, Lacey could tell he had something to say.

She spoke first, anticipating his thoughts. "You think I did something foolish today, don't you?"

Jason nodded solemnly. "Yes."

Lacey was momentarily speechless.

"It was foolish. A photograph isn't worth risking your life for," Jason said.

Lacey studied his handsome profile and asked softly, "Am I important to you?"noveldrama

Jason remained still for a long moment before finally raising his eyes to meet hers unflinchingly. "Yes. Very."

Lacey felt tears prick her eyes. Jason's response made all the sacrifices she had made feel worthwhile.

"If she means that much to you, why not make it official? She's one in a million," came a sudden voice that made both Jason and Lacey start.

They turned to see David standing in the doorway, though neither knew how long he'd been there.

Ignoring her injured foot, Lacey jumped up and limped over to him, gripping his arm excitedly. "Are you better? Do you remember now?"

David looked at her, then at Jason. Under their hopeful gazes, his previously clear eyes clouded with confusion.

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"I should prepare dinner," he murmured. "Wendy will be home soon. I need to make her favorite dish."

Still muttering, David hurried toward the kitchen.

Lacey held onto the doorframe, watching his retreating figure with disappointment.

After a moment, she turned to Jason, who stood dejectedly in the middle of the room. Hiding her own disappointment, she smiled encouragingly.

"Don't worry. Even though he hasn't fully recovered, he remembers Wendy's favorite dish and that you love pumpkin pancakes. That's progress. Complete recovery is just a matter of time," she reassured him.

After a pause, Jason smiled ruefully. "Perhaps forgetting isn't such a bad thing. Not all his memories were happy ones. Remembering everything might only bring him more pain."

Three days later, the temperature dropped again.

That evening, strong winds picked up suddenly, powerful enough to blow a neighbor's bedsheet clean off their terrace.

Noticing the fierce wind and the darkening sky that threatened rain, Lacey hurried to close all the doors and windows in the house.

Everyone went to bed early that night. Shortly after falling asleep, Lacey was jolted awake.

In her dream, she had been sleeping on a boat caught in a violent storm, rocking dangerously. When she woke, she realized the rocking wasn't a dream-her bed was shaking, the ceiling lamp was swinging wildly, and cups were sliding across the table. An earthquake!

Realizing what was happening, she threw off her covers and rushed out, not even taking time to put on a jacket.

Jason was emerging from his room at the same moment. Their eyes met briefly before they both dashed to David's room, roused the sleeping man, and quickly helped him downstairs, out of the yard, and onto the open street.

One by one, neighbors came running to the street-hair disheveled, hastily pulling on clothes, some shouting, others crying or complaining.

Several people were injured, and Jason immediately went to examine them, his doctor's instincts taking over.

The peaceful rural night had been shattered by the earthquake.

"Wendy..." David suddenly remembered something and tried to run back toward the house, calling Wendy's name.

Lacey held him back firmly. "We can't go back inside. It's too dangerous." Everyone had felt how strong the earthquake was. Reports were already circulating that several old houses in the village had collapsed, with people trapped inside. Jason's grandfather's house was quite old, and they were lucky to have escaped safely. With aftershocks likely, returning was out of the question.

"Wendy!" David cried out toward the yard, tears streaming down his face, his distress evident.

Lacey understood he wanted to retrieve Wendy's photograph.

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After a moment's hesitation, she turned to David and made her decision." Please stay here and don't move. I'll get the photograph for you."

She ran toward the yard, and just as she entered, she heard Jason calling her name from behind.

She raced upstairs to David's room, not knowing exactly where the photograph was kept. She searched frantically through the desk and drawers.

A hand suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Forget it! We need to go now!" Jason called out.

Lacey hadn't expected Jason to follow her inside. She tried to push him away. "You go

first and look after your dad. I'll come out as soon as I find the photo."

"No photograph is worth your life!" Jason insisted.

Lacey clutched his arm pleadingly. "Please, give me just a moment. Go outside first, I'm

begging you!"

She rushed to the bed, lifting the blankets and pillows, and quickly found the

photograph beneath the pillow.

"Found it!"

She grabbed it excitedly, turned, and pulled Jason toward the door.

They had barely left the room when a violent tremor shook the building. Screams, the

sound of breaking glass, and the groan of collapsing structures followed.

In the panic, Lacey felt her hand firmly grasped as Jason pulled her toward the

staircase.

She turned her head and gazed at Jason with uninhibited adoration.

His expression remained calm, his large hand warm and reassuring in hers.

Suddenly, she wasn't afraid anymore.

As long as Jason was with her, everything would be alright.

They reached the ground floor successfully. The front door was just steps away-mere

seconds from safety.

But another aftershock hit, stronger than the last. Lacey watched as the already cracked ceiling split further, and as a concrete slab began to fall, she pushed Jason out of the way.

In the next moment, the entire house collapsed with a thunderous roar. Outside on the street, the survivors either clung tightly to their family members or crouched with their heads covered. Many women and children were crying, and even the dogs that had escaped with their owners barked incessantly.

David stared blankly at the pile of rubble that had been their home, tears rolling down his weathered face.

Suddenly, he rushed toward the debris, clawing at the stones with his bare hands, crying out, "Wendy..."