Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Word of the incident reached Mr. Nettleton in Newtown. His voice was calm, almost unreadable. "Hm, she got away."

One of his men sounded guilty. "Boss, I'm sorry. We couldn't keep her safe."

Conner's voice was low, steady. "How many of our guys got hurt fighting the Dark Web?"

"Four pretty badly. We've sent them to the hospital."

Conner said, "Medical care's not great out there. We'll send a team to bring them home for treatment. The rest of you, keep searching. We can't let her fall into the Dark Web's hands."

The Bashford region was way off the beaten path—no internet, which meant the Dark Web couldn't really dig in. That was a plus. But the place was hot, tangled with thick forests, and dotted with scattered villages and winding paths. Searching would be a headache.

"Split into three teams and comb the woods. Watch out-not just for the Dark Web, but for the local wildlife. The forest's full of nasty surprises," Conner reminded them.

"Yes, boss. We'll be careful."

After he hung up, one of the men muttered, "Man, when the boss goes all serious like that, it's actually kind of scary."

"What'd he say?"

"He told us to be careful. Sure, we've got some advantages here, but it's dangerous. Everyone, regroup-we're splitting up and starting the search again."

Meanwhile―

Maja had taken a bullet. She pressed on, teeth gritted, sweat soaking through her shirt. Reaching a hillside, she lost her footing on some dry leaves and tumbled down, blacking out.

When she came to, she was lying in a strange bed.

A man stood nearby, boiling water and wringing out a towel. He glanced over. "You're awake?"

Maja's eyes went sharp with suspicion. She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her back.

"Don't move," the man said gently. "You'll tear your stitches. I patched you up, but you need to stay put for a couple days." He poured her some water.

"Who are you?" Maja croaked.noveldrama

He smiled. "Name's Dean. I'm the village doctor. Found you knocked out while I was up in the hills gathering herbs. Brought you back here-no harm meant, I swear."

Seeing she was still wary, Dean kept his distance.

Maja looked around the simple room, noticing the strong scent of herbal medicine.

A little later, Dean returned with a steaming mug of tea. "Here, drink this."

Maja eyed him. He took a sip first, then set the mug beside her. "See? Not poisoned."

She didn't argue, just propped herself up and drank.

"Where am I?" she asked.

Dean answered, "This is Willow Creek, outside Bashford. You're lucky-I found you just in time. When I came across you, a rattlesnake was about to make you its breakfast."

Maja shivered.

Dean smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I scared it off. But around here, it's not safe to wander the woods alone."

Maja, still weak, asked, "Why were you out there alone? And why did you help me?"

Dean shrugged. "I grew up here. I'm a doctor-it's my job to help people. And I know these woods like the back of my hand."

She studied him. "How do you speak my language?"

Dean went to a drawer and pulled out a diploma. "I studied abroad in Eldoria. Learned your language there."