Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Hallie had thought the unfamiliar environment would keep her up, but after a long day hiking mountain trails, exhaustion knocked her out almost instantly.
In the middle of the night, a light rain began to fall outside, its gentle pitter-patter against the tent creating a soothing rhythm.
The midnight forest was freezing cold. Even with a tent and a heavy coat, there was barely any protection against the chill—and when the rain started, it sent the temperature plunging.
Half-asleep, Hallie instinctively curled up. Frowning in her muddled sleep amid the cold rain, her body shivered slightly.
Hallie's restless movements jolted Nelson awake, and he abruptly snapped his eyes open.
Nelson sat up, shooting Hallie a displeased glare.
The campfire outside was gradually doused by the rain, leaving only a faint glimmer filtering through the tent to cast its glow on Hallie's smooth face.
Hallie's lips, tinged pale from the cold, and her long lashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyelids, trembling slightly with unease.
Nelson felt a dull throb at his temples and pinched them in irritation.
He thought, 'Had I left with the rescue team earlier, would Hallie seriously plan to freeze to death out here?
'Always trying to play the hero when she's clearly out of her depth. Does she really think others will praise her for being brave?
'What an absolute idiot.'
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Nelson finally lay back down and pulled Hallie closer into his arms.
Warmed by his embrace, Hallie slowly began to unwind her body. Her trembling ceased, her breathing steadied, and the furrow between her brows smoothed away.
Nelson gazed down at Hallie's sleeping face. Her eyes were tightly shut, her slender body faintly rising and falling with each breath.
Suddenly, a strange feeling flickered across Nelson's heart, but it vanished almost instantly.
It was like a cat's paw brushing quickly across his heart, gone in a flash—like a raindrop sinking into the earth, disappearing without a trace.
The sensation lasted barely a second before Nelson brushed it aside.
He couldn't help but think that Hallie really overestimated her own abilities.
Hallie awoke to the chirping of birds the next morning.
She squinted, instinctively burrowing closer to the warmth beside her. 'Just five more minutes,' she said to herself.
Nelson quipped, "Can't leave my arms, huh?"
Suddenly, Nelson's deep voice came from above, jolting Hallie awake.
Hallie's eyes flew open, and it was then that she realized the warm object she'd been clinging to was none other than Nelson.
Hallie jolted upright like a startled animal, instinctively crossing her arms over her chest as her guarded eyes locked onto Nelson.
Nelson sat up leisurely and shot her a disdainful look.
Hallie frowned, carefully trying to piece together what had happened the night before.
She thought, 'I distinctly remember falling asleep facing away from Nelson last night, so how did I end up clinging to him when I woke up?
'I'm not the kind of person who tosses and turns in my sleep.'
Hallie demanded, "What the hell happened?"
Her tone couldn't help but carry an accusatory edge.
Nelson wondered, 'Unbelievable! I held her last night so she wouldn't freeze to death. She doesn't say a single "thank you", and now she's interrogating me, like I'm some creep trying to take advantage of her.'
Nelson's lips curled into a sardonic smile as he scoffed, "Take a guess."
Nelson's eyes locked onto Hallie like a predator sizing up its prey—predatory, invasive, and brimming with malice—as he inched closer to her.
The cramped tent now felt like a cage, trapping Hallie inside.
Hallie tensed up, glaring at Nelson's increasingly close handsome face, both fists clenched and ready to strike.
Nelson had no real intention of harming Hallie—he just wanted to see her squirm in fear as payback.
Even in fear, Hallie's eyes stayed locked on him—wary and defiant. Cornered as she was, not a trace of surrender or mercy-begging showed in her gaze.
She was like a cornered cub.
Nelson thought, 'If I take one more step, this little beast won't hesitate to sink her claws into me.
'Winning or losing doesn't matter—protecting her pride always comes first.
'Hallie doesn't possess an ounce of practical wisdom or the sense to know when to yield.
'My intimidation would only trigger her defense mechanisms, causing a lose-lose situation.'
Instantly, Nelson lost all interest in teasing her. He turned away, yanked open the tent flap, and left a remark over his shoulder.
He snapped, "If it weren't for you nearly freezing to death last night, I wouldn't have tried to warm you. I'd never stoop to taking advantage of you."
Hallie visibly relaxed.
'So Nelson only hugged me out of pity when he saw I was freezing?' Hallie thought bitterly.
Hallie felt conflicted—gratitude and pride clashed inside her, making it hard for her to calmly say "thank you" to Nelson.
Hallie said stubbornly, "If this ever happens again, just ignore me. At worst, it's just a bad cold—nothing I can't handle."
Nelson shot her a cold glare. "A bad cold? You make it sound so simple."
Nelson shot her a frosty glare. "You catch a bad cold, and then what? You expect me to haul your sick ass through five hours of mountain trails? Do you even hear yourself?"
When it came to verbal sparring, Hallie would never be as adept as Nelson.
What should have been a refreshing morning after the rain was instead thick with tension. Both of them wore matching scowls, deliberately avoiding each other's gaze.
Hallie led the way as she had the day before, with Nelson trailing steps behind.
After trekking deeper into the forest for over two hours, Hallie anxiously scanned her surroundings, repeatedly calling out, "Dustin."
It was almost noon. They had only two hours left to find Dustin before they'd have to turn back. To keep things light, Hallie only packed enough supplies for one day—spending another night in the mountains wasn't an option.
Suddenly, a man's voice echoed from somewhere in the distance, "Hallie, is that you?"
Hallie jolted, her face lighting up with surprise and delight.
"Dustin? Where are you?" Hallie kept calling out as she frantically scanned the area, her eyes darting in every direction.
"Down there," Nelson said, jerking his chin forward.
Frowning, Hallie took a few cautious steps forward—only to find herself at the edge of a sheer 65-foot cliff.
Hallie's heart leaped into her throat.
"Dustin," Hallie called out, her voice trembling with anxiety.
A few moments later, a man emerged from below the cliff. He looked up, locking eyes with Hallie above in a silent exchange.
"Hallie," he called out excitedly.
In his twenties and about Hallie's age, Dustin had charming eyes and a beaming smile. He waved enthusiastically at Hallie.
Seeing that Dustin was completely unharmed—not a scratch on him—Hallie exhaled in relief.
"How did you end up down there?" Hallie asked, her voice tinged with surprise and concern.
Dustin pulled a freshly picked saffron and the map he had drawn himself out of his backpack, his face lighting up with barely contained excitement.