Stranded by My Fiancé, Free for the First Time

Chapter 2

Once we were on the mountain road, Daisy spread her sketchbook across her knees and pointed to a peak. "At sunset, this will turn gold. When the series is finished, I want to submit it to an exhibition in Valeria."

Vincent glanced over and smiled. "This one is good. It has more impact than your last painting."

A message from the hotel appeared on my tablet.

Summit Hotel: Snow is expected this afternoon, and the mountain-pass trail has iced over. Please take the main road and try to arrive by 4 p.m.

I forwarded it to Vincent and reminded him, "Don't turn at the junction. Take the main road on the right."

Daisy looked up, her eyes bright with expectation. "But you can see the frozen waterfall from the left road. I want to paint it."

"Then we'll take a detour." Vincent flicked on the turn signal.

I immediately sat upright. "The snow hasn't been cleared from that trail. We can't take it!"

"This is a four-wheel drive."

"But the road is already covered in ice. Even the people at the rental company said—"

"Fiona!" He looked at me in the rearview mirror, already frowning. "Can you stop being such a buzzkill for once?"

Daisy closed her sketchbook and pouted. "Forget it, Vincent. Fiona doesn't like the idea. We should take the main road."

Vincent didn't hesitate. He turned straight onto the trail.

About 20 minutes up, the car skidded on an incline, veered sideways, and sank into the snow at the edge of the road. Even after it stopped, my hand remained clenched around the seat belt.

Vincent got out to shovel snow and fit chains to the tires. He cut the back of his hand in the process. Still shaken, I hurried over with the first-aid kit as soon as I saw blood. Daisy stood to one side, sketching the frozen waterfall.

"Vincent, look how worried she is. You'd think you'd just come out of surgery!"

Vincent laughed too. "That's how she is. She worries about everything."

I had wrapped the gauze around his hand only once when he pulled away to look at the sketch Daisy had just outlined. Embarrassed, I looked down and rolled the tape back up.

By the time we started moving again, the sky had grown darker. Daisy complained that the windows were fogging and cracked hers open. Frigid air poured into the back seat. I pulled my coat tighter and pressed a palm to my stomach. The pain was so bad that even sitting upright took effort. As I searched my bag, I remembered that I had left the ibuprofen in the handbag I had used that morning. Just before we left, Vincent had said, "Hurry and help Daisy find her scarf," and in the rush I had forgotten the bag in the entryway.

"Could you stop at the gas station ahead?" I asked through the pain. "My stomach hurts. I need to buy some ibuprofen."

Vincent mumbled, "Mm-hm," and turned up the music.

Daisy held her finished sketch in front of him and asked excitedly, "What do you think of calling this one Conquest?"

"It suits you."

"Would you add it to your collection?"

"Of course. I'll hang it in my office."

I looked toward the front, and the faint smile I had forced onto my lips slowly faded. Daisy was choosing a frame on her phone, and Vincent leaned over for another look. Another spasm twisted through my stomach. I doubled over, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.

Daisy glanced at me in the rearview mirror and laughed. "You're not regretting coming already, are you, Fiona?"

I didn't answer. I dug my nails into my palm and waited for the pain to pass. Laughter sounded again from the front.

Vincent never once looked back.