Chapter 278 Going to Lorrell
Charlie did not say much. He merely sat silently next to me, watching me anxiously
making phone calls, only speaking up to urge Inch to hurry.
What was originally a four–hour drive to Lorrell took Inch less than three hours.
By the time we arrived in Lorrell, it was already noon. The small town was not as bustling
as the city, but the natural scenery was pleasant. However, at this moment, I was in no
mood to appreciate the scenery.
Upon reaching the town, after Inch refueled at a gas station, he looked at Charlie and me,
saying, “Mr. Yates, Ms. Scott, I inquired earlier, and Snakehead Mountain is quite far from
here, and it’s all mountain roads. Due to natural disasters, the area has been closed off, so
we may not be able to enter the mountains.”
I remained silent for a moment and then looked at Charlie, saying, “Thank you for bringing
me here. I’ll figure out a way to get into the mountains myself. You should go back!”
My words did not carry any other meaning. I genuinely felt that I should not continue to
put them at risk. After all, the mountain had collapsed, and it could easily lead to other
natural disasters. A misstep might result in a point of no return.
We were, after all, just strangers who had crossed paths. I should not drag them along
with me any further.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHowever, Inch mistakenly thought I was upset because of his words. He hastily added,
“Ms. Scott, that’s not what I meant. I meant that before we enter the mountains, we might
need to make some preparations. Mountain roads are different, and even if we drive, we
might not be able to enter the mountains before dark. It’s already noon now, and neither
of you have eaten anything. How about we go get something to eat, and then I can buy
some essential mountain supplies at the supermarket, just in case.”
He hurriedly said all this, looking somewhat anxious as he glanced at Charlie, afraid that
he had done something wrong.
Charlie did not react much but instead looked at me and said, “He’s right. You just came
out of the hospital, and your body hasn’t fully recovered. Going into the mountains
recklessly is too dangerous. It gets cold here at night, and we should at least prepare. Fill
our stomachs now, or we might falter on the way before we could get to your mother.”
I was still considering whether to ask them to go back when Charlie did not give me a
chance to speak. Instead, he looked at Inch and said, “Check if there’s a place nearby
where we can have a meal.”
Inch nodded and replied, “I looked earlier. There’s a restaurant up ahead. Mr. Yates, do you
want to go there?”
Charlie looked at me with a questioning look in his eyes.
I nodded, feeling anxious and not in the mood to think about these things.
Seeing this, Charlie glanced at Inch, which was a kind of acknowledgment.
We parked the car outside the restaurant, and the few of us went in. Perhaps because it
was a small town, the restaurant was quite empty. We found a private room, and the
waitress
Chapter 278 Going to Lorrell
handed us menus. I was not in the mood to order, so I handed it to Charlie.
Charlie, on the other hand, patiently looked through the menu and ordered a few dishes. It
was quite a challenge for him since he had settled in Silvana for years and was not
familiar with inland cuisine. If I had been more focused, I would not have let him order the
food.
After accompanying us into the restaurant, Inch did not stay long and excused himself. He
did not return until the dishes were served. I asked and found out that he had gone to
prepare the resources needed for entering the mountains.
I felt somewhat guilty that my situation prevented him from having a full meal; he was too
busy preparing everything. But if I mentioned it, it would seem overly sentimental and
pointless, so I kept the guilt to myself, making a mental note to repay him in the future.
I did not have much of an appetite, and Charlie did not eat much either. Seeing that I was
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmnot eating, he did not say much and instead asked the waiter to pack some food for us to
take on the road.
After leaving the restaurant, Inch had already packed a lot of things in the trunk. When he
saw us coming out, he hastily finished the boxed lunch he had in his hands. Then, he
quickly threw the lunchbox in the trash and looked at me and Charlie, saying, “Mr. Yates,
Ms. Scott, I inquired earlier, and although the main road into the mountains is closed,
there is still another mountain road we can take.”
Charlie said, “Alright,” and opened the car door for me.
I looked at Inch and sincerely said, “Thank you for your hard work.”
He smiled, wiped the grease stains from the corner of his mouth, and got into the driver’s
seat. Once in the car, I held my phone as we set off again. When my phone suddenly rang,
it startled me, and I instinctively thought it might be my mother or Maxwell.
I glanced at the caller ID, and it was Idris. I paused for a moment but still answered the
call.
“Hello?”
Idris’s voice on the other end was low and restrained. “Where are you now?”
I looked at the unfamiliar surroundings outside and could only reply with one word,
“Lorrell.”
He did not say much on the other end, only asking, “Who are you with?”