Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Storm and Shadows

“Where exactly were you touching?” His voice was sharp, cutting through the tense silence.

She jerked her hand back as tears finally spilled over, streaming down onto his bloodied face. The warmth of her tears contrasted starkly with the coldness of his skin—hot and wet against the grime and blood.

Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him tightly. “You’re alive… thank God, you’re alive!” Her voice trembled with relief and disbelief.

For a brief moment, he felt numb, overwhelmed by the sudden closeness and the unexpected comfort of her warmth. It seeped into the cold hollow in his chest, stirring a strange, unfamiliar sensation he couldn’t quite place.

Unable to handle the vulnerability, his tone hardened. “Alive. No need to plan a funeral.”

She quickly released him, hastily wiping away her tears. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—” she stammered, her voice filled with regret and confusion.

He forced himself to sit up, despite the sharp pain stabbing at his forehead. Blood trickled faster from the wound, the sight alarming and raw. “Your head… you need a hospital,” she said urgently, scanning their empty surroundings. “There’s no one here. I was just trying to find your phone, not… not take advantage of you.”

Her explanation came out in a rush, as if trying to erase the awkwardness of her earlier fumbling. Jasper’s expression darkened, but not out of anger toward her. “I don’t have it,” he said grimly.

The phone was still in the car. When he had seen her teetering near the cliff’s edge, he hadn’t hesitated to run after her—there was no time to grab anything else.

“So, what do we do now?” she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.

His vision blurred, the blood loss making everything swim before his eyes. He attempted to stand, but a sharp, searing pain in his ankle forced him to collapse back down.

“Your foot’s swollen. Don’t move. I’ll help you!” she insisted, moving quickly to support him.

He tried to push her away, but before he could utter a word, she was already steadying him with surprising strength, her slender frame acting as a lifeline. He swallowed his pride and murmured, “Over there. Flat ground.”

They were still at the base of the slope, where loose earth threatened to give way beneath them. They needed a safer place.

“Okay. But don’t push yourself too hard,” she warned gently.

Truthfully, Jasper had almost no strength left. Fighting to stay conscious, he managed to say, “Wait for my people. Don’t run.” Then his head lolled to the side, and darkness claimed him once more.

“Jasper!” she cried out, lowering him carefully onto the flat ground. She checked his face—it was pale, drained of color.

If the bleeding didn’t stop, he wouldn’t survive.

And if he died, the Jackson family would never forgive her.

He couldn’t be allowed to die.

Tatiana forced herself to remain calm despite the rising panic. Under the faint light of the moon, she searched the slope for anything useful.

Wild herbs still grew there, and she recognized some that could help stop bleeding. She quickly stuffed them into her mouth, chewing until a bitter pulp coated her tongue, then pressed the makeshift paste firmly onto his wound. She tore his shirt into strips and tied the dressing tightly.

Not stopping there, she found two sturdy sticks, placed them along his swollen ankle, and bound them securely.

Jasper groaned softly in his unconscious state, his brow furrowed in pain, his skin even paler than before.

When she finished, she collapsed beside him, wiping the sweat from her damp forehead. She kept glancing upward, hoping desperately.

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