Chapter 7
The next day, Charlotte took the International Photography Association up on their invitation and flew to Switzerland by herself to shoot the snow-capped mountains.
Giovanni found out about the trip and followed her.
Too scared to actually approach, he hung back, watching with heavy longing as she trudged back and forth through the snow, snapping pictures.
Out of nowhere, another tourist screamed, “Avalanche!”
It was breaking right above Charlotte.
Giovanni watched in absolute horror as a massive wall of snow roared down the mountain, completely burying the spot where she’d just been standing in seconds.
“Lottie!”
He screamed. He sprinted toward the slide, completely ignoring his own safety.
“Lottie, where are you? Answer me!”
He couldn’t stomach the thought of losing her.
Pure panic drove him, and he clawed at the snow, refusing to stop even when the freezing wet completely numbed his feet.
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Chapter 7
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Just as hope started slipping away, he caught a glimpse of black skiwear in the snow nearby.
“Lottie!”
Giovanni scrambled over, pulling her tightly against his chest. His voice shook.
“Don’t fall asleep. Please, stay awake,” he begged. “Can you open your eyes and look at me?”
He frantically stripped off his own outer layers and cocooned her in them, but she didn’t react at all.
As a second wave of snow suddenly plummeted down the mountain, Giovanni instinctively threw his body over hers.
Taking the brutal hits of heavy snow and solid ice, he forced out his last bit of strength. “Lottie, I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Just please, open your eyes.
“If you wake up, I swear I’ll never bother you again.”
When the sliding finally stopped, Giovanni managed to pick Charlotte up and fought his way toward the camp.
But his vision was blurring. He could feel himself fading.
In those last few seconds, the crushing weight of everything he’d done wrong finally hit him,
Right before the world went black, he murmured, “Lottie, I wish I could do it all over again…”
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Chapter 7
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When Charlotte finally opened her eyes, she was lying in a hospital
room.
Giovanni was in the room right next door. His legs had been amputated.
He lay perfectly still, gazing up at the ceiling, crying silently.
Charlotte stood in his doorway, but she didn’t step inside.
As she turned to leave, her hand brushed the pocket of her coat. She felt a necklace inside.
It was her mother’s-the same ruby necklace from the auction.
She froze in surprise for a second, then turned to walk away.
Behind her, a nurse asked softly, “Are you going to go inside?”
Charlotte shook her head, speaking just loud enough for Giovanni to hear from his bed.
“He hurt me, but he also saved me. We’re completely even now, and there’s nothing tying us together anymore.”
Inside the room, Giovanni squeezed his eyes shut.
His whole body shook uncontrollably as the tears poured down his
face.
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