I had no idea how long Ashton had been in the chamber. His entire body was stiff, while his forehead was icy cold to the touch. The man had lost consciousness.
“Ashton, I’m here! Wake up! Please wake up.” I removed my coat before wrapping it around his body. Then, I cuddled up with him, trying to warm his body.
The man didn’t give any response. Not wasting any time, I helped him up and carried him on my back before we moved toward the exit.
Meanwhile, I inform Boris, “Boris, I found Ashton in the refrigerating chamber, but he is unconscious. Come fast!”
Bang! Just then, the door of the refrigerating chamber was being slammed shut. The next moment, I noticed the temperature in the chamber dropped drastically.
At that instant, we were surrounded by biting cold air that blew directly onto us.
While carrying Ashton, I tried in vain to get into contact with Boris. It turned out that the signal of the earbud was cut off.
Ashton’s body temperature was becoming lower by the minute while his body grew unpliable. Hugging him tighter in my arms, I called out, “Ashton, I’m Scarlett! I’m here! Don’t sleep, or I will get mad. Wake up, Ashton! Wake up!”
Being eaten up by fear, there was little rationality left in me. All I could do was to keep talking to Ashton though he could give me no response. Soon, I was overwhelmed by panic as the chillness penetrated my body.
I snuggled close to Ashton. The damp areas in the chamber and even the water vapor started to freeze.
I could feel my body grew stiff, let alone Ashton’s. I kept rubbing his hands, trying to warm them. As I continued talking to him, my tears started rolling down my cheeks and froze in no time, which caused numbness and a tingling sensation.
There was nothing but silence outside the chamber. I was on the verge of a breakdown as Ashton started to lose vital signs. Feeling helpless, I clung to the Ashton, shivering and crying.
Since I had been through the trauma of being locked inside a freezer, I started suffering an acute stress reaction. Being overwhelmed by fear of the cold, my body convulsed. Just then, I vaguely heard Ashton’s voice saying, “Let her go. I’ll sign it.”
It was the first time he ever spoke since I entered the chamber. I opened my eyes and tried to turn to look at him, yet it was hard to move my body.
Right then, the door of the refrigerating chamber was being flung open. The person who appeared was none other than Armond. In his burgundy red suit, the man plastered a faint smile.
It was within my expectation that Armond was the one behind Ashton’s kidnapping. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to believe that he would be so cruel to us.
“Hand me the contract,” he ordered his subordinate. Then, he turned to face Ashton. “Please sign it, Mr. Fuller.”
I regarded him in disbelief. “How could you do this to us?”
Gazing at me, Armond curled his lips into his usual gentle smile. “Actually, Scarlett, it’s all thanks to you. If you hadn’t come here, Mr. Fuller would rather die instead of signing this contract.”
He then placed the contract in front of Ashton and said smilingly, “Mr. Fuller, you indeed love Ms. Stovall a lot. You could stand the blistering cold for more than ten hours, but you gave in when Ms. Stovall was locked in the chamber with you. Oh, what a grand love you have for her!”
“You b*stard!” I couldn’t help but curse. In my arms, Ashton’s body was stiff, and he could hardly open his eyes. If I weren’t here, he wouldn’t remain conscious until now.
Disregarding my hostility, Armond put the pen in Ashton’s hand and then forced the latter to sign the contract. I cast my eyes at Ashton and then at Armond. The next moment, I pulled out the knife that Boris gave me for self-defense purposes and grabbed Armond’s collar, pressing it hard against his throat. “Let us go, or we’ll die together!”
Narrowing his eyes, Armond glanced at the seemingly lifeless Ashton as he spoke, “Do you really think the two of you could get out of this place?”
I suppressed my fear while pressing the knife harder. “Let your men take Ashton out of the chamber! Now!”
Seeing me holding Armond on knifepoint, his subordinates dared not to move. Just then, the sound of footsteps rang out, and in came a group of men. I was relieved to see that it was Boris and the others.
Armond’s subordinates tried to stop Boris. However, the latter fired his gun into the air and warned, “Don’t move!” His resounding voice and the sound of the gunshot deterred Armond’s subordinates.
Boris then asked his men to bring Ashton out. After that, pointing his gun at Armond, he called out, “Mr. Murphy, I’m sorry about this. Ms. Stovall, come over!”
Upon that, I let go of Armond before making my way out. Being held at gunpoint, Armond and his men dared not to move. When I finally got out of the chamber, Boris asked one of his subordinates to take off his suit for me.
