Chapter 8 - The Crash Landing
Panic erupted inside the small cabin of the luxury helicopter.
"Brace for impact!" the pilot screamed, violently jerking the control stick to the right.
A glowing streak of fire shot past the window, missing the tail rotor by mere inches.
Alexander unbuckled his seatbelt and threw his entire body over Evelyn and Noah.
"Hold on tightly!" he roared over the deafening blare of the collision alarms.
The pilot attempted an emergency dive into the thick forest canopy below them to evade a second lock-on.
The helicopter smashed brutally through the massive pine trees, ripping the landing gear completely off.
Metal shrieked and glass shattered as they violently crashed into the muddy forest floor.
The world spun out of control in a horrifying blur of green and black until everything suddenly stopped.
Evelyn opened her eyes, coughing violently on the white smoke filling the crushed cabin.
She checked Noah instantly, sobbing in relief when she saw he was safely secured and unharmed.
Alexander groaned in pain, struggling to push a heavy metal panel off his trapped leg.
Evelyn quickly unbuckled Noah and kicked the shattered window completely open.
She dragged Alexander out of the wreckage, ignoring the deep cuts on her own arms.
They scrambled fifty yards away from the crash site just before the fuel lines ignited.
The helicopter exploded, sending a massive shockwave that knocked them all into the wet dirt.
"We have to keep moving," Alexander wheezed, leaning heavily on Evelyn's shoulder.
"They will send heavily armed retrieval teams to verify we are actually dead."
They limped deeper into the dark, freezing woods, guided only by the pale moonlight.
Evelyn carried Noah on her back, refusing to let the exhaustion tear her down.
After two hours of grueling hiking, they stumbled upon an abandoned hunting cabin.
Alexander kicked the wooden door open, and they collapsed onto the dusty floorboards.
Evelyn found an old first-aid kit in a rusty cabinet and began bandaging Alexander's bleeding leg.
"Why are you helping me after everything my family did to you?" Alexander asked softly, watching her gentle hands.
"Because you did not know the truth, and you are willing to die to protect our son," she answered honestly.
Alexander reached out and gently brushed a streak of dirt from her bruised cheek.
In that quiet, desperate moment, the billionaire realized he was falling deeply in love with the maid.
Suddenly, heavy combat boots crunched against the dead leaves outside the cabin window.
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A blinding white spotlight blasted through the broken glass, illuminating their terrified faces.
"Come out with your hands up, Mr. Sterling, or we will burn the cabin down with the boy inside!" a mercenary shouted.
