Chapter 135

The rain poured down in torrents, hammering against the car roof with relentless fury.

Sophia Roland clutched her phone with white-knuckled intensity. Two red missed call notifications glared back at her—one to Isabella Langley, the other to Evelyn Roland.

"How could this happen..." Her voice trembled as tears welled in her eyes.

Edward Roland pulled his wife into a firm embrace, his palm soothing her shuddering back. "Don't panic. The girls will be fine."

"Alexander!" Edward's gaze sharpened like a blade. "I thought the Colorado Mines project was shut down months ago!"

Alexander Roland paled. "Dad, I followed Evelyn's instructions to halt operations. But Isabella—" His Adam's apple bobbed as words failed him.

Sophia surged to her feet, her soaked dress clinging to her legs. "I'm going to find them."

"Mom! It's a monsoon out there!"

"Enough!" She shoved past her son and snatched the car keys, bolting into the storm. The downpour swallowed her slender frame like a leaf in a gale.

The black Mercedes tore through the tempest, windshield wipers flailing wildly. Alexander's grip on the steering wheel turned his knuckles bloodless. The rearview mirror reflected his mother's ghostly face.

At the mine entrance, emergency lights pulsed through the rain like a distress beacon.

"Move! My daughters are in there!" Sophia stumbled toward the police line, mud splattering her designer heels.

The rescue captain blocked her path. "Ma'am, the site's unstable—"

"Dangerous? What about my girls?" Her voice cracked as rainwater streamed down her chin.

A mechanical roar echoed as the first group of trapped workers emerged on stretchers. One young miner's arm bent at a grotesque angle, his coveralls saturated with blood.

Sophia's knees buckled. Edward caught her just as her fingers twisted in his collar. "Edward, our babies—"

The captain removed his helmet. "We've detected two life signs in separate sectors. We can only extract one at a time."

"No!" Sophia lunged, grabbing his rain slicker. "They're both my daughters!"

"Another collapse could happen any second." The captain's voice turned grave. "If we delay—"

The storm swallowed his warning. Alexander dropped to his knees in the mud. "Save Evelyn first! She's the most vulnerable!"

Sophia whipped her head around, raindrops clinging to her lashes. Her lips parted—but no sound came out.

A distant rumble shook the ground. A plume of dust erupted from the mine's depths.