Chapter 1

I was in a terrible slump after quitting my job, so my best friend invited me on a hiking trip.

She told me she had recently joined this outdoor club specifically for the handsome trail leader.

Halfway up the mountain, I accidentally caught my best friend and the leader wrapped in each other's arms.

Watching their intimate embrace made my face burn and my heart hammer against my ribs.

I turned to leave in a hurry, but the man suddenly caught me off guard with a low whisper.

"Why were you spying on me just now?"

1

"Winnie, look fast! That's Captain Cedar, the guy I was telling you about."

My best friend, Sadie, leaned in close and whispered, laughter bubbling in her voice.

"So, what do you think? Isn't he ruggedly gorgeous?"

Seeing Sadie look so smug made me not know whether to laugh or cry.

Still, I looked in the direction she pointed.

Standing beneath a tall pine was a broad-shouldered man, easily over six feet tall.

He wore a dark athletic hoodie and had a crisp buzz cut.

His facial features were strikingly handsome and chiseled, radiating an effortless authority even in silence.

No wonder Sadie's eyes lit up the second she saw him.

"Didn't you drag me out here because you were worried about my slump?"

I arched an eyebrow at her. "Now I feel like you just wanted me to be your wingwoman."

Sadie giggled, linking her arm with mine. "Oh, come on, you're my bestie. Don't be jealous of a man!"

Laughing and chatting, Sadie and I began following the trail up the mountain behind our leader.

I had resigned from my corporate marketing job last month, which had been a devastating blow.

I was just one step away from a major promotion to department director.

However, a backstabbing rival framed me, causing me to lose a massive million-dollar account.

Bad luck rarely comes alone.

After losing that deal, another project I managed went sideways, and upper management tried to exile me to a remote branch office.

I refused to go, but weeks of arguing led nowhere, and my rival snatched my promotion right out from under me.

In a fit of fury, I quit on the spot.

I spent weeks locked in my apartment, my sleep schedule completely wrecked, feeling like absolute garbage.

When Sadie found out, she begged and cajoled me to get out into nature.

She said she had joined an outdoor hiking club and needed me to come along.

Unable to resist her persistent pleading, I tagged along.

Honestly, I was never really an outdoorsy person.

Yet, the fresh mountain breeze and lush green scenery genuinely lifted my spirits, and my steps grew lighter without me realizing it.

The trail we took wasn't overly steep, making it perfect for beginners.

During a rest stop halfway up, I excused myself to use the trailhead restroom.

When I stepped back out, Sadie was nowhere to be seen.

"That's weird. Where did she wander off to?"

I sent her a few text messages, but got no reply.

I tried calling her, but it went straight to voicemail, leaving me to search the area aimlessly.

Since I didn't know anyone else in the group, I felt awkward asking around and just wandered the path alone.

As I walked behind a dense thicket of trees, I suddenly stumbled upon two figures standing intimately close.

The petite woman was Sadie, and the towering man holding her was Captain Cedar.

My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively ducked behind a thick tree trunk to peek.

I saw Sadie nestled against Cedar's chest, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as if they were sharing a passionate kiss.

My face instantly flushed, and my pulse raced frantically.

It turned out this girl had already hooked up with the captain and only brought me along as a third wheel!

Just as I was about to slip away unnoticed, the man suddenly lifted his head and stared straight at me.

His eyes were as sharp and piercing as a hawk's.

When our gazes locked, I felt like prey pinned beneath an apex predator, and cold sweat broke out across my palms.

Crap. He caught me.