Chapter 2

2

I watched her walk away and sighed, shaking my head.

In my last life, Willow refused to believe me then, too.

I had smashed her mirror and torn her dress just to force her to stay in a safe place.

Once she was secure, I took a horse and raced between her parents' house and the Town Hall.

I managed to get the entire town evacuated before the wall of water hit.

But the next morning, news came that Neil had been killed in the chaos.

I went to check on Willow, worried she'd be devastated, but she acted like nothing was wrong.

I didn't realize then that she was already planting the seeds of revenge in her heart.

I packed my things and jumped on my horse, heading for the Town Hall first.

I had to get her parents out of there.

They were my future in-laws, after all; I couldn't just watch them drown.

But as I reached the Town Hall, the chief supervisor blocked my way.

"Logan? It's your day off. What are you doing here?"

"Sir, I need to see the Mayor. It's an emergency. Please let me through."

"What emergency?"

I pushed down my anxiety. "Stillwater is about to be hit by a massive flood!"

"A flood?"

He raised an eyebrow, looking at me with total contempt.

"You're a bottom-tier clerk. Since when do you have the power to predict the weather?"

"I've been watching the river. The bed is rising, and the dam near the Townsend estate is cracking."

"The Townsend estate? Oh, I see."

The supervisor let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with even more disdain.

"This is about that girl, Willow, isn't it?"

"Everyone in the office knows you treat her like a goddess. You lose your mind whenever she's involved."

"I'm warning you, Logan. Filing a false disaster report for personal reasons is a crime!"

"It's not for her, I―"

He cut me off again, waving a hand dismissively.

"Enough. I'm doing you a favor here. Get out of here before you get yourself arrested."

"But I know the flood is coming tonight!"

Thinking of the terrifying waves from my previous life, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

The supervisor's face turned bright red with anger.

"You're hopeless! If you want to act crazy, I'll tell the Mayor to fire you myself."

"Don't bother coming in tomorrow. You're done!"

He snorted and slammed the heavy doors of the Town Hall in my face.

"Sir! Sir!"

I hammered on the door, but the security guards just threw me down the steps.

I had no choice. I jumped back on my horse and rode toward the Townsend estate.

It was so close to the river; if the dam broke, it would be the first place to go.

When I found Willow's father, he was relaxing in the garden with a cup of tea.

He looked shocked when I told him the news.

"Logan, what are you saying? A flood in a few hours?"

"I'm certain of it. Please, use your influence to get the Mayor to evacuate the low-lying areas."

Mr. Townsend was a wealthy businessman with close ties to the Mayor.

Since it was a matter of life and death, he took me seriously and immediately ordered his carriage to the Town Hall.

Watching him leave, I finally felt a weight lift off my chest.

Maybe it was the stress or the exhaustion from the ride, but once the pressure was gone, I blacked out.

When I finally woke up, it was already evening.

The dam was scheduled to break in less than an hour!

I cursed my own weakness and raced back to the center of town.

To my horror, the streets were still packed with people strolling casually!

I sneaked into the Town Hall and found Mr. Townsend playing chess with the Mayor.

The moment he saw me, his face turned sour, and he barked at me.

"You little liar! How dare you trick me!"

"If Willow's maid hadn't come to tell me the truth, I would have looked like a fool!"

"Do you have any idea how much prestige I almost lost in front of the Mayor?"