: Suspended Coffin

I put my phone away without actually making the call.

​　　'After all, I had no intention of letting them be rescued just yet.'

​　　"Since none of you are sure, that means they still haven't found him."

​　　I turned and gave an order to the Engineering Department.

​　　"Extend the shutdown time for a full maintenance check. Pay special attention to that VIP gondola. I have a feeling its steel cable is swaying precariously. You must inspect it thoroughly."

​　　"The power comes back on when it's fixed."

​　　Quinn Lynch grew anxious and stomped her foot.

​　　"Thea! You can't do this! What if... what if..."

​　　"What if what?"

​　　I stared her down.

​　　"What if someone having an affair up there freezes to death?"

​　　Quinn Lynch's face went deathly pale, like a strangled chicken.

​　　"N-no..."

​　　"Then shut up."

​　　I wheeled my chair around, turning my back to them to look out the window.

​　　"At this resort, my rules are the weather forecast. If I say there's a safety hazard, this cable car isn't moving an inch, even if God himself showed up."

​

​　　Time ticked by, second by second. The blizzard outside raged, growing stronger until visibility dropped to less than 30 feet.

​　　The VIP-01 Gondola hung desolate in the wind and snow, like a coffin suspended in mid-air.

​　　The messages on The Live Commentary System grew more and more horrifying—and more and more interesting.

​　　[This is bad! Rory Shaw is getting hypothermia, and she's trying to snatch the male lead's shirt!]

​　　[The male lead pushed her away! Holy shit, the male lead is cursing at her!]

​　　[What kind of fake love is this? A minute ago they were saying they'd die for each other, and now he won't even give her a shirt?]

​　　[Rory Shaw is crying. She says she's pregnant and is begging the male lead to give her his coat for the baby's sake.]

​　　[The male lead said: "Don't threaten me with that bastard! I'm freezing to death, and who the hell knows if it's even mine!"]

​　　Reading these words, I could almost picture the ugly scene unfolding inside the gondola.

​　　Ian Valerius once swore to me that he and Rory Shaw were just colleagues. He said she was pure and kind, unlike me, who reeked of money.

​　　It seemed that in the face of temperatures twenty-five degrees below zero, kindness and purity were no match for a down jacket.

​　　"Thea, your parents are looking for you."

​　　Young Master Zane hung up his phone and walked over, his expression grim.

​　　"Mr. and Mrs. Valerius are here too. They're asking why Ian hasn't made his appearance yet. We can't keep this under wraps any longer."

​　　Just as he said that, a clamor of footsteps echoed from outside the Control Room.

​　　My parents, along with Ian Valerius's, walked in with an entourage.

​　　Mrs. Valerius, Sophia Lang, was dressed in a mink coat. She frowned the moment she entered, her gaze sweeping disdainfully over my legs.

​　　"What is going on? The auspicious time for the ceremony is almost here, the groom is nowhere to be found, and the bride is hiding in the Control Room. Is this how you, The Linwood Family, handle things?"

​　　My mother was about to explain, but I spoke up first.

​　　"Mrs. Valerius, I'm not hiding. Ian Valerius said he wanted to give me a surprise."

​　　I pointed to the pitch-black gondola on the monitor screen.

​　　"He said he was going to ride in my exclusive gondola and descend from the heavens, appearing before me like a prince. I'm just here waiting to receive His Highness."

​　　Mr. Valerius paused for a moment, then laughed.

​　　"That boy, always such a romantic. Insisting on descending from the heavens in this weather."

​　　Sophia Lang snorted coldly.

​　　"What's the point of all these theatrics? He should consider who he's doing it for. Someone in a wheelchair... can she even receive him?"

​　　I didn't get angry. I just said coolly,

​　　"Yes, I'm worried about that too. After all, the wind is so strong. The cable car malfunctioned a little while ago. It's stuck in mid-air."

​　　"What?!"

​　　Mr. Valerius's expression changed.

​　　"Stuck? Then isn't our Ian still up there?"

​　　Young Master Zane and Quinn Lynch were frantically wiping away sweat at the side, wanting to speak but not daring to.

​　　I put on an innocent expression.

​　　"Young Master Zane just said Ian Valerius was in the back kitchen, and Quinn Lynch said he was in the lounge. I'm not sure where he is either. But since you, Mr. Valerius, think he's up there, then he probably is."

​　　"It's just..."

​　　I paused, my tone becoming heavy with meaning.