Zachary and Sophia had stayed at Hope Elementary School in Coalmarsh for three days, working with the teachers to finalize arrangements for the children. Once they were certain the vige chief wouldn''t stir up any more trouble, they decided it was time to leave.

    During these three days, Zane and Connie had been helping out around the vige while getting to know each other. Their feelings had grown quickly. By the time they were getting ready to leave, the two were already holding hands.

    "Zachary, Connie and I are together now. She doesn''t mind that I had a previous rtionship. She said I''m still clean because I never kissed or hugged. I''m a pure- hearted guy, so she agreed to be with me." Zane beamed as he pulled Connie toward Zachary,

    Zachary simply stared at him.

    Sometimes, Zane really was a bit too simple and naive. No wonder the family had never pushed him to take over any business affairs. Instead, they''d encouraged him to pursue whatever made him happy.

    A person like him could be sweet-talked out of everything he owned. If Connie ever wanted to swindle him, he might not even realize it until it was toote.

    Still, Zane had never helped Ruby hurt anyone. He had stayed out of trouble, and that alone earned him some points.

    "Congrattions. If you''re done here, go get packed. We''re leaving for Dithoria soon," Zachary said calmly.

    "Okay, I''ll get ready now."

    With that, Zane and Connie hurried off to pack. They hadn''t brought much on the way in, but they had gathered plenty of wild greens to take home.

    For the past three days, Connie had been obsessed with the local vegetables. She kept asking the school kitchen to cook them every day.

    Each time she ate them, she''d marvel at how good they were and im to finally understand why some people in ancient times were so passionate about foraging. It wasn''t about love, she said, it was about being a true foodie.

    Both Zachary and Sophia had tried the same dishes. They didn''t think the taste was particrly special, but they still helped pack everything up for the others.

    Taylor arranged for security guards to escort them out of the mountains. Since they had done this once before and it was broad daylight, the trip down was much quicker.

    Once they reached the foot of the mountain, they spotted their car. The guards gave a final wave before heading back.

    "I''m giving all these wild vegetables to Goodwill Pharmacy when I get back. Ms. Walker doesn''t like these. Otherwise, I would''ve just given them all of her," Connie said with augh.

    "Why not?" Sophia asked curiously.

    "She used to forage for herbs. Once, she got trapped in the mountain for days. When her supplies ran out, she had to survive on wild greens and whatever meat she could catch. She had no salt, no seasonings, just in boiled leaves. Ever since then, she''d hated the stuff."

    Sophia winced in sympathy. "I''d hate it too if I had to live on that."

    "Let''s head back to Dithoria," Zachary said as he opened the door and got into the driver''s seat.

    "I''ll drive the first stretch with Zane. We won''t stop in Everwyn County. Aside from meals, we''ll go straight home."

    "I can take over driving when you two need to rest," Sophia offered.

    Connie chimed in quickly. "Me too."

    "Good. You two sleep for now. Zane and I will take the first shift. Once we''re tired, we''ll switch," Zachary said.

    Everyone agreed, then got into the car and started the journey back.

    Since they already knew the route, they moved much faster this time. Sophia and Connie both fell asleep in the backseat,pletely rxed after days of tension.

    By the time they woke up, the car was already on the highway. Zane was driving, and Zachary had switched to rest.

    "Sophia, Zachary wants to get home quickly. He''s got something to discuss with Sky," Zane exined when he noticed she was awake.

    "I''ll drive another couple of hours, then we''ll switch again. You and Connie can just rest in the back. No need to worry about anything. We''ll stop i 30 minutes at a rest area. You can use the restroom and grab a bite," he added.

    Sophia nodded. "We really slept a long time."

    "You needed it. We didn''t rest well in Coalmarsh. Once we were back on the road, it was easier to rx."

    "Then why did I sleep so long too? Doesn''t make sense." Connie grumbled as she stretched her neck.

    "You were tired. We hiked out of the mountains. That''s exhausting," Zane replied with a grin.

    "I guess you''re right."

    "I''ll switch out at the rest stop," Sophia said.

    She nced toward the front seat. Zachary''s eyes were closed. He didn''t respond

    at all, clearly fast asleep.

    "How long did he drive before switching?" she asked.

    "A few hours. Don''t worry about him, Sophia. Zachary''s tough."

    They chatted casually until they reached the rest stop. Zane pulled into the parking lot and parked the car.

    "Go ahead and use the restroom. I''ll order food and call Zachary when it''s ready."

    Zane got out of the car and stretched with a groan. It had been a long time since he had driven for so many hours. To be honest, his back was aching.

    Still, he kept it to himself. He didn''t want Connie to think he was weak.

    He took out his phone and posted an update on his social media feed. "Friends, I''m back. Did you miss me?"

    He waited a while, checked his phone, and saw that no one had liked ormented. It was a little disappointing.

    Just as he was about to close the app, Natalie gave him a like and left ament. "Safe journey. Take care. Thank you for your work."

    Zane immediately lit up and quickly replied, "Not hard at all. This trip meant a lot

    to me. It was unforgettable. I hope I can join you again next time."

    Natalie responded, "Alright."

    When Sophia and Connie came back, he waved them over.

    "I''ve already ordered food. You wait here. I''ll go to the restroom and then wake Zachary."

    "Got it."

    After Zane left, Sophia said a few words to Connie before walking out of the restaurant and heading straight to the car. Just as she

    reached for the door, she saw

    Zachary open his eyes.

    "You''re awake. Come down and have something to eat," she said softly.

    "Sophia." His voice was low and husky from sleep. He reached out, pulled her gently into his arms, and held her close. "Sophia, are you ready... to see Sky again?"

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