Chapter 496 – Second Chance Love of the Missing Groom Novel

Stan actually felt his own body lurch backward from the violent inertia!

Glancing at the speedometer, he told Zachary, “See? That’s why this car drinks so much fuel. It doesn’t feel that fast even at that

speed, see?”

“Shut up,” Zachary growled. “Don’t bother me while I’m driving.”

Stan quickly turned silent, since it was really dangerous given how fast Zachary was driving.

And he needed to be completely focused!

Fortunately, the area was isolated and there were not many cars around.

Both sides of the road were mountainous, and it was over two hours when they arrived at their destination.

However, there were no roads around, but it would also take too much time to drive.

Zachary and Stan discussed it for a while before deciding to drive.

The jeep they were driving was durable enough anyway!

Still, it was a hard trek, and since Zachary had been driving for a while, Stan took the wheel to let him have a break.

Nonetheless, they were all feeling thrilled as they continued toward the destination, when…

Bang!

Bang!

The sudden crack of gunshots resounded!

There was no telling if it was the mountains’ echo or if it was actually close, but it sounded like the latter!

“Sh*t!” Stan cursed. “Let’s get out of the car!”

Their jeep was too conspicuous here, and they might be in trouble if they were noticed.

As such, they alighted, and they quietly and slowly moved onward through the bushes.

They did not make a sound in fear that there were others nearby.

Abigail grabbed Zachary’s arm and asked softly, “The gunshots sounded very close. Do you think Diarmuid’s alright?”

Zachary patted the back of her hand. “Don’t worry-we’re already here. We’ll be able to find him soon.”

Even so, Abigail could not help worrying and had to repress her unease.

However, the mountains were quiet after those gunshots, and it felt like there was no one else there at all.

Stan got up and checked their surroundings, but there were only trees and more trees, with no one to be found.

If they crouched, they would never be seen under the tall grass.

Finding anyone here would be too difficult, and this was hardly the best way.

“I’ll go alone, while you two maintain a distance from me,” Stan suggested.” I’ll call out to Mr. Althoff, so that if there are

people, they’ll find me and not you.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Zachary said. ‘You stick with Abigail.’

“It’s fine. We need to find Mr. Althoff, don’t argue right now.’

“Alright, just be careful.’

Stan actually was being reliable at a dangerous moment like this, so Zachary clapped him on the shoulder before leading Abigail

away.

Abigail gave Stan a pat too and said, ‘Here. Take this.”

Stan lowered his eyes to find her handing him a scalpel-she must have carried it around for self-defense.

“Wait, if you give me yours, what about you?” Stan pointed out.

“I have more,” Abigail replied.

With that, Stan took it and dropped to a crouch to hide within the bushes.” I’m going now.”

Once he was far enough away from Zachary from the others, he stood up and looked around, ensuring that there was no one

around before yelling.

But before he could do so, Abigail yelped in surprise!

“What’s going on?!” Stan quickly shouted.

Someone had suddenly restrained Abigail while she stayed behind with Zachary, and Zachary could clearly see the person.

“Diarmuid!” he exclaimed in delight.

Diarmuid frowned. “Zachary?”

He had heard movements around the bushes, but he could not see, and he therefore could not tell who they were.

As such, he stayed quiet, and when the opportunity came, he moved without hesitation, restraining the person closest to him.

“Diarmuid?!” Abigail turned around too, and he really was standing behind her! She threw her arms firmly around him. “Is it really you?

I was so worried!”

She was exploding with the delight of regaining what she lost before she started to check Diarmuid from head to toe. “Were you

hurt? We heard the gunshots.”

Diarmuid knew that the gunshots must have been Thomas—the thugs must have returned to the vineyard when their buddies went

missing.

Still, he stayed calm and told her, ‘I’m fine, but it’s not safe here. Did you bring backup?”

“No,” Zachary replied. “We were on the way to you when we got your call. We headed here immediately, while James will bring

his people later.”

Diarmuid became silent.

Abigail was watching him and asked, ‘What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

He was actually worried about Thomas and Marie’s safety, but he must not risk their safety blindly.

They would have to wait until James arrived.

He told Zachary, “Take Abigail and go.”

Abigail refused and kept a vice-like grip on Diarmuid’s hand. “Where should I go?

You’re coming with me if I have to!’

As Diarmuid blinked, Abigail noticed the scarring on his face from his fall, which had since recovered.

She gently touched his face and eyelids, murmuring, ‘It was so difficult for us to find you. How could I leave you?”

Diarmuid held her wrist and said quietly, “There’s this couple who saved me. I can’t leave them.’

“Well come with you,” Abigail said-from her perspective, a savior of Diarmuid’s was her savior too.

“Why don’t we leave together and strategize instead?” Zachary then suggested. “We don’t know who our enemies are, and going

in recklessly would make us passive.”

Diarmuid thought about it, but Zachary was definitely making sense.

Moreover, he was blind, while James had yet to arrive.

This was not the time to go back to the vineyard!

“Yeah,” he said. “Let’s go somewhere safe and decide how we can help them.”

They returned to the jeep which was parked nearby, and while Abigail had her arms around Diarmuid’s, she noticed that Diarmuid was

being hesitant as he walked, even shambling.

And as she looked at him, puzzled, she realized that he was not looking at him.

He was scowling and quietly said, “I’m fine.”

Abigail had definitely been too excited to notice anything wrong with him, but now she did.

His eyes were not even on where he was going but darting everywhere without a focus.

She had a bad feeling about that, and her heart clenched.

She tentatively raised her hand in front of his eyes and waved, but he did not react at all and his eyes never moved.

Zachary froze.

“Diarmuid-“

He was about to speak, but Abigail shook her head at him, telling him to stop.

Diarmuid must be in a delicate state at the moment even if he did not show it, and he had always been good at pretending.

Still, Abigail slowed down and discreetly watched out for him.

Diarmuid, however, can sense her reaction changing.

But since she did not mention it, he did not say anything.

They all soon returned and got into the jeep, but they were noticed just as they were about to drive off.

Bang!

A shot hit the jeep, which was not bulletproof but sturdy enough compared to the average sedan.

Stan promptly floored the gas pedal and turned the jeep around on the bumpy road while the tires spun above the pebbles and

left the jeep shaking endlessly!

Abigail kept one hand on the handle while holding tightly onto Diarmuid, worried that he would hit himself from the violent shaking

because he could not see.

However, it would not be that difficult for him to find a balance point even if he could not see. The jeep was only that large, and

he could determine the layout.

Still, he did not try to look for one and instead stayed quietly in Abigail’s embrace.

He smiled self-deprecatingly-to think that he had fallen that far, that he had to be protected by a woman.

Should he be pleased or upset?

That being said, Stan was wise to pick a jeep. The horsepower was certainly up to task, and they easily spun around despite the

bumpy path and thundered forward!

Nonetheless, it was still very jerky inside the jeep, and the people chasing after them were still firing at them.

---