Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Eddie gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the girl’s graceful figure ahead.
Initially, he just wanted to watch Vicki quietly from afar.
She was so beautiful, so pure. Someone dirty like him didn’t deserve to touch her life.
Bradley had encouraged him to try/But Bradley was different from him.
Bradley was exceptional. Ev forgetting Cameron all these years, he had stayed clean. He kept himself pure until he met Cameron again by chance.
Eddie didn’t deserve that kind of hope. He didn’t dare ask for too much. Watching her from a distance was enough.
Before she knew it, Vicki had ridden quite far.
She parked her bike outside a garden and took small steps as she wandered through it.
It had snowed last night, leaving a thin layer of white on the tree branches.
Vicki took several deep breaths. The air outside was so fresh.
Over the years, Baron had protected her too well. Combined with her illness, Vicki didn’t even have friends. Sometimes she felt truly lonely.
Now that Baron was dating someone, he had to spend time with his girlfriend on top of work. That left very little time for her. Most of the time, she was utterly alone.
As Vicki walked, she noticed all the couples in the park on dates, paired up together. She let out a sigh. She was 24 years old and still single.
Lost in thought, she continued walking forward.
Eddie parked his car about 300 feet away from the bike. He also entered the park and searched before spotting Vicki’s figure.
Even her silhouette looked delicate and beautiful. He picked her out of the crowd right away.
Vicki made her way to the artificial lake. The winter air was sharp and cold, and the lake had frozen solid. Couples walked hand in hand across the ice, their laughter echoing in the crisp air.
Vicki stepped onto the frozen surface in her snow boots. She didn’t know that only the lake’s edges were solid-the deeper she went toward the center, the thinner and more dangerous the ice became.
Everyone else stayed near the shore, but Vicki began walking toward the middle of the lake.
Someone spotted her and shouted urgently, “Hey! Come back! You can’t go there! It’s dangerous!”
Vicki turned around.
“Come back!” voices called out from all directions.
Eddie saw Vicki heading toward the lake’s center, and his heart lurched with fear. It had snowed last night, and the temperature was freezing, but that didn’t mean the ice could support a person’s weight.
Eddie silently prayed for Vicki to turn back before something terrible happened.
However, life rarely went according to plan.
Vicki heard everyone shouting and immediately turned around, ready to return to shore. But the moment she turned, a soft cracking sound came from beneath her feet.
Vicki’s heart sank as she looked down and saw cracks spreading across the ice.
“Oh no!” Vicki froze instantly, not daring to move. But it didn’t matter whether she moved or not. The ice at the lake’s center was far too thin to support anyone’s weight.
The ice under Vicki’s right foot gave way completely with a sharp crack. She plunged downward as mice shattered around her, instantly disappearing beneath the frozen lake’s surface.
“Oh my God! She fell through!” Everyone on shore cried out in terror, scrambling toward the bank
Eddie watched helplessly as Vicki vanished into the ice hole. His heart lurched violently, and a wave of pure terror washed over him.
Eddie’s reaction was lightning-fast. He kicked off his shoes and sprinted toward Vicki’s position, stripping off his jacket as he ran. Without hesitation, Eddie plunged into the icy lake.
He’d been swimming for years, even though winter. The frigid water didn’t faze him as he quickly reached Vicki and pulled her to shore.
Vicki’s body was ice-cold, and she’d lost consciousness. Someone nearby immediately called 911.
Eddie’s face went white with fear. He couldn’t think about anything else-he positioned his hands and began CPR, alternating between chest compressions and rescue breathing.
“Ugh!” Vicki finally expelled a mouthful of water, but she remained unconscious.
The ambulance arrived quickly, and Eddie climbed in with them.
His quick response had saved her. Vicki was out of danger, but her body was weak. After spending several minutes in the freezing water, the cold had seeped deep into her bones, leaving her unconscious.
Eddie finally exhaled in relief only after the doctors confirmed Vicki was safe.
He had been so focused on her safety that he’d jumped into the ambulance shirtless, water still dripp.g from his clothes. He didn’t care about any of it.
A nurse brought him a set of hospital scrubs. After changing, Eddie sneezed several times in a row. nurse suggested he get some cold medicine, he refused.
Seeing that Vicki was fine, Eddie left.
He was perceptive enough to sense that Vicki didn’t want to spend more time with him than necessary. Better to leave quickly.
Before going, he asked the nurse to contact Baron. the
Evening came before Vicki slowly opened her eyes. An IV needle was still taped to the back of her hand, fluid dripping steadily into her system.
The moment Vicki stirred, both people beside her bed immediately turned to look.
“Vicki, you’re awake! Baron and I were so worried about you! How are you feeling?” Rachel hurried over and placed her hand on Vicki’s forehead. “Good, no fever.”
Rachel Quinn was Baron’s fianc?e and a doctor.
Baron leaned down to look at Vicki’s pale face, his expression concerned. “Where does it hurt?”
“Baron, Rachel-” Vicki’s voice came out hoarse when she spoke. “I’m okay.”
Rachel quickly poured a glass of warm water, helped her sit up, and fed it to her.
Baron sat on the edge of the bed, frowning. “How did you end up falling into the river?”
Vicki replied, “I didn’t expect the ice in the middle of the lake to be so thin.”
Baron said, “Looks like you’ll need to take two bodyguards with you from now on.”
“Baron, no!” Vicki immediately refused. Having people follow her around would mean no freedom at all.
Rachel patted Baron’s shoulder. “Baron, don’t be so tense. This was an accident. Vicki’s an adult. She knows what she’s doing.”
Vicki immediately hugged Rachel’s arm. “Rachel’s the best.”
“Don’t move around.” Baron gently pulled her hand down and carefully placed it flat, worried she might get poked by the IV needle.
Vicki leaned against the headboard, curiosity lighting her eyes. “Baron, what happened to the perso: tho saved me?”
“He left.”
“Left?” Vicki’s brow furrowed. “Who was he? I need to thank him properly.”
Baron replied, “I don’t know who he was. Just someone in the park who stepped in to help.”
Baron wanted to thank the stranger, too. Vicki was his only family and the most important person in his world. He would have rewarded the man generously, but with no way to find him, he had to let it go.
“Baron, that person knew me,” Vicki said. “You should look into it.” While in the water, she heard someone call her Ms. Shaw.
Baron tucked the blanket around her shoulders. “I’ll check it out. You rest now.”
Baron pulled the hospital’s security footage, but luck wasn’t on his side. The cameras had malfunctioned that day, leaving no trace to follow.
Unable to find her rescuer, Vicki felt a quiet disappointment settle in her chest.
A good deed done without seeking recognition-he truly was a good person.
Everyone in Regalburg knew how much Vicki meant to Baron. He would have received a substantial reward if the stranger had stayed to meet Baron. Instead, he had simply walked away.
Eddie felt the cold symptoms hit him the moment he got home. He picked up some medicine, took it, and slept through the night. By morning, he felt completely refreshed.
Standing on the top floor of his villa, Eddie gazed toward Vicki’s house in the distance. He wondered how she was doing now. Part of him wanted to check on her, but it wouldn’t be appropriate.
Christmas was approaching, so Eddie packed up and returned to Saunders Manor.
Aug
Christmas Day arrived. After lunch, Bradley prepared to drive back to the Saunders family home. He had promised Beth he would be there for the family dinner..
The thought of leaving Cameron filled him with reluctance.
