Chapter 1

My best friend Megan looked at my rescue dog and burst into tears. "He says you beat him during training."

She was the most famous animal psychic on the internet.

Millions of followers. Brand deals. Viral Reels of her 'translating' what pets were thinking.

And that was the first thing she said when she met Bolt.

Ethan Cole, my boyfriend of six years and team leader of our Search and Rescue unit, didn't investigate. Didn't ask me a single question.

"Vivi, how could you do that?"

Just like that, the dog I'd raised and trained for five years was taken from me.

Then came the landslide.

The sensors swept the rubble three times. No life signs. Bolt never alerted. He sat still, calm, nose down.

But Megan grabbed him and started sobbing. "Bolt says there's a child trapped down there."

Ethan didn't hesitate. He ordered me to continue the search.

I told him the structure was unstable. A secondary collapse could happen any second.

He grew angry. "Megan can understand animals. She wouldn't lie about something like this. Why can't you just trust her?"

So I crawled into the rubble.

Five minutes later, the second collapse hit.

When the rocks came down, Ethan grabbed Megan first. Pulled her to safety.

He never once looked back.

By the time the rescue crew dug me out, my left hand was crushed beyond saving.

There was nothing under that rubble. No child. No body. Nothing.

After the amputation, I sent one message to the International Search and Rescue Corps.

[Accept.]

Your trust costs too much, Team Leader Cole.

I only have one hand left. I can't afford a second round.

...

When I opened my eyes again, the hospital room was dark.

The anesthesia had worn off. The stump of my left arm burned like someone was dragging a dull blade across the wound, over and over. Every breath pulled at the stitches.

I reached for the water on the nightstand with my right hand. My fingers barely touched the cup before it tipped over.

Water everywhere.

The door didn't open until evening.

Ethan walked in still wearing his unit jacket. He saw the puddle on the floor and frowned. "What happened?"

I opened my cracked lips. "Ethan, my hand..."

"I thought you got out on your own ages ago." He cut me off. "The rescue crew said you were near the edge when the collapse happened. If you weren't badly hurt, why are you still in the hospital instead of back at base?"

I stared at him.

The doctors said the boulder had crushed my left hand and forearm.

To save my life, they amputated. The surgery took seven hours.

And he was telling me it wasn't that bad.

Rage filled up my heart. I said, "Did you even look at my chart?"

"I'm busy, Vivian. I don't have time for this." He stood at the foot of my bed. His voice had no warmth in it at all. "Megan's been blaming herself this whole time. She trusted Bolt's read. She wasn't trying to hurt you. You knew the rubble was dangerous. Why did you go in?"

"Because you gave me a direct order!"

Ethan sighed. "I told you to continue the search. I didn't tell you to play hero."

My chest clenched so hard I couldn't breathe. "I warned you it could collapse again. You told me Megan would never lie. You told me to trust her!"

His jaw tightened. "And now you're blaming me?"

I said, "There was no child under that rubble."

Ethan's expression didn't even change. "Misjudgments happen. You're a trained professional. You should've managed the risk instead of pointing fingers after the fact."