Avalanche of the Heart: When Love Comes Too Late

When a blizzard traps her sister Mia on a remote, snow-covered mountain, a wife calls her husband Ryan, captain of the local search and rescue team. He rallies his team to deploy, then abruptly stands them down after a phone call and speeds off alone. Three agonizing hours later she sees him on the local news, carefully freeing a diamond bracelet frozen to the railing of a scenic overlook for a pampered heiress, Valerie.

By then the blizzard has sealed the mountain. A young team member's trembling voice over the walkie-talkie confirms Mia has been found near beacon number three on the west ridge, no longer showing signs of life. She was there not for adventure but to retrieve a cherished heirloom lost years ago by Ryan's mentor, and she died clutching its small wooden box.

At the funeral Ryan stands silent as a statue. Afterward, beside Mia's urn, his wife opens the box to reveal a brass compass and places divorce papers next to it.