On board the yacht, the distant shoreline was just a faint outline. Elizabeth gazed through the glass as her captors descended into a lifeboat, setting a course for a larger vessel nearby.
As they reached the ship, the endless expanse of the ocean enveloped them, punctuated only by the sporadic cries of seabirds that pierced the quiet.
Theo leaned forward, his breath warm against Elizabeth’s neck. “You smell delightful,” he murmured.
Elizabeth instinctively recoiled. Hindered by her bound legs, she stumbled and fell onto the cold floor.
Theo, frustration coloring his tone, crouched beside her and gripped her cheeks tightly. “Elizabeth, are you still not grasping the gravity of your situation?” he hissed. “Everyone here is loyal to me. Where could you possibly flee?”
His fury was palpable, his fingers pressing into her skin with such force that it left her cheeks tinged with red.
Yet, this sharp pain brought a moment of clarity.
If her fate was sealed, perhaps she couldn’t find a way to survive—but she could decide how to face her end with grace.
Embracing the inevitable, she no longer felt the weight of fear.
Through gritted teeth, she forced out the words, “I… I understand.”
Theo stepped back, his brow furrowing in confusion. “What do you really understand?”
Her response was cool and composed. “You’re just trying to sleep with me, aren’t you? It seems like you’re putting yourself through an awful lot of trouble just to sleep with me.”
Theo’s reaction was not one of satisfaction. Rather, he studied her intently, a wry half-smile forming on his lips. “Don’t even think about it. Even if you somehow manage to escape from this yacht, remember, we’re surrounded by nothing but ocean. The nearest land is miles away. You wouldn’t make it.”
Elizabeth let out a soft, mocking laugh. “Why is it that I’m not the one who’s scared, but you seem to be, Mr. Crawford?”
She gazed up at him defiantly, her eyes sparkling with a mix of irony and allure.
“How can I possibly trust you, Elizabeth? Years ago, I offered your family wealth, power, and a prestigious standing, but you turned down my proposal. The other day, I saved your life, yet you wouldn’t even dine with me. And now, here you are, seemingly compliant. Do you take me for a fool?”
With a calm demeanor and a faint shrug, Elizabeth looked him in the eye. “Whether I hesitated to marry you or stayed away, it wasn’t because of you.”
She paused for a moment, then went on with a fiery conviction, “I never wanted to be just a pawn for my family. My strained relationship with them is well-known.
I resent my father for his infidelity, which led to my mother’s demise, and I loathe my stepmother and stepsister for usurping what was rightfully mine. They kicked me out, and I was brought up by my grandmother alone. These aren’t well-guarded secrets. Anyone who’s curious enough can easily uncover the truth.”
Theo was visibly shocked. He had always admired Elizabeth’s independence and pride, never suspecting that he had misjudged the situation so gravely.
If only he had been bolder, pursuing Elizabeth directly—perhaps then, this remarkable woman wouldn’t have been cornered by such sorrowful circumstances.
Each misguided decision had only compounded his regrets.
A shadow of remorse briefly crossed Theo’s eyes, a detail that didn’t go unnoticed by Elizabeth.
Seizing the opportunity, she made her plea. “Can you untie me, please?”
Before Theo could respond, a brilliant flash of lightning tore through the sky, heralding a sudden, violent storm. The sea roared to life, whipped into a turbulent chaos by the fierce tempest.
As the day turned to dusk, ominous clouds rolled in, heavy with rain that soon began to pour down in torrents.
Inside the car, Camille absorbed Beverly’s words while making a series of calls in an attempt to contact the marketing firms responsible for the accounts, but to no avail.
They insisted that the information hadn’t been collected by them but had been sent anonymously via direct messages on Twitter.
Now, the complexity of Elizabeth’s predicament had eclipsed Camille’s capacity to manage on her own, leaving her with no alternative but to turn to her family for assistance.
With a sigh, she drew a cigarette from a pack she hadn’t touched in a long time and ignited it.
Beverly pressed Camille, her voice tinged with urgency. “Miss Camille, you must intervene for Elizabeth’s sake. She’s encountered danger before in Foxfire County. Though I’m unclear on the specifics, the sight of her in the hospital was harrowing—so frail that dressing herself was beyond her strength. It was truly frightening!”
The truth about the perils Elizabeth faced in Foxfire County had been kept from Camille. Elizabeth had concealed the details to spare her any worry.
Squinting, Camille pondered Beverly’s implications. “From what you’re saying, it seems this may not merely be the act of an obsessive fan—perhaps it’s retaliation from those she crossed paths with in Foxfire County!”
Resolved, Camille extinguished her cigarette with a decisive flick.
She knew it was time to reconnect with her family, regardless of the personal costs. She was resolute in her mission to save Elizabeth.
Just as her hand reached for the gas pedal, poised to set off, a familiar silhouette emerged through the curtain of rain, capturing her attention.
