Chapter 301
Southern Vale Airport.
A private yacht was moored at the dock.
The captain warned that the sea was rough today, so they’d be moving slowly–it would take around four hours to reach Sapphire Shores.
Briony Kensington’s head throbbed dully. As soon as she boarded the yacht, she found a quiet room and went straight to bed.
Stewart Wentworth, knowing she was unwell, asked one of the stewardesses to bring Briony some motion sickness pills.
Briony didn’t protest. She swallowed the pills and collapsed onto the bed.
The wind was fierce, and the yacht rocked and pitched as it cut across the waves.
Briony hadn’t slept well last night, and lying down didn’t do much to ease her discomfort.
Eventually, the medicine began to work; she drifted in and out of a restless sleep.
When she finally woke, the boat was tossing even more violently than before.
She pushed back the covers and sat up, checking the time–only two hours had passed.
Frustration washed over her. Every minute felt like an eternity.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Briony slipped on her shoes and went to answer it.
Stewart stood outside, his gaze dark and steady. “Still feeling sick?”
Briony didn’t bother replying.
Stewart seemed used to her cold shoulder. “It’ll be another two hours before we dock. You haven’t eaten since this morning–I asked them to prepare lunch for you. Come eat something.” “No,” she replied coolly. “I just want to rest. Let me know when we arrive.”
With that, she shut the door in his face.
Stewart stared at the closed door, lips pressed into a thin line.
After a moment, he turned and walked away.
Briony refused to eat–not just to avoid Stewart, but because the seasickness had killed her appetite. She could barely stand the thought of food.
The next two hours crawled by in a haze of nausea and exhaustion.
At last, the yacht reached the shore.
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Chapter 301
Briony hurried off the boat, hand clasped over her mouth, and made it to a nearby trash can before vomiting.
Stewart approached, unscrewing the cap of a bottle of water and handing it to her.
She took it gratefully and rinsed out her mouth.
The nausea that had been churning in her stomach finally began to subside.
Stewart studied her. “Are you sure you’re okay? If you need to rest, we can find a guesthouse nearby and wait until you feel better-”
“I’m fine,” Briony cut him off, her voice steady. “Let’s go.”
He gave her a brief nod. “Alright.”
It was another twenty kilometers by car from the dock to where Julia Hudson was staying.
Carl Shaw had rented a Volkswagen at the local agency.
The island roads weren’t great–ten kilometers out from the port, the pavement narrowed, riddled with potholes and ruts.
Briony watched the scenery grow more and more primitive, her worry deepening with every passing mile.
Soon, they passed through a thicket of trees and arrived at a small village called Ivywood.
The village roads were even narrower and more winding. It was impossible to take the car any
further.
Carl parked at the edge of the village.
The three of them got out, their shoes sinking into the muddy, rain–soaked lane as they walked
towards the center.
All the houses here were single–story stone cottages. Every yard had a vegetable patch, and most families kept chickens or ducks–pungent farm smells drifted on the air.
With each step, Briony’s expression grew more tense.
Had her mother really lived in such a remote, impoverished place for the last four years?
‘How much farther?” Briony asked.
Carl, leading the way, glanced back. “Almost there. It’s just ahead.”
Briony looked up.
There was only a single stone cottage in sight, not very large.
Beside it stood a cowshed.
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“This is the mayor’s house,” Carl said with a smile. “Only the mayor keeps cows in this village–his cowshed is the best landmark you’ll find!”
Briony’s heart pounded.
Was her mother inside? Was she finally about to see her?
They stopped in front of the mayor’s gate.
Carl knocked on the wooden fence.
The door swung open to reveal Judd, the search team’s leader.
When Judd saw Stewart, he nodded respectfully and stepped aside. “Come in.”
Stewart glanced at Briony. “Let’s go.”
Briony clenched her hand at her side and followed him in.
The yard was large, with a sprawling vegetable garden and a fenced area for poultry.
The air was thick with the tang of livestock and earth.
Stewart frowned slightly and turned to Judd. “Where’s the mayor?”
Judd shifted uneasily. “He’s over by the cowshed.”
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