Chapter 10
I ran out of the infirmary, not caring about the curious glances of the staff or the other passengers. My heart was pounding so loudly that it drowned out the faint hum of the ship’s engines. Lucas’s words echoed in my head.
“We have unfinished business… Would you still want to be my wife like before?”
What did he even mean by that? He couldn’t have been serious, right? And yet, the way his voice had dropped to that familiar, teasing tone, and the heat in his gaze, made it hard to brush off. My checks burned just thinking about it.
I reached my cabin, slammed the door shut, and leaned against it, gasping for breath. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions- confusion, frustration, embarrassment–and something else I didn’t want to name. Desire.
I paced the small room, trying to calm myself, but it was impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Lucas. His piercing gaze, the smirk that always made my knees weak, and the way he’d whispered, “Oops, can’t leave me again like last time.” Why was he here? And more importantly, what did he want from me?!
I needed answers. Desperately.
Grabbing my phone, I dialed my brother, Ethan, and waited anxiously as it rang. He picked up after the second ring..
“Zoe?” His voice was warm, as always. “What’s wrong?“X
“Lucas,” I blurted out, unable to contain myself.
“Lucas?” Ethan sounded surprised. “What about him?”
“He’s here,” I said, my voice shaky. “On the cruise. He said… he owns the ship.”
There was a pause, and then Ethan chuckled. “Oh, that. Yeah, he does. Didn’t I mention it before?”
“No, you didn’t!” I exclaimed, feeling a mix of annoyance and disbelief. “You didn’t think that was important?”
“I didn’t think you’d care,” Ethan replied casually. “Lucas is one of my closest friends. He’s a good guy, Zoe. If he’s there, a least I know someone’s looking out for you,”
Looking out for me? That was the last thing I needed from Lucas.
My brother’s words stung more than they should have. “Ethan…” I hesitated, unsure how to put into words what I was feeling “Lucas and I., we… it’s complicated.”
“Complicated how? Ethan asked, his tone suddenly serious.!
I couldn’t tell him. I couldn’t say that his best friend, the man he trusted so much, was the one who had stolen my innocence.
I couldn’t tell him about that night, the night I had tried so hard to forget but couldn’t.
“It’s nothing,” I muttered, defeated. “Forget I said anything.”
“Zoe, if something’s wrong-“E
“Nothing’s wrong, Ethan,” I cut him off, my voice sharper than I intended. “I’m fine.”
He sighed, clearly not convinced, but he didn’t press me further. “Alright. Just… take care of yourself, okay?“E
“I will,” I said, before hanging up.
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the phone in my hand. Ethan trusted Lucas, and maybe he had every reason to. Lucas was successful, charming, and dependable. But to me, he was also the man who had left me with a lifetime of questions and regrets.
I couldn’t let him get under my skin. Not again. The cruise was massive, with hundreds of passengers. Surely, I could avoid him for the rest of the trip.E
Or so I thought
Meanwhile, back in the city….
Cameron was a shell of the man he used to be E
He stood by the riverbank, staring at the lifeless body lying on the ground. The police had covered it with a white sheet, but he couldn’t bring himself to look.
“It’s not her,” he muttered, his voice trembling. “It can’t be her.”
The officers exchanged wary glances, unsure of how to respond. One of them finally spoke. “Mr. Stone, we need you to identify the body.”
Cameron took a shaky step forward, but his legs felt like they would give out. His mind was a storm of denial and anguish. He couldn’t believe it. Zoe was… gone?%
Images of her flooded his mind. Her laugh, her stubbornness, the way she had looked at him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. She had reminded him so much of his late wife.E
At first, that was all she had been to him–a resemblance, a painful reminder of what he had lost. But over time, she had become so much more. She had wormed her way into his life, into his heart, without him even realizing it.
12:23 PM
And now she was gone.!
“Zoe…” he whispered, his voice breaking.
He sank to his knees, his hands clutching his hair. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. This wasn’t real. It had to be a nightmare.
Tyron, his right–hand man, approached cautiously. “Cameron,” he said, his voice low. “What happened?”
Cameron’s head snapped up, his eyes blazing with fury. “This is your fault!” he roared.!
Tyron took a step back, startled. “What are you talking about?”
“You killed her!” Cameron shouted, his voice raw with grief. “Just like you killed your mother!“!
