?<strong>Chapter 211:</strong>


    Nate’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 nearestnd is miles away. You wouldn’t make it.”


    Carrie let out a soft, mockingugh. “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.


    Nate, surprisingly, didn’t show any anger. Instead, he chuckled, “How can I possibly trust you, Carrie? 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, seeminglypliant. Do you take me for a fool?”


    With a calm demeanor and a faint shrug, Carrie 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 continued with fiery conviction, “I never wanted to be just a pawn for my family. My strained rtionship 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.”


    Nate was visibly shocked. He had always admired Carrie’s independence and pride, never suspecting that he had misjudged the situation so gravely.


    If only he had been bolder, pursuing Carrie directly—perhaps then, this remarkable woman wouldn’t have been cornered by such sorrowful circumstances.


    Each misguided decision had onlypounded his regrets.


    A shadow of remorse briefly crossed Nate’s eyes, a detail that didn’t go unnoticed by Carrie.


    Seizing the opportunity, she made her plea. “Can you untie me, please?”


    Before Nate could respond, a brilliant sh 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 ounts, 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, theplexity of Carrie’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 lit it.


    Beverly pressed Camille, her voice tinged with urgency. “Miss Camille, you must intervene for Carrie’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 Carrie faced in Foxfire County had been kept from Camille. Carrie had concealed the details to spare her any worry.


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