?<strong>Chapter 216:</strong>


    At that moment, a thunderous p echoed, and a giant wave rocked the yacht sharply. The sudden movement flung them both across the bed. Simultaneously, the storm ripped the window next to the bed open, allowing the fierce wind and rain to surge into the room.


    Seeing the open window, Carrie’s eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope. She quickly began maneuvering her body toward the escape it offered.


    Nate faltered, a wave of dizziness washing over him. As he regained his focus, he noticed Carrie at the window, half of her body already outside, leaning forward with the intent to jump.


    “Carrie!” Nate eximed, his eyes widening in rm as he surged forward in an attempt to catch her.


    Carrie made a swift, determined leap, her form disappearing through the window frame. Nate reached out frantically, his fingers brushing against her ankle a moment toote.


    The ship lurched beneath him, thwarting his efforts to steady himself or pull her back. Powerless, he watched in despair as Carrie’s figure slipped from his grasp and vanished into the night.


    “Where the hell are you all?!” Nate roared, his voice raw as he mmed the emergency button with furious urgency. “For fuck’s sake. Get your asses in here now!”


    Secondster, a group of bodyguards burst into the room, staggering as the ship rocked violently. Rain and seawater swirled in through the now-open window, drenching the interior.


    The bodyguards hastened to Nate’s side, attempting to draw him away from the chaos. “Mr. Crawford, staying here is too dangerous. We need to move now. A safer room has been prepared for you.”


    Nate, furious, swung his hand, striking two of them sharply across the face. “Move? Are you fucking insane? Didn’t you see Carrie jump out? Go after her, now! Do you realize how much effort it took to bring her here? And she’s just gone, after a few words?”


    Despite the raw sting on their cheeks, the bodyguardsposed themselves and tried to reason with him. One of the bodyguards said, “Mr. Crawford, we’re close to the propellers here. It’s probable she’s been torn apart already. And even if, by some stroke of luck, she wasn’t sliced by the des, remember she was bound when she fell overboard. Swimming was out of the question. She would have sunk in minutes.”


    Another bodyguard added, “The sea’s churning fiercely, and a storm’s brewing. Within moments, the currents would have dragged her miles from here. It’s futile to attempt a rescue now. Moreover, with the yacht pitching like this, we’re jeopardizing your safety by remaining. Our duty is to protect you.”


    A third bodyguard remarked, “Mr. Crawford, it’s merely one life. If she’s lost, that’s how it must be. If word gets out, the bacsh from the shareholders will be relentless.”


    Nate clenched Carrie’s shoe so tightly his knuckles turned pale. He was agonizingly close. He berated himself for his earlier indecision. Had he just knocked those two thugs out instead of sending them away, he could have had her right there and then, uninterrupted.


    After a tense moment, Nate’s resolve wavered. With a guttural snarl of frustration, he mmed the shoe down. “Give me my coat.”


    Quick to react, one astute bodyguard snatched up the shoe and flung it out the window, erasing thest trace of Carrie from the yacht.


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