ra sat back and enjoyed two bowls of m chowder while chatting with the manager about their new project. They both agreed to check out the indter that day since developing the ind hotel was a big priority.


    After they wrapped up the meal, ra dropped her utensils, grabbed a napkin, and handed it to Dn. His palm was injured, so she gently took his hand and carefully wiped his fingertips.


    Eden spotted this and was absolutely livid. She stormed over and shoved ra aside. "ra, back off! I know what you''re trying to do. Stay away from my Dn!"


    ra stumbled a few feet back. Seeing Dn''s silence, she figured she might have crossed a line, so she retreated quietly.


    With a smug grin, Eden wheeled Dn away, whispering softly to him. Yet, somehow, Dn''s mood seemed to drop to freezing.


    Feeling a bit uneasy, Eden told ra, "Go grab some disinfectant. Dn and I will wait on the boat."


    ra raised an eyebrow but didn''t argue. She wasn''t in the mood to stick around, so she headed to a nearby shop.


    When she returned, the ce was buzzing with boats, and she couldn''t tell which one was theirs. She asked a nearby staff member, who gave her a quick once- over, his expression unreadable.


    "Are you Ms. ra? Mr. Dn and the others have already gone to the ind. You''ll have to catch up using a small boat."


    ra suspected Eden was behind this. If it meant taking a small boat, then so be it.


    But halfway through, the sky turned a threatening gray, and warning sirens wailed in the distance. She asked the boatman, "Why''s the weather gone bad all of a sudden? Is it safe to be out here?"


    Before she got an answer, the boatman jumped into the sea, leaving ra stunned.


    Ahead, the waves were growing terrifyinglyrge. With no time to ponder whose scheme this was, she steered the small boat toward the nearby ind.


    The coastal weather was unpredictable. Even on the ind, visibility was terrible, and the temperature plummeted, leaving her chilled to the bone.


    Taking a deep breath, she pushed forward, though the fierce wind asionally sent debris flying her way, one piece hitting her head hard enough to almost knock her out.


    Meanwhile, twenty minutes earlier, Dn and his team were about to head out when they got an urgent storm alert. No boats could leave for the next three days, forcing them to return to the hotel.


    Eden''s eyes gleamed with malice as she bribed a boatman to lure ra out to sea, hoping she''d end up stranded.


    Now, the rain wasing down in sheets, pounding on the windows. The Azure Shores manager was apologizing to Dn, saying they hadn''t expected the weather to turn.


    Dn nced outside, noticing ra wasn''t back yet, and the rain was relentless. She had no umbre.


    Ignoring the manager, he tried calling ra.


    But there was no signal on the ind. ra clung desperately to a tree, battling the wind to avoid being swept away.


    Taking a deep breath, she resolved not to let it end there.


    Back at the hotel, Dn frowned at her missed call, telling Aiden, "Go find her." Aiden knew exactly who he meant and quickly grabbed an umbre, heading out. He returned ten minutester, soaked. In this weather, an umbre was useless.


    "Boss, I couldn''t find Ms. ra. Do you think she might''ve thought we left and headed to the ind on her own?"


    The manager turned ghostly pale, shaking his head. "No way. All the fishermen got the storm warning. No one would go out-it''s a death wish."


    Dn''s gaze zeroed in on Eden. She''d been oddly cheerful from the get-go. "Eden."


    His voice was deep, eyes dark.


    Eden tried to hide a smile, ying innocent. "Dn, what''s up? I don''t know where she went. Maybe try calling again?"


    But Dn just stared at her, saying nothing.


    Facing Dn''s re took guts. Besides being spoiled, Eden didn''t have much experience. Seeing his genuine anger, she broke into a nervous sweat, her words stumbling. "Dn, why are you looking at me like that? I didn''t do anything."