Chapter 206

"Mom, I'll never become like you, letting money and power destroy my humanity. I absolutely refuse what you want. Take it to your grave," Treston said, then ran from the room.

Whitney, shaking with anger, immediately thought of something and rushed out, but Preston had already vanished down the hallway. He fled the castle-like villa into the raging wind, heading toward a yacht anchored at the ocean. Four security guards in black suits apprehended him just as he was about to board.

Despite his struggle, Preston was no match for them. He was overpowered and dragged back to a room where Whitney locked him.

The typhoon raged for three days and nights, leaving everyone sleepless and worried. Preston barely ate or drank; Susanna cried until her eyes were swollen. Jessie and Ethan knew only that Preston, Cynthia, and Nina had disappeared three days prior. Nina was gravely ill with a persistent high fever and remained unconscious.

Officially, they said the group went fishing and was caught in the typhoon. But after the Savannah incident, they were skeptical. Knowing a storm was approaching, why would they go fishing? Something felt suspicious.

After the typhoon, the live room reopened. The production team announced that Cynthia and Jonathan were missing, attributing their disappearance to the same fishing trip.

The live room erupted:

[Is the production team crazy? So much has happened in just a few days!] [Since Alex dropped out, the guests have been constantly in trouble. Cynthia and Nina went horseback riding, Nina was trapped by lions, Mr. Bennett almost died, and now Cynthia and Mr. Bennett have disappeared. Is this a coincidence?] [This show feels like a real-life Battle Royale!] [Are Cynthia and Mr. Bennett still alive? Did Cynthia jump into the sea, and did Mr. Bennett get lost rescuing her?] [Cynthia's a troublemaker. Good riddance.] [Watch your mouth, FlowerSmile, or you'll regret it!]

Anxiety filled the live room. Viewers berated the production team and director. Cynthia and Jonathan's disappearance quickly became a trending topic.

While chaos reigned, Cynthia sat on a beach, enjoying freshly roasted crab and sea bream near a campfire. She hadn't recklessly jumped into the sea; she'd seen distant lights, possibly a cruise ship, and attempted to swim toward them.

The typhoon struck shortly after she entered the water. Tossed by the waves, she clung to a floating plank after her yacht broke apart. She thought she was doomed, but she held on. The storm raged for what felt like an eternity.

She dreamt of her master on a giant ship before passing out. She awoke on a small, peaceful island, untouched by the typhoon. She had no idea how long she'd been adrift or where she was—only that she was stranded. Survival was now her reality.

Finding traces of human activity and abandoned tools, including a rusty machete, Cynthia sharpened it and began building a shelter. She spent a day and night building a small bamboo hut, then expanded it into a two-story structure with an attic.

Staring at her accomplishment, she shouted at the ocean: "Screw you! Ahhhhh!" Her voice echoed. She built the house to combat the loneliness and despair, the fear of being swallowed by uncertainty.

She built a large bonfire and wrote SOS in the sand, but saw no ships or planes. Would it be days, years, or a lifetime? She refused to give up. The crew wouldn't abandon her, Jonathan would find her. She needed to survive.

She wondered about Jonathan's reaction to her supposed jump, his situation, whether Whitney would back off, and if he was frantically searching. She decided to focus on survival, catching crabs and planning to dig a pond for fish and shrimp.

Her crab hunting was unsuccessful—only two small crabs. As she turned to leave, she saw someone lying on the beach.

(Note: The K$75%童 in the original text is unintelligible and has been omitted.)