Chapter 209
Meanwhile, the live room viewers buzzed with excitement and disbelief. Comments flooded in:
“[What’s going on? The stream stopped for days, and now it’s back?]” “[Is Cynthia and Mr. Bennett’s story real? I haven’t slept in three days worrying about them!]” “[Wait… who are those two on the screen? They look just like Cynthia and Mr. Bennett!]” “[Where are they?]” “[Oh my… thank heavens, they’re alive!]” “[Watching them reunite on the beach brought me to tears.]” “[Cynthia gave him CPR for twenty minutes straight. I barely breathed the whole time.]” “[I’ve never seen Cynthia cry like that. My heart aches for her.]” “[Finally, they’re in each other’s arms! This ship is sailing strong!!]” “[And what’s with that bamboo cabin? It looks freshly built.]” “[Why is the picture so fuzzy? Wait… why is it going black again?]” “[I stayed up all night watching this stream, and finally, it’s back.]” “[What does Mr. Bennett mean by taking responsibility?]” “[Ahhh!!!]” “[What did I miss last night? I’m losing my mind!]” “[Seriously, what happened during those eight hours of blackout? What Happened!!!]” “[OMG, Mr. Bennett proposed to Cynthia! This is a plot twist straight out of a drama!]” “[Am I seeing things, or was that Jonathan pouting?]” “[Honestly, Mr. Bennett knows what he’s doing. He’s got this nailed, and I finally understand why guys fall for those two-faced girls.]” “[Cynthia, just say yes! He’s head over heels for you!]” “[YES! The proposal was a success! I’m so thrilled I’m about to run around naked!]” “[Hey, where’s that celebration happening? I’m in!]” “[I’m sobbing, my OTP is finally official!]” “[My room? Disaster. My work? Disaster. My life? Disaster. But my OTP? PERFECTION.]” “[This is definitely scripted. All for the ratings, you fools.]” “[Scripted or not, I’m still here for it!]”
The live room’s popularity exploded, drawing over a hundred million viewers, each emotionally invested in and “shipping” the couple. Behind the scenes, the production team was baffled.
Cynthia and Jonathan had been missing for five days. The typhoon raged for the first three days, making rescue impossible. But once the storm subsided, the search intensified. Mr. Bennett had somehow assembled a rescue team of thousands, sending plane after plane to the island chains—a massive effort.
For two days, the search expanded, covering thousands of square miles of archipelago, scattered with countless small islands, many of which were private estates owned by the world’s elite. While these islands typically had restricted access, rescue teams received clearance to land and thoroughly search each one.
Despite increasing the search crew to tens of thousands, including numerous volunteers, the vast scale of the mission was daunting. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Mr. Bennett’s command was relentless: “Find them—dead or alive.”
Yet, five days had passed. They’d endured three days of brutal storms; everyone knew the chance of survival was slim.
Just as hope dwindled, something incredible happened. The live room, which had been shut off, suddenly turned back on, as if by itself.
Jason, who had been managing the live room, had previously announced Cynthia and Jonathan’s disappearance to the viewers. They’d initially planned to livestream the rescue efforts, but the mission’s complexity and viewer backlash forced them to focus solely on the search, so the livestream was cut.
But that morning, the live room suddenly started streaming a live feed of Cynthia and Jonathan on a beach. Jason was stunned. The tech team reported that the system had been hacked by someone with advanced skills, completely taking over the feed. They were helpless.
Unbelievably, relief swept over everyone as they watched Cynthia and Jonathan alive. After days of anxiety and dread, seeing them unharmed was a miracle. Mrs. Bennett fainted. The past days had taken a heavy toll; she’d clung to hope, eating and sleeping little, visibly aging. Her once-bright gaze was now dull and exhausted.
Preston, by her side, was equally worn. He hadn’t eaten or slept, losing weight rapidly; his cheeks were hollow. The ordeal had drained him, leaving him an empty shell. He no longer smiled, often staring into space, haunted. But when Cynthia and Jonathan reappeared, Preston fell to his knees, crying.
It was a long-overdue release mingled with guilt and remorse. He remained kneeling, unable to stand. He knew he’d had a chance to stop everything that day. The night Whitney lost control, Preston could have intervened. If he had, Cynthia wouldn’t have ended up in the ocean, and Jonathan wouldn’t have disappeared trying to find her. But he’d been stunned, paralyzed, unable to react. Every day, he despised his cowardice and foolishness.
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Seeing them alive felt like his soul had been pulled from the abyss. He felt saved. Thank heaven—they were alive. And when Preston saw Jonathan propose to Cynthia, though sorrow and envy struck him, those feelings melted away in the face of life and death and regaining what was lost. It was enough that they were here. His mother’s actions had destroyed any chance of a future with Cynthia, and he’d accepted that.
Meanwhile, alone in her room, Nina watched. She saw Mr. Bennett, laughing and playful, proposing to Cynthia, sweeping her into his arms, twirling her on the beach, kissing her under the setting sun. The frail Nina, weak from her brush with death, staggered out of bed in a fury, shattering everything within reach. She wondered, “Why? Why Cynthia?”
After being pulled from the ocean, Nina had spent days fighting a fever that nearly killed her. As she recovered, she learned Mr. Bennett had been missing for two days in the storm looking for Cynthia. She’d prayed constantly, begging for his safe return, swearing to sacrifice anything. Her prayers seemed answered. But she hadn’t anticipated Cynthia would also be alive—and, worse, with Mr. Bennett. Mr. Bennett had proposed, and Cynthia had said yes. They looked so happy, which felt like a cruel curse to Nina.
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