Chapter 211
Jonathan, beaming with excitement, kept pointing to the same spot. Sewing Jonathan’s silly move, the living room table was covered with art supplies.
[Is this really Mr. Bennett? Besides that fire… I don’t…]
(Whoever this is, please vacate Jonathan’s body immediately!) (He’s acting totally under a love spell, but it’s so sweet.) (Crab: So… no one will speak up for me? Seriously?)
Cynthia sighed deeply as the massive, fiery sun sank below the horizon, painting the sky a blaze of red. It was beautiful, but she couldn’t help wondering how long they’d be stranded.
Jonathan picked up on her mood, setting the crab down on the sand. “What’s wrong?”
Cynthia said, “I was just thinking, how long will it be before we’re found? Are we going to be stuck on this island forever?”
Jonathan gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Honestly, spending a lifetime here wouldn’t be so bad. No schemes and no one to disturb us.”
Cynthia understood Jonathan’s state of mind. Though born into wealth, his life had always been filled with danger, plots, and betrayal. Survival alone was a feat. Here, however, it was a paradise of sorts.
She smiled. “It’s true. It’s a beautiful place. But resources are scarce. The menu’s limited to fish, shrimp, and crab. Not even a rabbit around.”
As Cynthia and Jonathan woke the next morning, they noticed something unusual—around a dozen rabbits were hopping along the beach. Cynthia was thrilled and quickly caught seven.
They decided to keep the rabbits as pets. The island was quiet, and having a few lively creatures would make it more cheerful. Cynthia crafted a large bamboo pen and placed the rabbits inside. Watching them hop around lifted her spirits. However, Jonathan seemed pensive, his brow furrowing.
“What’s wrong?” Cynthia asked. “You look like something’s on your mind.”
“These are Betrico hares,” he said, “a breed native to Betrico. How did they end up on a remote island like this?”
Cynthia found it odd too, but brushed it off. “Maybe someone landed here before and brought them,” she suggested.
That explanation seemed reasonable. That afternoon, while exploring deeper into the forest, they stumbled upon a hiking backpack. Inside, they found a lighter, flashlight, compass, and other essential items—exactly what they needed.
“Could there be someone else on this island?” Cynthia wondered aloud.
She found it peculiar. The island was small—a patch of silver sand, a bamboo grove, and a small forest. Standing at the cliffs, they could see almost the entire area, barely five kilometers across.
Chapter 211 (Continued)
On her first day exploring, she found no signs of life—no animals, no people, nothing. And yet, this backpack looked like it had been there for quite some time. Even though the backpack was old and appeared to have been left there a long time, Cynthia still felt something was amiss.
As Cynthia looked into the dense forest, a thought crossed her mind. “Jonathan, have you felt like we’re being watched?”
Ever since they’d arrived, she’d had a vague sense of someone following them, though she’d attributed it to her time spent in front of a live camera.
Jonathan searched the area but found nothing unusual. “I didn’t see anything strange,” he replied, “but I feel the same.”
Though unlikely, the feeling left them both more guarded outside the cabin. Yet, inside the cabin at night, they found solace in each other, embracing as they drifted off to sleep.
Cynthia had decorated the cabin to be as cozy as possible. In the quiet of the night, Jonathan’s fervent kisses trailed over her neck like sparks catching fire, igniting her senses. She felt her skin grow warm, like pressing against red-hot iron, as if she were a drop of water sizzling and evaporating into steam.
Just as the heat reached an almost unbearable level, Cynthia realized something was wrong—it wasn’t just passion. When she wrapped her arms around Jonathan’s back, she felt his body burning. Startled, she pushed him slightly. “Are you running a fever?”
But Jonathan’s lips didn’t leave her skin, his voice muffled. “I know…”
“Even with a fever, you’re still… ah, you…”
In the darkness, Jonathan smirked and leaned in to kiss her ear. “It doesn’t change a thing, darling.”
Moonlight poured like water, casting shadows that swayed through the layered bamboo forest as the night enfolded them.
Cynthia was exasperated. Jonathan’s reckless indulgence led to a high fever the next day, leaving him barely conscious. On this remote island, with limited resources, she was frantic. She tried everything she could to cool him down with damp clothes, but it barely helped. Jonathan was almost unconscious; Cynthia was frantic.
Seeing no improvement, Cynthia decided to search the jungle for medicinal herbs. But this small island was sparse, with few useful plants. Oddly enough, she stumbled upon another old, abandoned backpack. To her astonishment, inside was a stash of medications, including ibuprofen for fever.
Frowning, Cynthia looked up, finally piecing together the unsettling pattern. This was no ordinary island. It felt like a Truman Show setup. The yacht she’d glimpsed from the sea hadn’t been an illusion.
Chapter 211 (Continued)
“You! Show yourself!” Cynthia yelled into the empty sky, fury lacing her voice.
Cynthia knew who was manipulating everything. Fury welled up inside her as she recalled the face she’d glimpsed in her dream, unmistakably her mentor’s. There was no way that had been a dream. After all these years, he’d never appeared in her dreams, yet she was certain he was somewhere on this island. Memories of her years of training under his stern control flooded back, stoking her anger.
The jungle was eerily quiet. No one answered. Cynthia searched for a long time but couldn’t find any suspicious traces. In the end, she decided to head back.
Returning to Jonathan, she gave him the ibuprofen and antiviral meds. By evening, his fever broke, and he was visibly better.
Outside, as Cynthia boiled water, she sat with the worn backpack, lost in thought. There was no doubt now—she hadn’t survived the storm by sheer luck. Shiloh had saved her, orchestrating every moment since.