Chapter 6

A pungent scent rushed into Emily's nose. She tried to hold her breath, but it was too late—her body went limp, slumping helplessly into Ryan's arms.

"I won't accept this! Emily, I can't live without you!" Ryan growled, desperation thick in his voice.

Still snarling, Ryan scooped Emily into his arms and marched out.

Emily was barely conscious, faintly aware of noises outside, but her eyelids felt impossibly heavy—she just couldn't open them, no matter how hard she tried.

She heard Ryan put her in the car, and after what felt like forever, the car finally stopped. Then she caught bits of his conversation with someone else.

"I never imagined Emily could be so heartless, actually wanting to get rid of Sophie's baby. I have to keep them apart," Ryan muttered, his voice tense and defensive.

"That island is really far. Mrs. Cole might end up stuck on a boat for days—it's basically like being locked up," the man said.

"She wanted to throw Sophie in jail, so it's only fair she finds out what being locked up feels like!" Ryan said.

"Ryan, thanks for having my back," Sophie said.

Emily caught the briny scent of the sea as she found herself on a rocking boat. The vessel soon drifted away from the shore, and the roar of the waves grew louder and louder.

She heard Ryan's voice, low and rough. "Emily, wait for me. I'll bring you home."

Lying there, Emily felt her heart turn as cold as the deck beneath her. She bit down hard on her tongue. The sharp pain brought a rush of metallic blood, cutting through the haze and forcing her eyes open.

Ryan would be waiting a long time.

Against the sky, the helicopter pilot spoke calmly into the radio, "Request sent to HQ... Coordinates locked in..." The aircraft then ascended silently from the sea's surface, disappearing into the darkness.

Back on the shore, Ryan stared at the small boat until it vanished into the night, his throat tight with a bitter ache. It felt as if a part of him had been torn away.

Sophie took his hand. "Ryan, let's go—"

Her words were cut off by a deafening BOOM.

A colossal fireball erupted on the horizon, followed by a towering plume of water.

Ryan's eyes widened in disbelief, then flooded with a furious, bloodshot red.

A raw, gut-wrenching scream tore from his throat. "EMILY!"

The boat was gone—obliterated into nothing but ashes and scattered debris.

No one could explain it. One moment, the vessel was sailing smoothly; the next, it was consumed by a bizarre, violent explosion.

Flames, fueled as if by some unseen force, shot skyward, painting half the night in an angry orange glow. Fire raced across the water's surface.

With a loud splash, Ryan dove into the water without a second thought.

His face was a mask of sheer agony, eyes fixed desperately on the burning sea.

"Emily! EMILY!" His voice, ragged and desperate, sent chills down the spines of those who heard it.

He fought against the current, chest-deep in water, surging forward.

"Mr. Cole! It's too dangerous!" The officer finally came to his senses and rushed over, grabbing Ryan's arm desperately. "It's too far! Please, calm down!"

Ryan jerked as if awakened. He glared at the distant inferno, his voice a shredded whisper. "Get me a speedboat. Now! Right away! Contact the rescue team!"

Beside him, Sophie seemed frozen, finally stirring to cling to his arm. "Ryan, please, calm down. She'll be okay..."

Ryan didn't look at her. His bloodshot eyes remained locked on the sea.

Okay? How could she be okay? Emily was on that boat! With an explosion like that, how could anyone survive?

Just imagining it made his heart feel like it was being ripped to shreds, pain twisting through his entire body.

If something really happened to Emily, what would he do? How could he even go on? Ryan's thoughts were swallowed by hopelessness.

"Where the hell is the rescue team? Why aren't they here yet?" Ryan yelled, his voice frantic and on edge.

In a frenzy, Ryan slammed his fist against the railing. His knuckles split open, blood smearing the metal.

The officer kept his mouth shut, not daring to say a word. Thankfully, sirens blared as the helicopter and rescue boats rushed out.

Ryan stood at the forefront, each step forward intensifying the nauseating scent of char and burnt material. Waves of blistering heat rolled toward him; the sea's surface still flickered with flames.

"The burn pattern doesn't make sense—this vessel isn't right!"

The words from the monitoring officer beside him fell hard and clear, each syllable striking Ryan's ears like a physical blow. His body swayed abruptly.

Who wanted to hurt Emily? Who was it? Ryan's thoughts were a mess, fury and panic twisting inside him.

The rescue crew blasted the flames with water cannons, but Ryan couldn't wait for the fire to be out—he dove straight in.

Visibility below was poor—nothing but drifting debris from the explosion and murky, clouded seawater... and a tinge of red so sharp it seemed to sting the eyes.

Ryan was desperately praying in his head, 'Maybe Emily realized something was off and bailed before the explosion. She's got to be out there somewhere, clinging to life, just waiting for rescue... Please, let her be alive...'

Before he could cling to that hope, voices from the patrol boat above cut through the water, tense and urgent.

"Yeah! The victim was unconscious at the time of ignition—completely immobile. No chance of escape... likely already in fragments—"

Ryan's mind went blank, a ringing in his ears—everything went silent inside his head.

Seawater rushed into his mouth. He choked, vision darkening for a moment.

"Sir!" someone shouted urgently.

"Mr. Cole!" another voice called out, desperate.

He surfaced, gasping for air, then plunged down again. Again and again.

But his thoughts circled back, relentless—not long ago, he had sprayed that sedative into Emily's face. He himself had carried her unconscious onto this very boat.

All he wanted was to teach her a lesson, just a small scare. He never meant for this.

Time slipped away. Pale searchlights swept the water's surface, but below remained impenetrably dark. Ryan's strength was fading; he tasted blood in his mouth. Still, he couldn't stop.

"Mr. Cole, you need to rest!" the officer urged.

Sophie had followed him out, voice trembling. "Ryan, please... just come up for a while."

Ryan brushed her hand aside, jaw clenched. "Expand the search grid. Now!"

"Look, the experts say with an explosion like that..." the officer tried to explain, worry in his voice.

"Shut up!" Ryan whipped around, his eyes blazing red. "She's not dead... She can't be dead!"

His outburst sent a surge of emotion crashing through him. Suddenly, everything went black, and he could hear people shouting his name.

He heard Sophie cry out, "Ryan!"

He heard the officer shout, "Mr. Cole!"

And then, nothing.