"Hey, keep your voice down. What if he hears us?" Suddenly, a dark blur flickered at the edge of their vision. Both men froze, rubbing their eyes. "Did you... see something just now?" "Uh, no. Didn't see a thing." "Oh, okay. Me neither. I'm off to bed. God bless you." Another half hour passed. The sky over the ocean lightened to a pale gray. Zane, who had slept fitfully in the study, was already awake. His face was drawn, the late-night argument with Jason having ruined his sleep and left him with a dull headache. But lying down again was pointless. He got up, went to the safe, and took out the small vial of the drug. All my hopes are in this now.Forget it. I'll inject the drug into Darcy today. Erase her memory first. We can deal with the hypnosis later, somewhere else, with a more reliable hypnotist. He was almost out of cash. He didn't dare borrow from Ines and risk drawing attention. And staying here was getting dangerous. He had to grab Darcy and go—today. With this resolve, he picked up the safe and strode out of the study, heading straight for the second floor. The second he reached the master bedroom, something felt off. Why isn't the chain locked? His heart lurched. He pushed the door open with little effort. His eyes flew to the bed. It was empty. He reached out and touched the mattress. Cold. She's been gone for a while. Panic and fury twisted inside him. He roared, "She's gone! Find her!" The maid in the next room was jolted awake by the shout. Rubbing her eyes, she stumbled out, only to be met with Zane's vicious kick. She crumpled to the floor with a cry, curling into a ball of pain. Zane crouched, grabbing her collar. "Where is she? I told you to watch her! To lock the door!" The maid was sweating, her voice trembling. "She... she said she didn't want to trouble me at night... so she asked for the key..." Smack— Zane slapped her hard, teeth clenched. "Idiot. She talks and you just buy it—" But punishing the maid was a waste of time. The location was remote, an island surrounded by sea. Darcy was alone, with no transportation. She couldn't have gotten far. Finding her was the only priority. The guards had already assembled at the front, vehicles and motorcycles ready. Zane barked orders, splitting them into two groups to search the main roads. "She'll have headed for the docks. Start there.""Yes, sir." Two of the guards at the back exchanged a fleeting, guilty glance. So that shadowy figure half an hour ago hadn't been a trick of their tired eyes. Neither said a word. Their only focus now was to find her. If they didn't, they could kiss their pay goodbye—and maybe wouldn't walk away clean. The sun was rising, but this coastal island was windy and damp. Darcy was cold and exhausted, but she dared not stop. She pushed on towards the sound of the sea. The area was sparsely populated; she'd seen almost no one. She didn't dare risk going to a local police station. Her presence here was illegal. Getting caught by the authorities might only make things worse. The docks. There must be boats. She had two pieces of valuable jewelry on her; surely she could barter for passage. After what felt like an eternity of running, she could finally hear the distinct crash of waves against a shore, smell the sharp, salty tang of the ocean. Tears sprang to her eyes, blurring her vision. Am I... am I finally getting out? She paused, doubling over to catch her breath. The sun was higher now, a burning red orb hanging over the horizon. Freedom felt so close she could almost reach out and touch it. She touched her cracked, pale lips and forced herself to keep moving. Just then, a low buzzing sound reached her ears. She squinted into the distance. A motorcycle was tearing straight toward her. The rider looked sickeningly familiar. The guardsat the door! Her eyes widened in terror. She immediately changed direction, sprinting towards the distant, forested hills. At least there would be undergrowth and trees to hide in.But she had overestimated her stamina. After the ordeal of the night, she was running on fumes. Within minutes, the guards closed in on her. Darcy retreated until her heels met empty air. She was at the edge of a cliff, the roar of the sea a menacing rumble far below. She spun to face her pursuers, her voice a raw, desperate scream. "Stay back! Come any closer and I'll jump!" The guards skidded to a halt. They all knew this woman was the boss' obsession. If she actually jumped, there would be no money for anyone. They didn't dare move, immediately calling Zane. Soon, he arrived, the safe still clutched under his arm. "Darcy!" he yelled, his voice cracking as he took in the scene—the sheer drop, the endless expanse of churning ocean below. The initial panic in his eyes quickly curdled into something darker—a toxic mix of rage, betrayal, and icy malice."Last night, you ate so obediently. I thought you'd finally come to your senses. But it was all an act, wasn't it? Just to lower my guard. I trusted you, and you deceived me!" His voice rose to a shout, trembling with fury. "I'm so damn disappointed in you."