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In the face of a disaster that came so suddenly, those who did not see it coming were unable to react at
all.
After all, it came like a bolt of lightning.
At that moment, Winnie thought she could escape, but everything happened too quickly.
She felt the heat of the explosion and was soon caught in the massive wave of water that followed after
the explosion. The scene of her turning around and making a run for it seemed so still that it resembled
a picture.
Just as Winnie felt as if she was going to be swallowed whole, everything Xavier had said to her just a
couple of minutes ago began running through her mind in that split second.
I believe in you, Winnie. I’m also willing to place my trust in the police. However, I can’t trust Zyon or
take any chances. I’m terrified of anything and everything bad that might happen to you, so please
promise me you won’t put yourself in such a dangerous position again.
Back then, Winnie had promised him she would not rush into dangerous situations anymore, but she
did not mean it at all. As a matter of fact, she had only made the promise to placate Xavier.
Winnie believed in herself regardless if people thought of her as arrogant or proud. But alas, a single
person’s capability was nowhere near adequate in the face of a massive disaster.
The well-trained SWAT officers were all thrown into the air by the force of the wave and couldn’t fight
back at all.
Nonetheless, Winnie mustered all of her strength and ran forward.
As time ticked by, the rumbling above her head grew louder and louder.
The massive piece of steel was about to fall on her, but Winnie only felt one side of her body go numb.
Just then, her body was propelled by a force, and she landed about two meters away, completely
avoiding the piece of steel.
After that, the turbulent wave crashed onto the shore, a loud rumble resounding in its wake.
Winnie didn’t know what was pressing her onto the ground as the impact of the wave made her feel
dizzy, and her mind was foggy.
Fortunately, the tide went away just as quickly as it came.
The water level returned to normal soon after, and Winnie was finally able to breathe in some fresh air.
As she tried to move her body, she felt the weight that was on her back roll off by itself, and the rolling
motion was followed by a low grunt.
It was not until she heard the voice that Winnie realized the thing that was on her back was actually a
person.
Needless to say, she was shell-shocked when she turned her face to the side to catch a glimpse of the
person who had saved her. The person in question was none other than Josiah.
Winnie’s limbs were all intact, and she quickly stumbled to her knees. “Are you all right?” she asked.
Afraid that Josiah would lose consciousness, she kept talking to him while examining his body.
He had flung his body over hers, and it was his selfless gesture that had saved Winnie’s life. He
sustained a long and nasty gash over his back. The wound was bleeding profusely, and his torn shirt
had long been stained scarlet.
“Josiah! Josiah!” Winnie furrowed her brows. “Can you hear me? Wake up! You can’t die here. Do you
hear me?”
“Ouch…” Josiah sucked in a breath and chastised the woman, “God! My arm hurts. Stop shaking me.”
Winnie didn’t realize Josiah had also grazed his arm until he said that. After getting a better look at the
state of his arm, she realized the wound was huge.
“Come, I’ll help you up. Let’s go take care of your wounds.” She was prepared to lift Josiah up as she
spoke.
However, the man did not cooperate with her. Instead, he pushed her away and broke into laughter.
Winnie frowned in confusion. “Did you hit your head, or did some seawater get into your brain? Are you
tired of living already?”
“Of course not! But what about you? Do you not care about your husband?”
“What do you mean?”
Winnie found Josiah’s words to be strange. Despite that, she felt her gut instinct guiding her to turn her
head to the side and look.
Winnie listened to her gut instinct and looked to her right, only to see Xavier lying next to her.
No wonder! I felt something break my fall after I got pushed down. It didn’t hurt as much as I had
anticipated. It turns out that the pair of arms that grabbed my waist belonged to Xavier!
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAt that moment, a steel bar had pierced through Xavier’s arm.
The other end of the steel bar was lodged into the ground, and his blood flowed with the receding
seawater, forming a pink-colored stream underneath his body.
This must be painful, but he never winced, not even once. If Josiah didn’t remind me, I wouldn’t have
noticed that Xavier was right by my side all along.
“Xavier…”
Unknowingly, tears had welled up in Winnie’s eyes. She quickly knelt down beside Xavier and
examined his wounds, but she couldn’t stop her hands from trembling.
Her voice was shaking, too. “Does it hurt? Why didn’t you say something?”
“It doesn’t hurt.” The seawater had drenched Xavier’s hair and face. He sustained a few grazes on his
forehead, and the water that was caught in the pocket between his brow bone and eye was stained
red.
He lifted up his good arm and gently wiped off the drop of blood on the corner of Winnie’s eye. “Do you
blame me for not saving you in time?”
“How could I?” Seeing Xavier in this state, Winnie couldn’t hold back her tears. She held his hand
tightly and placed it on her cheek. “Didn’t you save me in the end?”
Xavier sighed and chuckled lightly. “It wasn’t me. It was Josiah who saved you. My reaction is way
slower now. He was much faster than me, and he was the one who saved you. By the time I came
over, you were already safe.”
“What about it? You’re here now, and that’s what matter.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, Dumbo.”
“No, don’t be sorry. This is Zyon’s fault. He was the one who bombed the cargo ship. If it weren’t for
him, this wouldn’t have happened at all! He’s the one who should be repenting. Where else are you
hurt? Tell me.”
“Here.” The man slowly pulled his hand out of Winnie’s and gently patted himself on the chest.
When Winnie noticed where he was patting, her face instantly fell.
That’s where the heart is!
“Let me have a look!” She forced her hands from trembling and was about to pry Xavier’s shirt open,
but Xavier promptly stopped her.
“I’m not wounded. It just hurts… I watched with my own two eyes as the love of my life fell in front of
me, but I couldn’t even react in time to run to her.”
“It’s fine!” Winnie stopped what she was doing upon hearing Xavier’s words. She knew this was the
aftereffect of the venom he was injected with, and not only did his reaction become slower, but his
stamina also deteriorated.
“We’ve already found Yulissa. I believe we’ll be able to produce an antidote soon, and everything will
go back to normal.”
Josiah, who was lying near the couple, also comforted them, “That’s right. All three of us are extremely
lucky. We survived this ordeal, so what else can’t we survive? An antidote is just child’s play compared
to this!”
Then he smiled and explained to Winnie, “Truth is, he was the one who forced me to save you.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have sprinted that fast. Oh right, since we’re all in such a pathetic state, let’s grab
an extra meal tonight.”
Winnie was still tearing up, but Josiah’s humorous words successfully made her feel less upset about
the situation.
Lifting the corners of his lips into a smile, Xavier agreed, “Sure. Go ahead and pick whatever you like.
It’s on me.”
“Nah”—Josiah struggled to prop himself up—“I’ll buy you guys a meal. I guarantee you it’ll be fresh!”
As he spoke, he reached into his shirt and chuckled mischievously.
It was then Winnie noticed he had pulled out an octopus that was as big as a human brain.
The couple was utterly taken aback by the sight of the sea creature.
“You’ve won, Josiah…” uttered Xavier after he regained his senses.
All of a sudden, Winnie didn’t feel as if she had just overcome a disaster. She felt as if she was
watching a comedy show instead.
After composing herself, she wiped the tears from her eyes and said to Xavier, “Wait here. I’ll go get
the first aid kit to treat your wounds.”
“What about me?” asked Josiah. “Am I not one of your saviors too?”
“Just sit here and accompany me, and take good care of your octopus. After all, you’re supposed to
treat us to a meal. It won’t be fresh if it dies,” Xavier retorted.
“Don’t just rely on me to do all the work. There’s a fish right next to your hand. Hurry up and catch it!”
The men’s banter made Winnie chuckle, but she swiftly shot a glare at Josiah and then warned Xavier,
“Don’t move about, or you might exacerbate your wounds! You two wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.”
With that, she stood up.
But as soon as she did that, the cargo ship behind her exploded once more.
The second explosion was likely caused by the oil tank of the ship instead of a bomb.
Nonetheless, another wave was bound to hit.
“Quick! Let’s go! We can’t stay here much longer,” said Josiah, his tone laced with urgency. He then
bent forward and pressed Xavier’s wound, applying pressure to it. “Winnie, pull out the steel bar!”
Winnie had witnessed the power of a wave that resulted from an explosion. She did not want to put
Xavier in danger for a second time.
After grunting in acknowledgment, she mustered her strength and pulled the blood-stained bar out of
the man’s arm.
The wave crashed right after that.
When the water receded, the three slowly got to their feet from among the ruins.
Winnie stood in the middle while supporting Xavier and Josiah on her sides.
Both men were almost two-meters tall, and needless to say, their weight was almost suffocating her.
As the three of them staggered forward with much difficulty, Josiah chuckled smugly. “Haha, I still have
the octopus. It’s destined to be our main course tonight.”
Upon hearing that, Xavier shot his friend a glare. “Is food all you can think of?”
“If I were you, I’d keep it as a pet,” said Winnie as her gaze landed on Josiah.
“Sure. I’ll listen to you, Ms. Garland.” Josiah chuckled before fishing his phone out of his pocket. “Oh,
my phone’s still working. Come, come! Let’s take a picture together.”
“Do we need to?” Winnie asked.
“Of course! We survived two catastrophes. Isn’t that worth taking a picture for commemoration?”
“But… you two are still bleeding.”
“It’s no big deal! Isn’t it just a gash on my back? What are you two afraid of?”
Unwilling to be bested by Josiah, Xavier chimed in, “Yeah. It’s just a gaping hole in my arm. It didn’t
injure my nerves or bone; it’s not a big deal at all. Come, let’s take a picture!”
“That’s right! Say cheese, everybody!”
Noticing he was still fiddling with the filters on his phone, Winnie snatched the phone from Josiah and
said, “It’s much more convenient for me to take the picture since I’m in the middle. Big smiles, boys, in
celebration of our survival!”
Just like that, the memory of the trio and an octopus huddled together in the middle of what was left of
a ruined dock was burned into a picture.
The picture went on to become the unchanging wallpaper on Josiah’s phone for many years that
followed.
Meanwhile, Zyon had obtained a hydrofoil.
The hydrofoil was a type of high-speed boat that could cover a distance of over a hundred kilometers
every hour. It was twice as fast as a regular merchant ship.
A normal boat could hardly catch up if the hydrofoil reached its fastest speed, and only a motorboat
could potentially match its pace.
Even so, there wasn’t an ounce of fear in Zyon, for he had already blown the yacht and cargo ship that
the police had prepared into smithereens.
The force of the explosion was so strong that the coast guards who wanted to chase them down in
motorboats would’ve been blown away.
Planning to catch me, huh? Don’t even think about it!
He cracked open a bottle of beer and celebrated with his subordinates and Scarface, who had come to
back him up.
“Hahaha! Thanks for the help, Scar. If it hadn’t been for your timely arrival, I would have had to spend
the rest of my life locked up in a Chanaean jail. The bombs you brought were truly incredible! Here,
allow me to toast you as thanks for saving my life.”
“You’re too kind, Mr. Fairchild.” Scarface clinked his bottle with Zyon’s. “Mr. Horton was the one who
made the order for you to be escorted back safely. You should thank him instead.”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Of course, of course. I’ll make sure to thank Mr. Horton once we arrive. For now, let’s drink!”
Zyon clinked his bottle with the rest of his subordinates and drank happily. Meanwhile, Jacinta, who
was sitting on the deck, looked at him with a hint of disappointment and displeasure in her eyes.
After a while, she finally switched on her phone, intending to give Winnie a call.
Unfortunately, her effort was futile as the boat was far away from land, and there was no signal out in
the ocean.
Jacinta’s phone didn’t have international roaming either, so it wouldn’t be of use even when they
reached international waters. At best, her phone was just an alarm clock.
I can’t keep waiting like this.
Left with no choice, Jacinta could only call out to her captor, “Zyon, come over here.”
If it hadn’t been for Jacinta’s help, Zyon’s escape from the Fairchild residence wouldn’t have gone so
smoothly. Moreover, if it hadn’t been for Jacinta’s money, he would’ve never been able to get in touch
with his contact and obtain the hydrofoil.
Although Zyon was still doubtful of the story Jacinta had told him and wasn’t entirely convinced she
was his biological grandmother, he still felt rather indebted to the elderly lady.
Hence, he didn’t mistreat her and walked over right after putting his bottle down.
“What’s wrong, Grandma? Are you thirsty?”
“No. You promised me you’d let us off once you’re safe. Rach’s wound needs to be treated, and she’s
already starting to develop a fever. She’ll get an infection if she doesn’t get taken to a hospital soon.”
“But”—Zyon scratched his head and scanned their surroundings—“there are no lifeboats here, only a
couple of lifebuoys. Do you want me to let you off right here? Can your body handle it though?”
“It’s better than following you. The police will definitely come after you, so we’ll be saved when they
arrive,” said Jacinta as she tightened her arm around Rachel.
“All right. This is farewell, then. Let’s not meet again, Grandma.”
Jacinta looked at Zyon and whispered through gritted teeth, “I helped you because my blood flows in
you, but how could you do such a thing? Do you know how many people you could’ve killed?”
“It wasn’t me who pulled the trigger.” Zyon lowered his voice as well and subtly pointed at Scarface,
who was behind him. “He was the one who brought all the bombs. He’s a ruthless one and compared
to him, I’m not that insane.”
“I don’t care! I just want to leave right now!”
“Okay, okay. I wasn’t planning on bringing you two along either. I’ll get the lifebuoys right away.”
Zyon turned around as he spoke, but almost instantly, he felt a cold sensation.
It was none other than a gun barrel that was being pressed against his temple.
This terrified Zyon, and he quickly raised his hands in submission as he staggered backward. “S-Scar,
what’s the meaning of this? Is this some kind of mistake? Be careful not to pull the trigger by accident!”
The vicious-looking Scarface growled, “This isn’t a mistake. I’m telling you now that no one on this boat
is allowed to leave. You wanted to be quick, so I got you this boat. The Chanaean police don’t have the
authority to pursue us in international waters, but the Rodunstian police can very well arrest us
because this boat is registered in Rodunst.”
After a pause, he continued, “If the Chanaean police requests help from Rodunst to arrest us, we won’t
be safe in international waters. We need hostages, so these two can’t leave! You can toss them
anywhere you like once we’re out of the Rodunstian border.”
“Huh? But she’s my grandma. I can’t just toss her at sea once we’re out of Rodunst.”
“Oh, she’s family, huh? That’s great, then. You can bring your grandma over and take care of her. As
you know, Mr. Horton values filial piety. If he knows you’re such a filial grandson, he’ll definitely like you
even more.”
At that moment, Jacinta was filled with regret. How did things turn out this way? I should’ve never
helped Zyon!
Over at the dock, an ambulance had arrived, and the doctors were attending to Xavier’s and Josiah’s
wounds.
Just then, Winnie’s phone rang, and upon lifting her phone up, she realized it was a call from Jacinta.
Unfortunately, the call ended after only ringing once. When Winnie tried calling her grandmother back,
she was greeted by an automated response that told her Jacinta’s phone was out of the service area.
She then made a quick decision to call the police.
“Lieutenant Zielinski, my granny called me earlier, but it only rang once. If I enable international
roaming on her phone now, will the police be able to track her location?”
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