Chapter 4 - THE CAPTAIN'S SECRET
We spent the next hour moving through the yacht's lower compartments.
The storm had arrived.
Rain battered the windows.
Thunder rolled across the ocean.
The yacht rocked harder with every passing minute.
The conditions were perfect for Flynn's plan.
No one would see anything.
No one would hear anything.
And if I disappeared overboard, the sea would erase almost every trace.
But Flynn had made one mistake.
He had underestimated how badly a person fights when she knows exactly what she stands to lose.
My parents.
My future.
My own life.
I wasn't going to surrender any of them.
We eventually reached the bridge.
Daniel disabled the external camera system.
Lena watched the corridor.
I stood behind the captain's chair.
Captain Reed was missing.
His seat was empty.
But his navigation screen remained active.
“Where is he?” I whispered.
Daniel pointed toward the side door.
We entered a private office.
The captain was there.
He was sitting on the floor with his hands tied.
A bruise darkened his cheek.
“Captain!”
Lena rushed toward him.
He shook his head.
“Don't.”
“What happened?”
“They know.”
“Who?”
He looked at me.
“Your husband.”
I knelt.
“Why?”
The captain swallowed.
“Because I refused to cooperate.”
“With what?”
“Killing you.”
My throat tightened.
“Tell me everything.”
He looked toward Daniel.
“Is he with you?”
“Yes.”
The captain's face changed.
“Then we're already too late.”
Daniel frowned.
“What do you mean?”
The captain looked at me.
“Your father hired me.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He contacted me six weeks ago.”
“To do what?”
“To keep the yacht under your family's control.”
My heart pounded.
“He knew?”
“He knew someone was trying to take control of your inheritance.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he believed your communications were compromised.”
I thought of the strange messages.
The private conversations Flynn seemed to know.
The business meetings my father had canceled.
The way my father had suddenly become distant before the wedding.
It had all been deliberate.
He had been trying to protect me.
The captain continued.
“Your father instructed me to keep you safe during the honeymoon.”
“Then why didn't you?”
“Because two members of my crew were replaced the night before departure.”
Lena looked shocked.
“Replaced?”
The captain nodded.
“They came aboard pretending to be mechanics.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Where are they now?”
The captain looked toward the lower deck.
“Waiting for orders.”
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed somewhere above us.
Lena jumped.
Daniel immediately moved toward the door.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Olivia—”
“I am done hiding.”
Daniel stared.
Then nodded.
We moved carefully.
Another gunshot.
Then shouting.
We reached the main corridor.
One of the guards lay unconscious.
Another was running toward the bridge.
Daniel intercepted him.
A brief struggle followed.
The guard fell.
Daniel searched his jacket.
He pulled out a phone.
The screen showed a message from Flynn.
GET HER TO THE AFT DECK.
My stomach twisted.
“They're still following the original plan.”
I looked at the clock.
11:18 p.m.
Twelve minutes.
Then I remembered something.
The aft deck.
The storm.
The lifeboats.
The cameras.
Everything had been planned.
Except for one variable.
Me.
I turned to Daniel.
“I need you to do something.”
“What?”
“Let Flynn think I'm exactly where he expects me to be.”
Daniel stared.
“You want to use yourself as bait?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“I have an idea.”
I explained.
Daniel listened.
Then slowly nodded.
“It could work.”
Lena looked terrified.
“What if it doesn't?”
I looked at her.
“Then you get to shore and tell my father what happened.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Lena—”
“You saved me by trusting me.”
She took my hand.
“I'm not leaving you.”
For the first time that night, I smiled.
“Okay.”
We separated.
Lena went to the communication room.
Daniel hid near the aft corridor.
I returned to my suite.
Then I called Flynn.
He answered immediately.
“Olivia?”
My voice trembled deliberately.
“Flynn?”
“Are you okay?”
“I think I'm getting worse.”
Silence.
Then:
“I knew you should have taken another pill.”
I swallowed.
“Can you come here?”
“Of course.”
“I'm scared.”
He paused.
Then said:
“I'll be right there.”
I hung up.
Five minutes later, the door opened.
Flynn entered.
He looked worried.
Perfectly worried.
“Come on,” he said gently.
“Where?”
“You need fresh air.”
I looked at him.
“The aft deck?”
“Yes.”
I pretended to hesitate.
Then took his hand.
“Okay.”
He smiled.
We walked through the corridor.
Every step brought me closer to the place where he intended to kill me.
The storm raged outside.
Wind screamed against the windows.
When we reached the aft deck, Flynn opened the door.
Rain hit my face.
He stepped behind me.
“You should have trusted me,” he whispered.
I turned.
“What?”
His expression changed.
The mask was gone.
No affection.
No concern.
Nothing.
Only calculation.
“You were supposed to be asleep.”
I stepped backward.
He moved forward.
“You made this difficult.”
“Why?”
He laughed softly.
“Because you never understood how easy your life was.”
“You wanted my money.”
“I wanted what your money represented.”
He reached for me.
I screamed.
Then the deck lights exploded.
Darkness swallowed us.
Flynn froze.
A voice came from behind him.
“Take one more step.”
Daniel.
Flynn slowly turned.
Then smiled.
“You're too late.”
Behind him, another figure appeared.
Aidan.
Holding a weapon.
And beside him stood Fiona.
She was crying.
But not from fear.
She was smiling.
May you like
“Olivia,” she whispered.
“You should never have come back from this trip.”
