It was almost morning and, as the storm settled, so did the boat. It was still raining, but Ethan knew that it wouldn't be long before Stephen un-battened the hatches, and he would be set free. After sitting up all night with nothing to amuse him but his thoughts, he wondered if today would be the day that Stephen finally sat them down and asked Kylie to decide between them who she wanted to be with. When he'd walked away from Stephen's boat that first time, there had been no doubt in his mind that she would choose him, but things seemed different now – and that difference scared the shit out of him.

He had been scared long before this final engagement on the boat, though, and he'd done everything in his power to distract himself. He'd even laughed when he'd beaten Tom, knowing that he was innocent. Dora had thrown him under the bus, so he'd punished him for teaching her a lesson, and Dora, who'd been caught by her own lie, had been unable to say a thing.

​​

Standing in front of Dora, he had put out his cigarette on Tom's forehead, and the smell of burning flesh had permeated the air. He drew it in through his nose and made a ring of it as she blew it out of his mouth. "Don't cry out now," he'd told Tom. "In medieval times, you would have gotten much worse…"

Despite Dora's attempt to stay calm, tears welled up in her eyes. Finally, she could stand it no longer. "This is not right," she said. "You are upset about Kylie, and you're taking it out on the people you know and love!"

Ethan looked at her coldly and said, "I only love Kylie. Even if she was the most stupid, useless, ugliest woman in the world, I would still choose her over you!"

Finally, the dam broke, and Dora began to cry. "Even so," she replied. "I love you more than she ever could. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

After saying that, Dora threw modesty out the window and swiftly took off all of her clothes. She didn't care who stared at her, so long as Ethan took notice of her. Her heart completely died, though when he turned away from her before she'd even pushed her panties past her knees. Feeling completely ashamed, she covered her breasts with her right arm and her cunt with her left hand. Bent over, she'd hobbled into the next room, and that had been the last time that Ethan had seen her. He had sent his men to check on her the next day, but nothing of any importance had come from that.

Before leaving, Ethan made a fist and punched Tom in the throat so hard that he crushed his windpipe. Tom brought his hands to his throat and began to wheeze. It only lasted for a second, and then he fell over onto his side. There was blood bubbling out of his mouth, but he was dead.

Ethan turned to Elliot and said, "He may have been an idiot, but please take him away and ensure that he is given an honorable burial on hallowed ground."

Elliot nodded and said, "I recorded the event just as you ordered. When you are ready to make use of it, let me know, and I will get it for you. Is there anything else that you might need from me before I go?"

"I think we're good here," Ethan replied. "I received news that Nico is in Seattle, and I have arranged for Stephen to provide me with a safe passage. Apparently, Nico has taken up with a large crime boss – he's living an extravagant life and hanging out in nightclubs. It is my intention to put an end to that right quick."

All had gone well, he realized, from then until the moment that he'd boarded Stephen's boat. It was only then that things had begun to go wonky.

Stephen looked out the window and realized that the sun had risen so slowly that he hadn't even noticed it. He looked out the window and saw that it wasn't raining anymore, and the sea was calm. He hadn't been let out though, and the boat's motor wasn't running, which made him worry that something might have gone wrong overnight. He looked up to the ceiling. "Good morning," he hollered. "Is somebody going to come and let me go?"

***

When Kylie woke up, she found herself in a state of shock. The first thing that worried her was that she was alone, but when she looked out the window and saw that the boat had docked, she smiled. She had grown sick of being at sea, and she was anxious to be on solid ground again.

Kylie yawned, climbed out of bed, and went to meet Stephen in the kitchen. He had just finished making pancakes, and while they ate, he said, "I just have a few things to do. Once they are done, I'll drive you to where your crew is waiting. I'm sure that they will be happy to see you after all of these days."

Kylie smiled but refused his offer. "You're busy," she said. "I can call someone to pick me up. It is not a big deal."

"Alright," Stephen replied. "Just know that if you need anything, I am just a phone call away."

Lucas arrived at the port a half-hour later to pick up Kylie. As she got into his car, she said, "I knew that it was a long shot to call you, and I was surprised that you were here. What brings you here, anyway?"

"When Stephen told me that he was coming to Seattle by boat," he replied, "I took a plane. If he needs anything, I want to be there for him. When I got your call, though, I expected him to be here with you…"

"He's still in his chambers still," Kylie replied, "and I didn't want to wake him."

"Alright," Lucas laughed. "Let's get you to the set."

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Dear Readers,

Note: Buy the privilege on September 1 onwards!

I will make another mass release on September 1st and consider changing the privilege price by lowering it down per tier and adding more additional chapters for the highest tier with cheaper coins required, as I participate in the Webnovel event that will benefit both readers and author. Spending at least 300 coins will get back 20% reward only if this novel reaches at least a minimum of 500 users to buy the advanced chapters.

If we reach this target in the second week of September, I will release a total of 100 chapters in exchange for the privilege you have purchased.

Your comment and review are most welcome, and I am looking forward to that you guys will continue to support this one.

The next mass release will be depending on the number of power stone votes, review, comments, and privilege sales.

Many thanks for considering my request.

Anna Shannel Lin