"Luke, head back to the villa first."

She told her friend as she took the opposite direction to their villa after leaving Noah's villa.

"Okay," he answered absentmindedly.

He was almost to the door when he remembered the blood on the card of the flower bouquet that was sent this morning. He panicked and ran down the stairs in search of Jess.

He was panicking that he didn't hear nor see Noah calling him. He took the steps two steps at a time, and once he reached the beach area he didn't know which way to go.

Intuition told him to go left. Few people are down there, and Jess would have preferred an uncrowded area to clear her mind.

He silently prayed that his deduction would be correct and he could find Jess as soon as possible.

He was berating himself with his stupidity as he walked and scanned people along the beach. He has been walking for fifteen minutes without seeing Jess or anyone who looks like her.

He was about to call Ellise and ask for help when he saw a girl sitting on the sand, wearing a yellow blouse.

He bent over, gripped his knees in relief. He was half- panting and his chest was thundering with nervous anxiety.

Seeing Jess unharmed a few meters away from him. He slowly walks parallel to her location, putting enough distance between the two of them that Jess won't notice him, watching her.

He felt like a stalker.

But right now, that's not what matters. Ellise hasn't come back to him of what was the result of Briare's investigation about the card drenched in blood.

Moreover, Jess was defenseless right now as she was unaware that she was in danger. That, someone, was threatening her.

He was already thinking of the worst, because why would anyone send a card with a note written in blood if they don't want your blood.

He found a shady area where he could watch Jess without her knowing. He sat down and sent Ellise a message asking about the investigation. Also, he asked her when they would tell Jess about the threat.

He put his phone back into his shorts pocket and leaned back against the palm tree trunk, wondering what was troubling Jess to seek solace in this place.

Even though the sun was still hot on Jess' skin, she didn't seem to mind. She sat on the wet sand near the water. Her feet were stretched out in front of her, the sea kissing the soles of her feet.

He knew something was up between Jess and Noah.

Noah left their villa this morning with Lucille in his arms, giving Jess a moment. He told him that Jess needed him, yet, when he stepped out of the balcony, Jess was casually leaning against the railing, eyes cast toward the horizon.

He asked her what was the matter, but she just smiled, saying everything was fine. However, her eyes were red from crying.

He didn't push her to talk because he knew her. The more you urge her to say something, the more likely she is to do the opposite.

Noah probably does not know that about Jess.

--

Sitting down on a sofa for a two hours movie between Lucille and Noah was something Jess didn't expect when she agreed to Lucille's invitation to watch a movie.

It's a good thing she watched the movie a few times before, so despite her brain being out of sorts, she was able to answer Lucille's questions about what's happening in the movie that they were watching.

She knew Lucille was smart, but she didn't realize how smart she is until she sat down with her and watched that movie.

Her comments and questions about the movie were not what you would expect from a child her age.

She welcomed her curious mind but not the uncomfortable distance or lack thereof with Noah. They were sitting so close with each other that her heart never hit the proper beat the whole duration of the movie.

Thus, the moment the movie ended, she and Luke wished the Tiefenbachers a goodbye and thanked them for their hospitality.

However, instead of retreating to their own villa, she told Luke that she needed a break and decided to walk along the beach.

Despite the resort's distance between accommodation clusters, which gives each guest a good amount of privacy, the beach is a different story.

The beach was littered with crowds doing random activities or guests simply lying down, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun.

Her feet led her toward a less crowded area. And after walking for about thirty minutes, she finally found a spot where there were no people.

She dropped herself on the wet sand. She stretched her feet and watched the gentle waves of the ocean caress the soles of her feet.

This repetitive process and the serene sea in front of her provided the much-needed peace she needed.

In her mind, she was building up the courage to ask Noah what had happened with them at the Midland Hotel on Christmas Eve. But after what happened this morning, she decided to forget about it.

It is pointless to ask him. After all, what happened that night was something she could not simply make him recall.

She was drunk that night. However, when she woke up naked next to him the next day, she remembered everything that happened to them that night.

He was barely drunk that night. He just had a glass of wine. That was it!

She now wondered if she didn't run away to the hotel restaurant after waking up naked next to him, would he remember her?

She had no way of knowing. She had two cups of coffee at the hotel restaurant, and when she returned to her room, Noah was gone.

They met at the laboratory after two months and he clearly told her that he did not remember her!