“Joseph Wilson!”“What do you think you’re doing here?”“Do you even understand what kind of place this is? If you broke so much as one of these glasses, could you afford to replace it?”The ocean stretched endlessly beneath the open sky as a luxury liner worth billions cut through the waves.Inside, everything spoke of wealth and excess—from the lavish décor to the impeccably dressed guests gathered throughout the ship. These were people of money, power, and influence, and they made no effort to hide it.Among them, Joseph Wilson stood out for all the wrong reasons.He had barely taken his seat when he reached for a glass, hoping a drink might settle his seasick stomach.Before his fingers could touch it, a middle-aged woman in an ostentatious gown flung an entire glass of champagne into his face.She was his mother-in-law, Brianna Rivera.Her outburst immediately drew the attention of everyone nearby.“You want a drink?”A cruel smile spread across Brianna’s face.“Take a good look

Joseph’s cabin was barely larger than a storage closet.It took several showers to wash the stench of urine from his skin. His clothes were beyond saving, so he threw them straight into the trash.One day, he would make Charles pay for what he had done.By nightfall, the crowds on the deck had thinned, and the ship had gradually fallen quiet.But in a dimly lit corridor not far from Joseph’s cabin, something sinister was already taking shape.Joseph had eaten nothing all day, and the constant rocking of the ship had only worsened his seasickness. His head throbbed so badly that it felt ready to split open.When he stepped outside, however, he stopped dead.A jade pendant hung from the door handle, glowing faintly beneath the corridor lights.He recognized it immediately.It was the pendant he had given Alice when she fell gravely ill as a child.Joseph had carried it for as long as he could remember. Back then, with nothing else to offer her, he had placed it in her hands and told her

Pain.That was the first thing Joseph felt.Seawater closed over him, icy enough to cut straight to the bone. His entire body ached, and the pressure in his skull was so intense it felt as though his head might split apart.Then the memories came.They poured into his mind in broken fragments—memories that did not belong to him.How to find food in the wilderness.How to identify medicinal plants.How to build a shelter.How to treat wounds and illness...The flood of knowledge churned violently through his head, threatening to tear him apart from within. Joseph struggled to make sense of it, but every time he tried to focus, the fragments slipped away.He had no idea how long the agony lasted.Eventually, a strange warmth spread through his body, slowly driving back the cold.Joseph’s eyes fluttered open.With great effort, he pushed himself upright.The luxury liner was gone.Before him lay a long, desolate beach strewn with jagged rocks, driftwood, and pieces of wreckage. A bitter

Joseph’s expression darkened.For a moment, he considered turning away.After everything Charles had done to him, why should he care what happened to Charles’s sister?He took one step, then stopped.Charles’s crimes belonged to Charles.Heather had not been the one who humiliated him, threatened Alice, or ordered him thrown into the sea.No matter how much Joseph hated her brother, Heather did not deserve this.He bent down, picked up a stone, and hurled it.“Argh!”The rock struck the man hard.He spun around, clearly having believed they were alone.The moment he saw someone watching, all the color drained from his face. He scrambled to his feet and fled through the trees without even bothering to pull his trousers up properly.Joseph waited until the man had disappeared before stepping out of hiding.“You have no idea how much trouble you almost ended up in.”He crouched and lifted Heather over his shoulder.Perhaps it was only his imagination, but she seemed considerably heavier

“How dare you hit my brother!”Heather rushed forward and threw her arms around Charles, helping him sit up.Then she turned and glared at Joseph.“He was asking for it.”Joseph was already tired of dealing with the Martin siblings.“Since you’re here, you can clear this up yourself.”He pointed at Charles.“Tell your brother exactly when I kidnapped you.”Charles stared at Heather.“You’re all right?”He looked her over as if unable to believe she was standing there unharmed.Then his gaze shifted toward one of his men.The lackey stiffened.“S-Sir, I saw it myself!”He hurriedly pointed at Joseph.“I saw that worthless bastard carry Miss Heather away with my own eyes!”“With your own eyes?”Joseph narrowed his gaze and slowly looked the man up and down.“When I found Heather last night, a man was about to assault her.”“There was no one else nearby.”“So tell me—if you saw me take her away, where exactly were you hiding?”The lackey’s face changed.“What are you trying to say?”Jose