“I have to admit,” Charles said suddenly with a laugh, “your powers of deduction are impressive. Every step of your reasoning fits perfectly. No wonder so many people are willing to follow you without question.”“So you admit it?” Joseph narrowed his eyes, waiting for Charles to confess. “How could you do something like this?”Without question, Charles’s actions had made him the target of everyone’s outrage.The terror that had gripped them moments ago had now turned wholly into fury.By Joseph’s reasoning, Charles was indeed the one with both the greatest capability and the strongest motive.What they had never imagined was that, simply because they had not chosen his side, he would murder a man so coldly.And now he was even pretending to speak for the sea god, just to fill them with fear.Charles was beneath contempt.More and more, they felt their choice at the beginning had been the right one.At last, they were seeing Charles for what he truly was.“Charles, don’t you think what

As cries rang out one after another, Charles’s expression darkened immediately.“How does every bit of luck always fall into that idiot’s hands?”Worse still, he had never noticed them before.Charles’s people wasted no time. They ran to the other reef rocks and began searching frantically.But it was too late.After Joseph had already harvested them, they found almost nothing—certainly not even a tenth of what he had gathered—and what little remained were tiny ones, so small they barely contained any flesh at all.Truly wild oysters were nothing like the contaminated shellfish sold along crowded coastlines. These were plump, clean, and richly meaty.Even so, Joseph was not fully at ease.He found a sheet of metal they had collected earlier, washed ashore from the ferry.That became his makeshift griddle.One by one, Joseph pried open the oysters and laid them across the iron plate.He placed the sea snails as well, setting them in the center.On an island like this, any parasite coul

“No!”Joseph froze, then cut in at once.Alice had already stepped forward.Joseph was about to say something more when Alice’s warm hands closed gently over his.“Don’t worry.”She smiled faintly. “You’ve already done so much for all of us. It’s time I did what I can.”That smile left Joseph momentarily spellbound.At that instant, Alice seemed breathtakingly beautiful, the kind of beauty that could unmake kingdoms.And somehow, that very sight made Joseph’s taut heart sink even deeper.“Mr. Martin, I agree.”Alice’s face was expressionless. “Go back and make your preparations. Don’t delay tomorrow morning’s departure.”“And I hope there won’t be any more complications.”“Now that’s more like it.”A sly, unhidden smile spread across Charles’s face.“Joseph, Joseph—do you see? Alice is willing. So stop meddling where you’re not wanted.”At that moment, Charles looked every bit like a petty man reveling in a cheap victory.“Alice has far better judgment than you. She knows what choice

Time, place, and opportunity—nothing would ever align this perfectly again.Charles had been fixated on Alice, waiting for the moment she’d be isolated and within his reach.Joseph had read him well and assigned a few people to watch over her.But Charles had shoved those people to the very front of the line, leaving more than ten meters between them and the pair at the back.If he chose to act now, they wouldn’t make it back in time.Charles’s bodyguards weren’t amateurs either; Joseph’s people were no match.Just as Charles had said: at this distance, not even a god could swoop in and save Alice in time.His greedy gaze made no attempt at disguise, raking over Alice before settling on her chest.“You really are an animal,” Alice said through clenched teeth.Her delicate fingers tightened around the dagger’s hilt.She had already decided: if Charles tried anything, she would show no mercy.If she couldn’t take him down with her, she would take her own life before letting him defile h

Julia Kelly blanched.“You know her?” Joseph asked.“Yes.” Julia nodded quickly. “She’s from the Capital. The Martin family has been trying to expand there, and she’s the legitimate daughter of one of their partner clans. The Capital’s Martin family sent her to audit Charles’s branch.”She continued, “But word in our circles is that Charles Martin and Naomi Martin are set for a political marriage. She came this time to assess Charles’s character. If all went well, the next trip would be for their wedding—and with that, the Martins would be strong enough to dominate all of Cloudsea City.”“I’ve heard the same,” Noah Diaz added, nodding. “The rumor’s been all over the upper crust in Cloudsea.”“To impress her, Charles invited her on that cruise—and then the accident happened. We washed up on this island.” Julia shook her head. “I never imagined she’d be tossed here too, let alone wind up like this.”“Everyone in Cloudsea knows this story,” she said. “Because of Naomi, Charles’s family h