2026-11-02 22:16:08
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 12
The morning after Lucas rejected her apology, Claire woke up before dawn.She stood in the quiet kitchen of the apartment, preparing the warm chicken broth and steamed dumplings Lucas used to eat whenever he was recovering from a bad cold.She packed the food carefully into an insulated thermal container, determined not to give up.Sitting behind the wheel of her car, Claire told herself that his harsh words yesterday were only the lingering hurt talking.He had just come back from the edge of death, his body was in pain, and his emotions were still raw.For five years, Lucas had always melted whenever she showed him a little bit of softness.She convinced herself that once he tasted familiar home-cooked food and saw that she was truly trying to care for him, the ice between them would begin to thaw.Claire arrived at the hospital, carrying the thermal bag as she took the elevator up to the fourth floor.She walked down the quiet corridor toward Room 402, her footsteps slowing as she
Chapter 11
Lucas frowned, the dull pain in his head momentarily forgotten. Could it be Claire?Over the crackling maritime radio, Mark hesitated before asking, “Claire has been searching for you nonstop. Should I let her know you’re alive, Lucas?”Lucas stayed silent for a long moment, the deep ache in his broken ribs throbbing with every breath."Not yet," Lucas said softly.Two hours later, an ambulance brought Lucas into the central port hospital under tight security.Claire arrived at Pier Seven only to find the cargo ship already cleared, but the dockworkers confirmed the survivor's name.She raced straight to the hospital, sprinting down the sterile white corridor toward the trauma wing.Seeing the name Team Leader Lucas Cole slotted into the door frame of room 402, a sob of pure relief tore from her throat.She reached out with shaking hands, her fingers wrapping around the brass handle to push it open.A nurse stepped in front of the door, blocking her way with a firm hand."Excuse me, m
Chapter 10
Lucas had been missing at sea for nearly two days.During those forty-eight hours, Claire barely closed her eyes for a single minute.Her expensive business clothes were wrinkled, her hair was tied back in a messy knot, and dark purple shadows circled her bloodshot eyes. She refused to go back to the hotel, sitting on the cold plastic bench in the harbor base hallway like a ghost.Every time the low rumble of a rescue boat sounded outside the harbor basin, she scrambled to her feet and ran out to the docks.Whenever a stretcher was carried down the gangway, she pushed through the medical workers to look at the survivor's face.She checked every name on the rescue sheets, asking the divers the same questions until her voice turned into a hoarse whisper."Ms. Hayes, you have to sit down and drink some water," her assistant begged, holding out a paper cup with trembling hands. "You haven't slept in two days. If you keep going like this, your body will collapse."Claire pushed the cup awa
Chapter 9
The search went on through the entire night, but the storm showed no mercy.Out on the open water, searchlights swept across the rolling black waves, finding nothing but floating debris and twisted pieces of metal.Claire did not leave the harbor for a single minute.Every time a patrol boat returned or an ambulance pulled up to a dockside clinic, she ran through the rain to check the names of the survivors.She went from the emergency room at the central port hospital to the temporary medical tents set up along the pier, searching every face beneath the foil blankets.Whenever someone called out that an unidentified crew member had been brought ashore, her heart leaped into her throat, only to crash into complete despair when she saw a stranger's face.Her phone in her pocket buzzed constantly throughout the morning.There were urgent calls from her company directors about an offshore contract, text messages from clients, and repeated calls from Julian asking about Leo.For the first
Chapter 8
Claire drove through the heavy rain toward the maritime rescue base, her hands trembling so hard she could barely hold the steering wheel.The windshield wipers swept violently against the glass, but the road ahead remained a blur. All she could hear in her head was the duty officer's grim voice telling her that Lucas's boat had flipped in the outer reef.She abandoned her car near the main gate and ran into the operations building, soaked in rainwater.The lobby was filled with the tense hum of radios and ringing phones. Rescue staff in yellow waterproof jackets moved hurriedly between rooms, clutching weather maps and casualty sheets.Claire rushed straight to the front reception desk, her breath ragged. "I'm looking for Team Leader Lucas Cole. Where is he? Has there been any news from the search teams?"The young officer behind the desk looked up in surprise. "Ma'am, who are you?""I'm his wife," Claire said, wiping the cold rain from her face. "Claire Hayes. I received a call sayi
Chapter 7
Before dawn, the emergency phone rang in the base dormitory.Director Vance called Lucas into the command office, pointing toward the live radar display on the wall.A violent storm had shifted back toward the coast, kicking up massive waves across the outer reef.A large passenger ship carrying over two hundred people had suffered complete power failure and was drifting toward the rocks."It's a bad one, Lucas," Vance said, his face lined with heavy concern."Your leg still hasn't fully healed from the survey wreck, and you have a family waiting at home. You don't have to lead this rescue boat.""I can assign Team Leader Miller's relief team to take point while you coordinate from the dock," Vance offered quietly.Lucas looked at the radar tracking the drifting passenger vessel in the storm."The water out there is dangerous, Director. Nobody on our team knows those shallow rocks better than I do.""Those passengers don't have time for a crew that has to second-guess the approach," L
You may also like
Revenge of the Secret Heir
Belladonna87.1K viewsDrakon of the Seven Armies
Maddy Taurus565.3K viewsXayne Xavier, The Ironclad Protector
Blanco Burn208.7K viewsTrillionaire Ex husband's Revenge
Jericho Chase96.7K viewsPEREZ: WHEN AURA MEETS POWER
Authoress Vicky257 viewsHe Came Back to Collect
SlavoAsad293 viewsZero, What a God!
King Cume96 viewsThe Women Next Door
Misato's Pen269 views