Chapter 4

In the early morning hours, Julian broke down my dormitory door.

"Samuel, something's happened."

I sat up in bed and saw his face had gone deathly pale.

"My daughter Clark..."

"Clark's company just transferred her from the administrative department to the inspection team on a deep-sea drilling platform..."

My heart sank.

"When did this happen?"

"Just now... She sent me a message saying she suddenly got a notice from HR this afternoon, telling her to take a helicopter to the platform tonight to report."

"She doesn't know anything. She studied financial management. She doesn't even have an offshore operations certificate..."

"Did you call her?"

"I tried. She's not picking up."

Julian's eyes were red.

"Her last message said she arrived at the platform and told me not to worry. Then I couldn't reach her anymore."

I took his phone and looked.

The last message was from half an hour ago—a blurry photo of iron-gray deck railings with pitch-black sea in the distance.

Her last message read: [Dad, I'm here. The wind is really strong. Talk tomorrow. Good night.]

"Samuel!"

Julian suddenly crouched down, hands clutching his head.

"I know it was that Thomas who did this. He's coming after me!"

"Don't panic."

"How can I not panic?"

He frantically grabbed at his hair.

"The drilling platform inspection team—you know what they do, don't you? They walk around on deck, and when the waves are big, people can get swept right off into the sea..."

"He wouldn't dare actually hurt Clark. What he wants is for you to beg me."

Julian froze, then slowly dropped to his knees.

"Samuel..."

"Get up."

"Samuel, I know that man must have wronged you somehow. I shouldn't be kneeling.

But Clark... she's only twenty-two. She doesn't understand anything. She's afraid to even touch a crab..."

His forehead pressed against the cold cement floor, sobbing convulsively.

"I'm begging you. After seven years with you... You can yell at me, hit me, whatever... just please save Clark."

I crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Julian, look at me."

He raised his head, tears covering his face.

"I promise you, Clark will be fine."

"Then will you..."

"I have other ways to deal with him."

I pulled him up from the floor.

"I'll figure out a way to keep Clark safe. But this job—I can't take it."

Julian froze, wanting to say something but unable to get it out.

Suddenly, a massive roar came from outside. The sound of helicopter blades approached from far away, and the entire room shook.

A black helicopter was landing on the base's helipad, with Ocean Corporation's silver logo on its side.

Before the rotors had fully stopped, the cabin door opened.

Thomas stepped out wearing a dark coat, followed by two bodyguards in suits.

Then came a woman I'd seen before.

Ten years later, she looked the same. Perfect makeup as always, looking pitiful as always, carefully helped down by Thomas holding her hand as always.

"It's them."

I turned to look at Julian.

Fear and fury alternated across Julian's face as his trembling fists clenched.

"Samuel, they brought bodyguards..."

"Doesn't matter."

I grabbed my jacket from the bedside and put it on.

"Let's go."

Thomas stood in the middle of the helipad, with people already at his side.

His gaze swept across this shabby facility—the rust-stained metal shacks, the dock piled with equipment, the cables wrapped in grease—his lips curling with undisguised disgust.

Then he saw me.

His gaze stopped on me for less than half a second before looking away.

He didn't recognize me.

After all, the person I was now bore little resemblance to the wife he used to hold hands with every morning ten years ago.

"Who's in charge?"

Thomas spoke, clearly out of patience.

Julian instinctively glanced at me. I walked two steps toward Thomas.

"Me."

He finally gave me a proper look.

"You?"

"Me."

He laughed coldly and said something to the bodyguard beside him.

Then he looked at Julian behind me.

"You're Julian? How's Clark doing on my platform?"