Ch. 521..530

Chapter 521 That Is Not Christina

“Camila, Lucas, be good. I promise I’ll bring your mommy home.” Nathaniel urged his children to stay with their grandparents a little longer.

Reluctantly, Camila and Lucas followed Julia’s lead and left.

Just then, Francis entered with a somber expression.

As if he could read minds, one look was enough for Nathaniel to tell the heartbreaking news that Francis carried.

Without wasting a moment. Nathaniel rushed toward the beach. The rescue team had covered the lifeless female body they had just recovered with a white cloth.

As Nathaniel approached, the team made way for him.

Though each breath felt heavy, he pressed forward until he stood before the shrouded figure.

Just as he reached out to lift the white cloth, the team leader intervened, “Mr. Hadley…”

The team leader couldn’t bear to let Nathaniel see the disfigured state of the body as the wildlife had gotten to it first.

However, Nathaniel disregarded the team leader’s intervention and proceeded to lift the white cloth.

The scent of decay filled the air as the corpse, soaked in water for an extended period, emitted a pungent odor. Its disfigured state made everyone feel uneasy, and even the seasoned members of the rescue team couldn’t help but retch.

Nevertheless, Nathaniel remained resolute, furrowing his brows as he carefully examined the body.

The height and weight matched. Even the dress’ color and design appeared identical.

“It’s not her…” After a prolonged silence, Nathaniel gently lowered the cloth and made his announcement.

Everyone fell into stunned silence.

“Mr. Hadley, we understand your grief, but advanced technology will be needed to determine her identity.” The truth was that DNA testing was necessary due to the extent of disfigurement, rendering. traditional identification methods impossible.

Besides, everyone could understand Nathaniel’s state of desperation and denial.

“Nathaniel, are you absolutely sure it’s not Christina?” However, Francis thought otherwise. He trusted Nathaniel’s judgment.

“Yes, it’s not her.” Nathaniel nodded firmly as hope reignited within him.

He had reason to believe that Christina was still alive until he found concrete evidence that proved otherwise.

“All right then, I’ll join you in the search, Francis offered, following Nathaniel’s lead.

Onlookers couldn’t help but question the sanity of the two siblings as they observed the unfolding scene. Nathaniel and Francis geared up once more, ready to dive into the depths of the sea in search of Christina. This time, a significant discovery awaited them. They came across the necklace that Christina had been wearing approximately seven kilometers away from where she had fallen into the water.

The discovery of the necklace brought them a significant breakthrough, leaving no room for doubt that Christina had been rescued.

After careful deliberation, Nathaniel and Francis reached a decision to divide their efforts and expand their search.

Francis mobilized his team to scour the depths of the sea while Nathaniel dispatched his men to comb the coastal villages.

Meanwhile, news of Nathaniel’s prolonged absence from Hadley Corporation reached Anya’s ears.

“Yerek, do you think something bad has happened to the Hadley family?” Anya inquired, her face still scarred despite having been discharged from the hospital. To restore her appearance fully, she would need to undergo multiple plastic surgeries.

“Why do you say that?” Yerek, engrossed in his documents, replied without lifting his gaze.

Ever since Azure had entrusted the Hadley family’s lawsuit against the Gibsons to Yerek, he had been immersed in his work.

Anya shrugged. “Call it a woman’s intuition. If it’s not the Hadleys, then something must have happened to Christina.”

As Nathaniel’s business competitor, Anya had thoroughly researched him beforehand. She was well aware. of his reputation as a diligent workaholic who rarely took time off without a valid reason.

Moreover, considering how deeply Nathaniel cared for Christina, Anya believed he wouldn’t simply sit idle if something unfortunate had occurred.

It was with this line of reasoning that she became convinced that something had indeed happened to

Christina.

“Yerek, I need to go to Jadeborough and find out what’s going on. If Grandma asks, just tell her I’ve decided to go on a vacation to clear my head,” Anya declared. With that, she left the study.

She was determined to visit Jadeborough and witness firsthand what had befallen Christina. Then, if the opportunity presented itself, she would seize it to seek revenge for the damage done to her face.

Yerek remained silent, merely lifting his head to give Anya a look before returning to his work as she departed.

Meanwhile, in a humble clinic located in a village, Christina regained consciousness after being unconscious for three days and nights.

As she awakened, a profound sense of thirst engulfed her. Startled, she surveyed her surroundings, finding herself in a small and modest ward.

“Where… am I?” she murmured, her voice barely audible.

However, her feeble voice managed to stir the man who had been dozing off nearby.

Startled, he glanced up and, upon realizing that Christina had regained consciousness, exclaimed, “You’re

awake!”

“She’s awake!” The man hastily departed from the ward before Christina could fully comprehend the situation.

Coughing, Christina struggled to prop herself up, her body weakened from the ordeal.

As fragments of her memory started to resurface, she recalled the terrifying moment when she and Madison had fallen into the sea.

Have I been rescued? But where is Nathaniel?

Just as Christina was about to remove the intravenous drip from her arm, a doctor who had hurried over intervened, stopping her. “Don’t move, young lady. You’re still very weak. Lie back down.”

Christina’s anxiety eased as she found solace in the doctor’s presence.

With a hoarse voice, she asked. “Where am I?”

The doctor replied briefly, “You’re in the clinic of Conch Village. You fell into the sea. Do you still remember that?”

Christina nodded in response.

The doctor then motioned to an honest-looking man with a dark complexion beside him and said. “This is Vito Seaborne. He’s the one who saved you.”

Vito bashfully scratched his head as he met Christina’s gaze, unable to find his words.

Sensing his discomfort, the doctor quickly stepped in. “Young lady, you were unconscious for three days and nights. Your body is severely dehydrated, and you have a few broken bones in your legs. We were planning to transfer you off the island if you didn’t wake up soon.”

“Thank you,” Christina expressed her gratitude toward them.

She then continued, “By the way, do you have a phone? I’d like to let my family know that I’m safe.”

She could only imagine Nathaniel’s anxiety since she fell into the sea.

The doctor and Vito appeared conflicted when they heard Christina’s request to make a call.

“What’s the matter?” Christina noticed their hesitancy.

“On this small island, only the village chief has a phone,” the doctor explained after a moment of thought.

Christina was taken aback by this revelation. She couldn’t believe that such an underdeveloped village still existed in the twenty-first century.

Chapter 522 Where Are You

The doctor said, “Miss, don’t be hasty. You can’t get out of bed yet in your current condition.”

Given Christina’s weakened state, getting out of bed to make a phone call was indeed a little difficult.

“In that case, can you help me contact my family?” Christina was also aware of her condition, so she contemplated briefly and decided to write down Nathaniel’s phone number.

Vito received the phone number from Christina and turned around to exit the clinic, heading toward the village chief’s house.

“Vito, where are you going?” Halfway there, Vito was stopped by his sixty-something-year-old mother. Miriam Landry.

Everyone in the village knew that Vito had brought Christina back three days ago.

Vito replied cheerily, “Mom, she’s awake!”

Hearing that, Miriam understood that the girl Vito had found had woken up.

At the thought that the pretty-looking girl had survived, Miriam was thrilled too. “Since she’s awake, why aren’t you keeping her company? Why are you running around?”

Vito honestly answered Miriam’s question by informing her of Christina’s wish to contact her family member.

After Miriam heard that, her expression darkened slightly. She pondered briefly before saying, “There’s no rush to contact her family. We live on an island, so even if we manage to get in touch with them, her family won’t be able to arrive here at once anyway. Why don’t we wait until her condition improves before making the call?”

Vito didn’t understand why Miriam would say that, but her words did sound logical.

Conch Village was on an island. Everyone there made their living by fishing. Usually, not many people left or came to the island. Not to mention, its location was remote and hard to find, requiring one to look for someone familiar with the area to lead the way if one wished to visit the place.

Vito had found Christina clinging to a reef on his way back from selling fish.

“Let’s do this instead. Since she’s awake, why don’t you go home and make some soup and oatmeal? She must be hungry,” Miriam suggested upon sensing Vito’s compliance.

Vito nodded and turned around to head home while Miriam made her way toward the clinic.

At that moment, Christina was gradually calming herself down as she lay on the bed.

From the doctor’s words, it seemed three days had passed since she fell into the sea. She wondered how Nathaniel, Camilia, and Lucas were doing.

Regrettably, there wasn’t a television or phone in the clinic, so she was entirely cut off from the outside world.

While thinking about those things, she saw an elderly woman walk in through the door.

“You’re awake, miss? Are you feeling better?” As soon as Miriam entered, she met Christina’s gaze and smiled kindly.

Being on the receiving end of Miriam’s concern, Christina pursed her lips and asked in slight confusion, “Who are you?”

“I’m Vito’s mom. You can call me Ms. Landry.”

My savior’s mom? Christina immediately grinned and said, “Hello, Ms. Landry. Please have a seat.”

Christina tried to sit up as she spoke.

“Lie down, lie down.” Miriam quickly stopped Christina from getting up. She dragged the bench near the window over and sat down beside Christina.

After taking a seat, Miriam started to chat with Christina, asking the latter about her age, family, and other such things.

As the topics were not too personal, Christina answered honestly. However, when Miriam heard Christina. had gotten married at such a young age, her smile abruptly froze.

“Ms. Landry, what’s wrong?” Noticing something was off with Miriam’s expression, Christina hastily asked as she thought the older woman was feeling unwell.

“I’m fine. It’s just that you got married so young, Christina. Were you forced by your family? How’s your husband? Does he treat you well?”

Christina was taken aback by Miriam’s volleys of questions. She hadn’t expected the latter to delve into those matters. Nevertheless, taking in Miriam’s sincere gaze, Christina figured she was just genuinely concerned about her.

Hence, she briefly described her circumstances.

However, all Miriam remembered was the fact that Christina had been married off because her parents. were in need of money. The rest of Christina’s account didn’t register in Miriam’s mind.

Miriam reached out her calloused hands to hold Christina. “I didn’t expect you to have had a hard life too. The gods are too unfair!”

Miriam suddenly cried as she uttered those words.

“Ms. Landry! Ms. Landry, what’s the matter with you?” Christina panicked as that was her first time encountering a situation like that.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” At that moment, Vito, carrying a bowl of chicken soup, walked into the room just in time to witness that scene and quickly rushed over.

Seeing her son had returned, Miriam hurriedly waved her hand. “I’m fine. I just feel sympathy for Christina.”

Miriam’s tears seemed to flow and stop at a moment’s notice.

After experiencing that false alarm, Christina helped herself to the chicken soup and oatmeal brought over by Vito.

Miriam smiled contentedly as she watched Christina enjoy the food. Then, she took the dumbfounded Vito by the arm and led him out of the room.

“Vito, listen to me. Christina has had a hard life, so you must take good care of her. Do you understand?” Miriam exhorted Vito after they stepped outside the room.

Vito nodded.

“Also, the phone call she asked you to make, you don’t have to do it for now,” Miriam added.

Hearing that, Vito was baffled. “Why?”

“You’ve always been so slow on the uptake.” Miriam jabbed at her son’s forehead but didn’t elaborate further. “Anyway, just do as I say.”

Vito was very compliant toward his mother’s words. Feeling that decision wouldn’t cause any actual harm. to Christina, he didn’t go against Miriam and merely uttered, somewhat troubled, “What should I

tell her, then?”

“Just tell her the phone in the village chief’s house is broken.”

“Okay.” Vito memorized Miriam’s words.

At the same time, Nathaniel was searching for Christina in nearby coastal villages with his team.

However, after extending their search to five villages, they still found no trace of Christina.

Seeing Nathaniel grow more haggard with each passing day, Sebastian couldn’t help but persuade, “Mr. Hadley, why don’t you take a break?”

Ever since Christina’s incident, Nathaniel hadn’t gotten any proper sleep or eaten much. He was functioning purely on willpower.

Even a body made of iron couldn’t withstand such strain.

Nathaniel ignored Sebastian’s words. He was utterly despondent, gazing at the vast sea before him.

After a long silence, he couldn’t help but murmur, “Christina, where are you?”

Unfortunately, the only response he received was the splashing sound of waves and whistling of the wind.

In the end, no longer able to suppress his frustration, Nathaniel bellowed, “Christina, where are you? Do you know I’m looking for you!”

He didn’t believe something terrible had happened to her even after so many days had passed. Nevertheless, his hope gradually diminished as he failed to locate her with each passing day.

At the thought that he might lose Christina forever, Nathaniel lost control of himself and dashed into the sea.

Sebastian was momentarily stunned before he hurriedly gave chase.

The tide was high at night. In no time, the water reached their waists.

Nathaniel wanted to move further ahead, but Sebastian halted him by grabbing his waist tightly. “Mr. Hadley! Mr. Hadley, please calm down!”

Chapter 523 Wife For Vito

“How am I supposed to stay calm?” Nathaniel roared.

It was Sebastian’s first time seeing Nathaniel lose control over his emotions. The thought of Christina dead. made him cry as well, but he still had to say, “Mr. Hadley, I’m sure Mrs. Hadley won’t want to see anything happen to you. Moreover, you have Mr. Lucas and Ms. Camila to take care of. What will they do if you’re gone too?”

Camila and Lucas were the last lifebuoys thrown at Nathaniel, and he finally calmed down at the mention. of their names.

When Sebastian saw that Nathaniel had finally stopped struggling, he quickly took the opportunity to drag Nathaniel back to the shore.

However, Nathaniel fell terribly ill after returning. He had a high fever, and his fever ramblings consisted of Christina’s name and nothing else.

It was as if the couple was connected in mind. In her dreams. Christina saw Nathaniel falling sick during his desperate but fruitless search for her.

No matter how loudly she cried out for him, he would not wake.

Christina woke up with a start, cold sweat coating her back and forehead.

As she wiped away the sweat on her forehead, she glanced at the curtainless windows, only to realize that the sun was up.

Now, she was staying at Vito’s house. As there was only one room in the clinic, it was usually reserved for patients.

After resting a few days on the island, Christina had recovered much. She had regained most of her strength too, but her leg was still injured, so she could not walk for long.

Vito made a walking cane for Christina so that she could walk around without any help for short distances.

Miriam was nice to Christina too. She gave Christina some of the clothes she wore when she was younger to change into.

When Christina opened the door of the clinic, she was greeted by the scent of salty sea breeze and the sound of chirping birds.

It was already late fall, but the cold was gentle on the island.

“Christina, you’re awake?” When Miriam, who was fixing the fishing net in the courtyard, saw Christina coming out of the building, she hurried to bring the oatmeal out of the kitchen.

“Eat up.”

“Okay.” Once Christina washed up, she sat down to eat the oatmeal.

“Did Vito go out fishing?” Christina asked when she saw no signs of Vito around.

It had been a few days since her arrival on the island, and she had familiarized herself with certain. routines on the island.

There were few people on the island, and both men and women made their living through fishing.

However, they did not lead lives like city people. They woke when the sun came up and went to bed when the sun went down. In other words, they had few entertainment activities.

“It’s nothing. There was a typhoon last night, and a few trees collapsed. Unfortunately, they hit the village. chief’s roof, so the village chief asked Vito to help out,” Miriam explained.

A typhoon?

Christina was not aware of that, but she guessed she had been too deeply asleep.

However, the mention of the village chief’s house reminded her of how Vito told her that the village chief’s phone was broken when she wanted to contact Nathaniel the other day.

She wondered if it was fixed yet.

“Can I go and take a look?” Christina asked after a moment of contemplation.

Miriam lifted her head in surprise. “What for? It’s not as if you can help them out.”

Christina frankly replied. “I’ve been missing for a few days. I’d like to borrow the village chief’s landline to tell my family that I’m safe.”

A guilty look flashed past Miriam’s face. Worried that Christina would notice it, she quickly shifted her stool and said, “You’re such an impatient child. It’s just a typhoon. All landlines are having issues now. Moreover, we’ll send you back once that motor fishing boat is fixed. It’s just a matter of days, so what’s the rush? Also, can you even walk to the village chief’s house with this leg?”

Christina did not suspect a thing, for Miriam’s words were true.

Not only was Vito her savior, but she was even staying in Vito’s place. She was eating his food and wearing his mother’s clothes. She felt bad about it.

Earnestly, Christina answered, “Ma’am, once I’m home, I’ll thank you and Vito properly.”

Miriam did not pay attention to her words, however, for she had her own plan. All she did was smile and nod at Christina.

Christina had nothing to do after breakfast, so she sat in the courtyard and enjoyed the breeze.

Right then, a few women walked past the house and glanced inward.

The fence was made of wood, so nothing on the inside could be concealed by it.

When they saw the beautiful Christina, they paused and began talking among themselves.

“Ms. Landry, is this the girl that Vito picked up from the sea?” someone yelled.

Miriam raised her head to look outside.

Everyone on the island knew about how Vito had saved someone from the sea, and now, these women. were here for the gossip.

Afraid that those women would frighten Christina, Miriam mumbled a yes.

However, the women did not want to leave so soon. They began chattering instead. “Where did she come from? She looks gorgeous! She’s not the daughter of a god of the sea, is she?”

“Yes, she looks attractive. Do you see how fair and soft she looks?”

All women and girls on the island had tanned skin from the constant sun exposure, so Christina’s fair skin seemed exceptionally unique to them.

“Wait a second, Ms. Landry. Your son hasn’t married yet, right? Look, you have the best girl for him right here.”

Christina, who had been resting with closed eyes, twitched a little when she heard that.

Her plans were nearly exposed, so Miriam quickly took a broom to shoo the others away.

The others left unwillingly, muttering, “Id say Vito’s mom is keeping the girl around because she wants. the girl to be Vito’s wife.”

“Yes, I think so too. How many days has it been since then, but she’s still keeping the girl around.”

“That girl won’t like Vito. Look at her. She’s clearly from a rich family.”

Once those women were gone, Miriam turned to face Christina.

When she saw Christina looking at her, she guiltily and awkwardly said, “Don’t listen to them. Village girls like us like to gossip.”

Christina frowned. Even though Miriam schooled her features to a neutral look, Christina noticed how Miriam did not dare to look at her.

In other words, the latter had to be feeling guilty.

Could those women be right?

The second that thought popped into her head, Christina nearly jumped in fright.

“Ma’am, my head’s hurting, so I’m going back in,” Christina lied, pretending to be unwell.

Hearing that, Miriam hurried over to her and ushered her in. “It must be the cold! Go into the house to rest quickly!”

Christina finally felt a tinge of security once she closed the door behind her.

Even though Miriam and Vito were nice to her, it was apparent that she could not stay on the island any longer.

No matter what, she had to come up with a way to leave this place.

Chapter 524 Locked Up

Night had fallen by the time Vito returned from the village chief’s house.

Standing at the door, Miriam pulled him into the woods outside the courtyard.

“How did it go at the village chief’s house?” she asked after making sure Christina wouldn’t be able to hear them.

Vito recounted everything truthfully. The village chief’s roof was severely damaged, but with everyone’s help, all the broken pieces had been cleared out. What remained was for the village chief to patch his roof with some new tiles.

Yet, Miriam didn’t care about that. Thinking about how Christina had asked about the village chief’s phone today, she fell silent for a moment before asking. “What happened to his phone?”

“It’s broken,” Vito answered.

A smile formed on Miriam’s face. Everything was going exactly as she had planned. “Let’s go. It’s time for dinner.”

While seated, Christina noticed the two return together.

“Vito,” she called out to him softly.

Hearing the woman call his name, Vito scratched the back of his head awkwardly, not knowing where to look.

Having interacted with him for the past few days, Christina was no longer surprised by his demeanor. Miriam, on the other hand, gave him a light slap on the head in frustration.

Then, Vito swiftly began scooping out the food from the pot.

“You must be starving.” Miriam served Christina’s portion of food on a plate.

The latter smiled and shook her head. “Not at all. I haven’t done a lot today, so I didn’t use much en she replied while pushing the plate toward Vito instead.

“You must be hungry, Vito. You were busy helping out at the village chief’s place all day.”

Miriam took note of Christina’s kind gesture, feeling more pleased.

With that, the three of them sat at the round table and ate harmoniously while enjoying the sea breeze.

“I’m going out for a walk,” said Christina after dinner. “Could you come with me, Vito?”

The man didn’t say no, but he glanced at Christina’s leg out of concern. “Is your leg okay?”

She knew he was worried about her, but there were some things she had to discuss with him in private. “It’ll be fine. We won’t be so far out.” Miriam would grow suspicious if they were to wander off too much. Miriam just so happened to hear Christina’s response and agreed that the two needed to spend some time alone. “Take Christina out for a walk, Vito. Just don’t go too far,” she chimed in.

With his mother prompting him, too, Vito could only accompany Christina on her walk outside the courtyard.

Christina struggled to walk and could only proceed slowly with the help of a cane. Meanwhile, Vito stayed by her side, ready to help her at any time.

The two said nothing to each other and arrived at a slope before realizing it.

They could admire the vast sea and sky full of stars from there.

Christina found a large boulder and sat on it. Then, seeing Vito remain standing, she invited him over. “Don’t just stand there, Vito. Have a seat too!”

With unease written in his eyes, Vito pursed his lips. “I-It’s fine.”

Clearly, this was his first time talking to a girl alone. He simply didn’t know what to do.

Noticing his nervousness, Christina decided not to pressure him. “It’s so pretty out here. I’ve never seen a night sky as lovely as this,” she exclaimed, gazing out into the distance.

After a few exchanges, the atmosphere between them eased slowly, and Vito was no longer as tense as before.

Christina pouted and lowered her gaze. “I miss home. I don’t even know how my family is doing now.”

Seeing her pained expression made Vito feel upset too. “Give me a few days to fix the boat, and I’ll take you back.”

From that, Christina concluded that Miriam and Vito weren’t lying about the boat being broken.

Still, she didn’t want to wait any longer.

“Is there no other boat we can take?” Christina glanced up at him.

She knew from the start that there weren’t many motorboats on the island; most boats here could only be rowed with paddles.

There was no way she could get home using the latter.

Vito’s fishing boat had been left behind by his father, and the young man was usually in charge of selling the fish they caught with it.

Now, the boat had malfunctioned, and that was why Christina remained stuck on this island for so long.

Upon meeting the woman’s dazzling eyes, Vito didn’t know what to say. He bit his lower lip and kept mum as he remembered his mother’s instructions.

From that, Christina knew there was definitely another boat that could take her out of this island.

If I’m not wrong, it would be at the village chief’s house.

“You’re a good man, Vito. You saved me, and I’m so thankful for that.” Christina began. “It’s just that I’ve been missing for so long, and my family must be so worried about me. If you had gone missing, I’m sure your mother would be bawling her eyes out too.”

Vito was a simple man. Feeling sorry for her as soon as he heard her words, he couldn’t resist telling her bout the village chief’s plans to head out to sea tomorrow.

‘Really?” Christina was delighted to hear that. “Will you help me, then?”

Seeing her smile, Vito froze before turning red and nodding rigidly.

‘Keep this between us, okay? Don’t tell anyone else about this, including your mom,” Christina urged arefully.

This peaceful and remote island’s full of kind-hearted people, but what if they’re a little old-fashioned? I’ll be in rouble if they don’t let me leave.

Vito nodded in agreement, and the two headed down the slope.

Miriam, who had been waiting outside the courtyard the whole time, watched them return safe and sound. Moreover, Vito didn’t appear as shy as before while walking next to Christina.

That made Miriam feel as though good things were coming. Not interrupting their time together, she turned around and headed back into her room to rest.

Christina could barely sleep all night.

While in a half-asleep state, she kept waiting for Vito to contact her and take her to the village chief’s boat.

Alas, she didn’t hear a single knock on her door even after the sun had come up for a while..

Sensing that something was amiss, the woman hopped out of bed and went to the door-only to find it locked from the outside.

Alarm bells went off in her head at that moment. “Vito! Vito!”

No matter how much she cried out, the courtyard remained in complete silence, and no one re her.

 

Chapter 525 Captured Again

Christina had a bad feeling in her gut when she did not receive a response.

She kept telling herself to calm down as she glanced about the room. Since she couldn’t open the door rom the inside, she had no choice but to find another way out.

It wasn’t long before her gaze fell upon the window in the corner.

The window wasn’t big, but Christina had a slender figure and flexible limbs, so squeezing through it would not be a problem for her.

However, the window was over a meter above the ground, and Christina’s leg was injured. Jumping out of the window at such a height would only worsen her injury.

“Oh, screw it!” In order to return to Nathaniel as soon as possible, Christina clenched her teeth and umped out of the window.

Sure enough, an intense pain shot through her injured leg when it hit the ground. Tears came flowing out of her eyes, but she forced herself to bear the pain and propped herself up.

She then picked up the crutch she had thrown aside and limped her way toward the ocean.

While walking, Christina had been praying for the village chief’s boat to still be there,

The roads were muddy after the typhoon hit the area. Christina was in such a hurry that she didn’t notice a hole in the ground that was covered by water. She ended up tripping and falling face-first into the mud.

That was when someone could be heard shouting in the background. “She must be heading toward the ocean! Hurry up and find her!”

That voice… It sounds like Miriam’s!

Fearing that she would be spotted, Christina didn’t dare get back on her feet. Instead, she dragged herself into the bushes beside the road and hid behind a shrub,

“Ms. Landry, are you serious about having that woman marry Vito?”

“Vito saved her life, so it’s only natural that she marries him!”

Christina shuddered when she heard Miriam say that.

As expected… People who live far away from society are bound to have a backward mentality.

As the sound of footsteps got closer. Christina didn’t even dare breathe out loud for fear of being caught.

Unfortunately for her, Miriam had dozens of people help with the search for Christina, so they were able to find her fairly easily.

Just like that, they brought Christina back to Vito’s house and locked her up inside the room again. This time, they even made sure to board up the window she escaped through.

Miriam dropped her kind attitude and told Christina that she would only give the latter food if she stayed nd married Vito.

Otherwise, she would starve Christina until she changed her mind.

I won’t marry Vito, Ms. Landry. Also, it is illegal for you to keep me here like this,” Christina answered while trying her best to suppress her feelings of fear.

Illegal?” It was clearly Miriam’s first time hearing such a word. Her eyes were filled with confusion instead. of fear when she responded, “I really like you, Christina, and so does Vito. He’s the one who

saved your ife, so why won’t you marry him?”

Miriam then pulled up a chair, sat down in front of Christina, and tried to talk her into changing her nind.

However, no amount of talking would do anything if the person refused to listen.

Sure enough, Christina and Miriam’s conversation did not end well.

In order to force Christina to submit, Miriam stopped providing her with food and water.

Christina simply sat next to the door and watched the yard for movement.

Her hearing had become a lot more sensitive during her time in that room, so she could hear almost everything that happened inside that house. She heard Vito returning shortly after Miriam went to bed.

As Vito looked like a kind and honest man, Christina figured she would have an easier time getting through to him.

She then knocked on the door to gain Vito’s attention without waking Miriam.

Vito quickly walked toward the room when he heard the sound. Right as he pressed his car against the door, he heard Christina calling out to him softly, “Vito? Vito, are you there?”

Vito was about to respond but held his tongue in shame when he recalled himself going against his promise.

He had woken up at dawn and tried to bring Christina away, but Miriam caught him in the act.

Vito was never good at telling lies, so a little bit of questioning was all it took for Miriam to find out about his plans to leave the island with Christina.

That was what led to the events earlier that day.

Vito felt ashamed of himself just thinking about what happened, and he just stood there in silence.

Christina had kept her ear pressed against the door, so she knew that Vito was still standing outside the door.

He is probably feeling guilty for what happened, but this is no time to be playing the blame game!

With that in mind, Christina said, “Vito, I don’t blame you for what happened today. I just have a few questions for you.”

Feeling relieved that Christina did not blame him, Vito looked up at the door and said, “Go ahead, Christina.”

Do you like me?”

/ito blushed the moment he heard that, but his dark skin made it hard to notice.

Christina could tell from his silence that he clearly liked her.

This is good news… I’ll have a chance at escaping as long as Vito likes me.

With that in mind, she breathed a sigh of relief and asked. “Do you know that I’m married with kids?”

While most men would care about such things, the people in that village did not.

As Vito liked Christina, it was only natural that he wouldn’t mind it either. “I know, I…”

All right, then. I guess this strategy won’t work.

Christina closed her eyes and tried to think of another plan.

She then changed the topic by calling Vito a good man and claiming that she kind of liked the life on the island..

Vito was overjoyed when he heard all of that. He even believed that Christina liked him as well.

“Although I think you are a good man, Vito, I cannot accept your mother’s decision to have us get married right away,” Christina said.

Fearing that she would refuse to marry him, Vito got nervous when he heard that.

“I’m in a hurry to leave this island because I miss my two kids. They’re only five. People say that the hearts of parents and their children are connected. I don’t even know how they’re doing right now,” G continued in an attempt to gain his sympathy.

She even started sobbing after saying that.

Vito anxiously wanted to comfort her, but Christina ignored him completely.

Miriam was holding on to the key to that door, and Vito couldn’t bring himself to ask her for it this la night. As such, all he could do was sit outside the room all night.

Christina tried her best to fall asleep as she needed to conserve as much energy as possible to make her escape.

“Vito? Why are you sleeping here?” Miriam exclaimed in shock and heartache when she woke up and saw him lying outside Christina’s room.

Her voice was so loud that she woke both Vito and Christina.

Christina kept quiet and tried to listen to their conversation. “Good morning. Mom.” Vito responded while getting on his feet.

Christina up, he then dragged Miriam to the kitchen before saying, “Mom, could you nake Christina some breakfast?”

Miriam gave him a smack on the head. “You two aren’t even married yet, and you are already taking care. of her?”

ito scratched his head as he gave Miriam a summary of what Christina had told him last night.

She changed her mind?” Miriam asked suspiciously.