Chapter 280

The sharp tone made me freeze. ‘Hold onto my neck. Unless you want to fall.’ I hesitated, then frowned up at him. ‘Do you think I can’t cross on my own?’ But Ashton only shook his head and looked straight at me. His voice was steady, almost solemn. ‘I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.’ Even with me in his arms, he crossed the stream without effort. In less than a minute, we were on the far bank. He set me down gently. My feet touched the cool ground, and the heat of my frustration ebbed. Then Ashton took my hand again. We walked in silence. The only sounds were the rustle of leaves in the wind, the occasional chirp of birds, and the crunch of our steps on the forest floor. Suddenly, we both stopped. I saw the yacht. To be precise, the wreck of the yacht. Before us lay broken pieces, twisted and scattered, half buried under a tangle of branches. For the first time since reaching the shore, excitement surged through me. I was so overwhelmed I froze, not daring to blink in case t