Chapter 45

The air felt heavy, only the wind cutting through the silence. Sophia grabbed the binoculars, trying to get a clearer view, but even though it was almost seven, not a single ray of sunlight reached this part of the sea. Everything far off looked like a dark blur, hard to make out. Yet deep inside, her fear—and the helpless worry for Lucas—only grew. Half an hour later, the speedboat docked. Sophia rushed forward without thinking, only to hear a coast guard explaining, "On the way back, the kid accidentally fell overboard. Mr. Lucas jumped in right after to save him, and then—" It was like her feet turned to lead, her ears buzzing. She couldn't move. She couldn't hear anything else. Her heart, the one that once broke because of Lucas, had slowly come back to life for him. And now—he was gone? Chaos filled the surroundings. A large hand suddenly waved in front of her eyes. Sophia ignored it. But the hand didn't go away. She raised her arm to swat it off, only to have it held tightly in s