Chapter 3

The sun was blinding in its intensity.

The diving team surfaced from the ocean, one after another, before climbing onto the yacht.

The first thing James did after boarding the yacht was search the deck for any signs of me.

When he failed to see me, his expression darkened.

"Where's Natalie?" he asked one of the crew members.

The crew member was briefly surprised before answering honestly, "Mr. Payton, Ms. Natalie hasn't returned. We didn't see anyone coming up just now."

James' fingers tightened into fists.

"That's impossible. With her personality, she would have immediately returned here to complain about whatever minor grievance she's suffered."

At that moment, Marissa came over while toweling her hair.

"Jamie, Nat must be hiding in the lower deck and playing a game of hide and seek with us. She must be hoping that you'll go looking for her so that she can cry up a storm and have you cajole her."

That made sense to James, causing him to let out a scoff. "She's hiding, huh? Fine then! Let's see how long she can hide for!"

He called for the captain and ordered in a frosty tone, "Go and lock all cabin doors, then shut off the central air conditioning for the lower deck. No one is allowed to deliver her even a single drop of water. Since she loves hiding so much, she can enjoy the stuffiness to her heart's content!"

Marissa offered him a cup of hot coffee, a sweet, gentle smile curving her lips.

"Jamie, don't be mad anymore. Nat does have a bit of a temper, but that's not surprising considering that she's the legitimate Ms. Payton, heiress to the Payton family."

That sort of remark was exactly the sort that would provoke James' resentment toward me. After all, although the Payton family was vast and powerful, he had an extremely arrogant personality. He absolutely hated it when people threw their weight around and used their status to step on him, even if that person was his own younger sister.

"The legitimate heiress to the Payton family?" James accepted the coffee, a vicious look flashing in his eyes. "In my eyes, she can't compare to even a single one of your fingers."

After that, he headed for the helm and used the yacht-wide broadcast system to say, "Natalie, I know you're on the boat. Listen up! I have no time to play such childish games with you. Get your ass to the deck right this instant and apologize to Mari on your knees for your selfishness in the cave.

"If you still want to return to the Payton residence, this is your only chance. I'll count to three, and if you still won't come out by then, you can spend the night drifting in the ocean alone!"

His words blared through the speakers and echoed across the ocean's surface, startling a flock of seagulls.

Nonetheless, the only sound that answered him was the relentless slapping of the waves hitting the sides of the yacht.

Thoroughly running out of patience, James slammed the phone back onto the control board.

"Fine! You sure have some guts!"

Just then, a massive pitch-black cloud drifted across the sky, followed by the ocean waves churning violently.

Jackson approached James with an uneasy expression.

"Mr. Payton, a storm is coming. It's too dangerous to remain here in such weather. Maybe we should return first?"

James gritted his teeth as he stared at the entrance to the lower deck.

"Alright, we'll return immediately. I doubt there's anywhere she can hide once we're back at the harbor."

The captain placed the yacht in full throttle, sending them speeding through the howling winds. The ride was bumpy due to the roiling waves.

Still, James sat at the bow, unmoving even as the rain and seawater pelted him. He appeared to be waiting for me to crack under the violent rocking and rush out to him to beg for mercy.

Suddenly, a dark shape burst from the thick fog and headed straight for the yacht.

It was a coast guard patrol boat, with its red and blue lights flashing.

"Yacht ahead! Cut your engines and immediately prepare for inspection!"