Zara was dressed in long pants and a long-sleeved cotton pajama set. Her restless sleep had caused the buttons to come undone, revealing her collarbone.She did not seem to realize that the more she covered up, the more it made Yosef want to uncover her.Yosef seemed to be pondering something. However, after he finished his water, he just went back to his room.Zara woke up feeling cold in the middle of the night. Her blanket had fallen to the floor. She simply put on a thin shirt and tucked herself back in.Still, when she woke up the next morning, her head felt heavy.After freshening up, she felt much better.She came out of the bathroom to find Yosef already having breakfast."Do you have a first aid kit in the room, Mr. Webb?" she asked.She thought she might need some cold medicine, just to be safe."No, we don't. Ask an attendant if you need something," Yosef said, looking up at her. "Feeling seasick?"She did not want to make a fuss over nothing, so she let it go."N

Zara froze, then turned around. They were gone, seemingly vanishing around the corner.She did not even know them and had never spoken to them. Why did they say that? Was it even meant for her?She stood still for a second, then decided not to go after them. It was better not to stir up trouble in a strange place.She went back to her room, feeling a bit down.After a hot shower and changing into clean clothes, she began to blow-dry her hair. Then, she sneezed a bunch and shivered. She had felt a little cold in the morning but had shrugged it off. It seemed that the fun in the water and the breeze had caught up with her.She checked her forehead. No fever, at least.Stepping out of the bathroom, she saw Yosef on the couch, all dressed up in a suit.He pointed to the table and said, "Drink that."Zara went over and saw a mug of dark brown liquid. She sniffed it. Ginger tea.She sipped her drink and felt a cozy warmth spread all over her body.Smiling, she said, "Thank you, M

Zara's makeup was flawless, but her face had turned ghostly white.So this was what it was all about...It all made sense now. Yosef's sudden invitation to a fancy party after six months, the strange looks from the men, and the unexplained anger from the women... The men saw her as something they owned, and the women viewed her as a sneaky competitor.She was the only one who did not know the truth.She was the only one Yosef had tricked!When Zara found out what was really going on, her first thought was to get out of there. She remembered she was surrounded by the ocean with nowhere to turn, however. Where could she possibly run?Yosef had told her before that there was no escape.He had planned everything. Zara's eyes were filled with tears, but it was uncertain if it was from fear, helplessness, or the sting of betrayal.She quickly wiped her tears away as they came. Why was she crying?She should not cry over that man. He had been cold and unkind to her for far too long.

Stanley raised an eyebrow.Zara was always careful about how she acted.Even when they had meals or coffee together, she never did anything that might make someone think there was more going on.Now, she was holding onto his hand as if it were a lifeline.Stanley looked at her and saw a trace of red in her eyes. He could not help feeling a tug at his heart. With a silent sigh, he looked down and asked softly, "Is everything okay, Ms. Lowry? What's wrong?" Zara felt a dull ache at the back of her head as the sea breeze blew. Out of the blue, she asked, "Did you come with a lady, Professor Schmidt?""No." "What about your big brother? Did he bring a lady?" "Yes, he did." "His girlfriend?" Stanley was careful with his words. "I'm not too sure about that." It definitely was not his girlfriend. If it had been his brother's girlfriend or someone important like that, Stanley's answer would have been different. He would surely recognize his own brother's girlfriend.Saying he

This dinner was the biggest event of the trip, so everyone was bound to show up. Yosef had several gowns ready for Zara to pick from. They were all displayed on hangers. There was also a team of makeup artists waiting to get to work. The more he dressed her up, the more Zara felt a chill in her heart. It was as if she was being primped to be sold at a high price. She did not care anymore and just pointed to one dress without much thought. Yosef lounged on the couch with a magazine and glanced up. "That outfit won't go with the diamond hairpin." Right, Zara remembered. Yosef had won that hairpin last night and mentioned she should find a dress to match it. Feeling a bit uneasy, Zara chose another dress, a modern-style dress. It was pale green, ankle-length, and looked graceful from the front. The back had a cut-out design that showed off the shoulder blades, keeping it classy yet alluring.The stylist swept her hair to one side and secured the hairpin. She gave her a light, ele