All Chapters of Never Meant to be Seen : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The first security officer stepped onto our boat before Arlo could say another word.His boots struck the deck with deliberate confidence, followed by three more men who moved into position as if they had rehearsed the entire interception. One remained near the controls, another stood between us and the cabin, while the man who appeared to be in charge kept his attention fixed on Arlo.“Mr. Alfie,” he said. “You need to come with us.”Arlo didn't move.“Who are you?”The man ignored the question.Instead, his gaze shifted toward me.“She comes with us.”Arlo's expression changed.“No.”The officer looked at him calmly. “Your grandfather wants the two of you separated.”Mia's eyes narrowed.“Your grandfather?”The officer finally looked at her.“You weren't supposed to be here.”Mia gave a quiet, humorless laugh. “Neither were you.”The officer raised his hand.Everything happened at once.One of the guards grabbed Mia while another moved toward me, and Arlo shoved the man coming for h

“She ran.”The words followed me as I walked toward the small building at the end of the dock. I had spent weeks thinking of Isabelle as someone who had been taken from her life, someone trapped behind a locked door while the people responsible continued living as though nothing had happened.Now I wasn't sure what was worse.The possibility that we'd been wrong about everything.Or the possibility that Isabelle had known exactly what she was doing.I turned toward Edmund.“You're saying she planned her disappearance?”“She planned the beginning of it.”“And the rest?”“Circumstances changed.”“What circumstances?”“Konstantin.”That answer felt almost inevitable.I stepped closer.“You keep saying his name like he was hunting her.”“He was.”“But you said he didn't know she was alive.”“He doesn't.”“Then how was he hunting her?”Edmund looked at me.“Konstantin doesn't need proof that someone is alive to hunt them.”I understood what he meant.He could search for a person simply bec

The sound of engines grew louder, cutting through the wind and drowning out the low hum of our own boat. Isabelle moved toward the narrow window and lifted the curtain just enough to see outside, her expression changing the moment she looked toward the horizon. Edmund was already reaching for something beneath the table when she turned back to us.“How many?” he asked.“Three,” Isabelle said.My stomach tightened.“Three boats?”She nodded. “And they're not searching for us.”Another engine roared somewhere beyond the cabin, followed by the unmistakable sweep of a searchlight across the water. It passed over our boat once, disappeared, then returned a moment later as if whoever controlled it had already known exactly where to look.“They tracked us,” I whispered.Edmund didn't answer.He didn't need to.The realization settled heavily between us.They hadn't found us by accident.They had been following us the entire time.Isabelle pulled the curtain shut and stepped away from the win

Gunfire tore through the boat before I could even process what was happening, the sharp cracks coming from above as men shouted over one another. Isabelle grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the hatch while Edmund pushed himself through first, checking the deck before waving us forward. The entire boat shook beneath our feet as another shot struck somewhere nearby.“Stay close,” Edmund ordered.We climbed out into complete chaos.Men in black were moving across the deck, some boarding from the other vessels while others spread out to block every possible escape. The wind whipped against my face, carrying the smell of fuel and saltwater, while Isabelle pulled me behind a metal structure as bullets struck the railing.“Get down!” she shouted.I dropped beside her.Edmund fired toward the men approaching from the opposite side, forcing them to duck behind the side of their boat. He grabbed Isabelle's shoulder and pointed toward the back of the vessel.“There!”I followed his hand.A n

I searched the deck again, even though I already knew what I would find. Arlo was nowhere, and every second I spent looking made the possibility of finding him feel more distant. The only person I had managed to find was Mia, injured and struggling to stay on her feet beside me.“We have to get you somewhere safe,” I said.Mia shook her head.“Not without Arlo.”“That isn't your decision right now.”She gave me a tired look.“And it's yours?”I didn't answer.She knew.I couldn't leave him.Not like this.The boat continued cutting through the dark water, carrying us farther away from the vessel where the others had been separated from us. I kept looking toward the rear, hoping another boat would appear or that I would somehow see Arlo standing on the deck behind us.Nothing.Mia leaned heavily against me.“I can walk.”“You're bleeding.”“I've been worse.”“That doesn't make this better.”She tried to straighten herself, but the movement made her wince.I caught her before she could