All Chapters of Where the Tide Returned : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Chapter 11 “Where’s the navigator?” I asked. Enzo’s expression changed. He looked back at the landslide. “It’s gone.” “What do you mean, gone?” “I mean our only reliable way of finding the dock is currently buried under several tons of mud.” “Whattttt?” I shouted. “But there’s nothing to worry about. We can pass through this way. It’s just that our journey may be longer,” he said confidently, while pointing toward another route. It was dusk when we decided to continue our journey. We kept moving through the night, getting scratched and injured by tree branches and bitten by different species of insects. I was glad I had brought a pocket knife along; it became very useful during the journey because this part of the forest was much denser than the previous route. Enzo even had to wear protective gear to cover the most precious part of his body. You all know by now I mean his face. We were already in the dead of night and were exhausted from all the stress of the day. As we d

The footsteps kept getting closer. I was just roaming around like a lost dog.“I should have just listened to Enzo when he told me to leave,” I said dejectedly.Now I couldn’t find any clue as to why my mom was a specimen, nor could I find Enzo. Very soon, I might as well lose my life too. I didn’t even know whether Enzo was dead or alive. Chills ran through my veins.“He has to be alive,” I muttered.I glanced around desperately for somewhere to hide.Nothing.Then I noticed something strange.One of the floor tiles was different.Not by much.I crouched down and ran my fingers along its edge.There was nothing. Probably, the tiler had made a mistake with the color.But I couldn’t rule out the possibility that something was hidden beneath it. I tapped the tile. The sound was hollow.I tapped the other tile beside it, then tapped the first one again, just to be sure it wasn’t wishful thinking.Then I heard it.Tap. Tap.A faint mechanical click sounded beneath my fingers.I froze.The

Before I knew what was happening, everyone was already running helter-skelter, while I remained rooted to the spot.Enzo had already been wheeled into the operating theatre, while I could only sit motionless and expressionless in the waiting area.But inside, I was in turmoil, silently praying that Enzo would make it out alive. Otherwise, I was doomed.Mila, Lux’s fan, kept pacing around anxiously.After what felt like an eternity, one of the nurses approached me.“You’re the patient’s sister, right?” she asked, almost as if she was confirming the information.For a moment, I froze.Did they realize something?I quickly regained my composure.“Yes. Yeah, I’m his sister.”The nurse nodded.“We need to take a blood sample from you. Your brother has lost a significant amount of blood, and we may need you to donate.”My heart skipped.“Is it that serious?”The nurse’s expression became solemn.“Yes, it is. He was losing a lot of blood when he arrived. If you’d come even a few minutes late

Enzo P.O.V.For a moment, there was silence except for the sound coming from the sea. For the first time in my entire life, my tongue felt tied, and I became speechless because I never expected such a shocking confession.I kept opening my mouth, but no words came out. I cleared my throat and, with a stern voice, I said, “The last time I checked, you told me you are just 18 years old. I think what you said you have is just mere infatuation. I really appreciate you as one of my fans and everything you’ve done for me so far, but I don’t think I am ready to get into a scandal with a minor.”I stood up to leave so I wouldn’t have to see her dejected expression, but for the first time since I ever met her, she called me “Enzo” while using the back of her hand to wipe the lone tear from her face.That made me turn back immediately because I never expected that name from her mouth.“What did you just call me?” I said.“Yeah, I said ‘Enzo.’”“It will be safer for you not to call me that, espe

Tiffany’s POVAfter Enzo left, I finished my breakfast and decided to check out the rooms.The first room, the one beside the living room, was clean and cozy, with plenty of natural light and ventilation. The bed was neatly made, the bedding was fresh, and the bathroom toiletries were arranged with care. Everything looked simple, comfortable, and well thought out.But when I opened the door to the room at the far end of the hallway, I couldn’t help but feel as though Enzo had somehow had me in mind when he built this place.The room had the same structure as the first one, but what made me fall in love with it was the window.It overlooked a small garden filled with my mom’s favorite flowers—peonies. Their soft, delicate blooms swayed gently in the breeze, surrounding a swing chair positioned right in the middle of the garden.I stood there for a moment, unable to look away.The sight of those flowers brought back memories of my mom—little moments I hadn’t realized I still carried so