Chapter 3

The ocean swells were noticeably rougher than yesterday, and the sky had bled into an oppressive, leaden gray.

With treacherous currents and zero underwater visibility, it was the absolute worst condition for diving—but prime hunting time for apex predators like sharks.

I sat in the fully enclosed bridge on the upper deck. A wall of high-definition security monitors glowed in front of me, offering zero-blind-spot coverage of the entire yacht.

On the center screen, Julian and Harper stood on the aft swim platform. Beside them rested a large bucket packed to the brim with their prepared chum.

Harper was holding up her phone, laying on the theatrics for her live stream.

"Morning, my babies! Look, we are officially out in the open ocean. The weather's a little gloomy today, but that won't stop us from pushing the extreme! That's right—today, my partner Julian and I are going into the water to hand-feed bull sharks without a cage!"

Comments flooded her screen in a frantic blur of awe, skepticism, and desperate warnings.

Glancing off-camera, Harper deliberately lowered her voice, dripping with pathetic grievance. "Honestly, guys, the owner of this yacht is totally against us doing this. She even locked up all the professional scuba gear. She wouldn't even lend us a life ring. I'm honestly so heartbroken. We just want to show you guys the raw beauty of nature. Why are rich people always so cold and utterly devoid of empathy?"

Her little speech instantly ignited an uproar in the chat. Millions of clueless viewers began tearing me apart, cursing me out as a vicious, bloodsucking capitalist.

Right on cue, Julian stepped into the frame. He wrapped an arm around Harper's waist, flashing the camera a bittersweet, weary smile. "Please don't blame Eve, guys. She's just... very self-centered. But it's okay, Harper, I'll protect you. Even with just this basic gear, I won't let anything hurt you."

Watching this pair of scumbags tag-team to drag my name through the mud, I wasn't even angry. In fact, I let out a soft laugh.

"Ms. Sterling..." The captain stood behind me, his jaw tight as he stared at the sonar display. "The currents down there are extremely treacherous right now. And according to the sonar, there's a cluster of at least five adult bull sharks circling directly beneath the yacht. If they jump in now, it is literal suicide. Are we really just going to sit here and watch?"

I didn't even blink. "We have fulfilled all our legal and verbal obligations to warn them. If I send security to drag them back inside by force, they'll just flip the script and sue us for false imprisonment."

Leaning forward, I pressed the intercom button on the console.

My voice broadcasted coldly through the loudspeakers on the aft deck. "Julian, Harper. This is my final warning. Sonar shows high-density bull shark activity directly below you. Stop this idiotic stunt and get back inside the cabin immediately."

Hearing my voice, Harper instantly shoved her phone lens toward the loudspeaker, screaming, "Eve! Stop trying to control us! You just hate seeing someone else get attention! I am getting in that water today, no matter what!"

Julian threw his head back, roaring at the upper decks. "Eve, enough! Stop barking orders in that condescending tone! I am going down there with Harper today, and I'm going to show you what real bravery looks like!"

Staring at their fanatical, twisted faces on the monitor, I knew they had been completely blinded by vanity and viral clout.

However, the exact second I was about to release the intercom button—a violently brutal impact shuddered through the entire hull.

The yacht lurched violently to the side.

"Microburst!" the captain bellowed, fighting desperately to stabilize the helm as the massive yacht groaned agonizingly under the extreme pressure. "Wind speed just spiked to eighty knots! Abnormal wind shear is pushing us sideways right into a rogue wave!"

Mother Nature had suddenly intervened, making the decision for us.

"Fire the main engines!" I screamed over the deafening wail of the alarms, grabbing the console handrail just to stay on my feet. "Point the bow into the wind! Now!"

"Engines at maximum output! Swim platform is initiating emergency retract!"

The massive propellers churned the ocean, kicking up a colossal froth of white water.

The sudden chaos instantly threw Julian and Harper into a pure, unadulterated panic on the deck.

"Eve! Are you out of your mind?! What are you doing?!" Julian dropped the bucket of bloody chunks, screaming hysterically at the security camera.

I pressed the intercom button one last time, my voice completely devoid of emotion. "Julian, Harper. You have exactly four minutes to decide. You can either take your bravery and jump into the ocean to feed the sharks, or you can crawl your way back to your cabins and ride this out with me. Counting down now."

The roar of the engines grew deafening as the yacht slowly began to correct its heading against the gale.

Harper stared down at the violently churning black water, all the color finally draining from her face. But she glanced down at her live stream—the chat was moving at warp speed, filled with thousands of comments daring her to jump in. If she backed down now, her entire influencer career was over.

"Julian..." Harper grabbed his arm, trembling. "What... what do we do?"

Julian glared up at the bulletproof glass of the upper bridge. Even though he couldn't see me through the tint, I could feel the venomous hatred burning in his eyes. His fragile ego, coupled with the grandiose promises he had just made to millions of viewers, made it physically impossible for him to swallow his pride and back down.

"She wouldn't dare! She's just trying to scare us!" Julian roared through gritted teeth.

Snatching up the heavy bucket of bloody chum, he spun around, stared down at the raging, shark-infested sea, and hardened his resolve.