Chapter 424:

Jeffry’s eyes wavered. “Thanks.”

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, the fog was thinning, but the sound of explosions kept splitting through the air without warning.

Huge fireballs burst from the stern of the cargo ship, throwing heat and chaos in all directions. The hull groaned under pressure, bending and snapping from the flames. A high-pitched screech cut through the smoke as it swallowed the ship. The signal that had linked Rylie to the battleship went dead in an instant.

At the front of the patrol boat, Brad stood frozen, the flare of the explosion casting harsh light across his face.

Time didn’t seem to move.

The fire reflected in his eyes, glowing like it had been lit from within.

No one screamed. Not a single voice broke through.

It was as if the world had gone silent. All he could feel was the pounding in his chest and the heavy grip around his heart. His hands tightened on the edge of the boat. His fingers turned pale, the knuckles cracking under the pressure. “Rylie…” The name barely made it past his lips—soft as a breath, but heavy as stone.

Then everything snapped back. Smoke, salt, gunpowder—each scent hit him at once. And in the middle of all of it, one truth hit harder than the rest—she was still inside.

Rylie was at the center of that blast.

“Push forward! Now! We need eyes on any survivors!”

Brad’s voice shot through the chaos. It was calm, but carried a bite of steel that forced everyone into motion. Whatever had shaken him seconds ago was now buried.

Brock, watching closely, caught the shift. He saw the storm hiding behind Brad’s usual stillness—the kind of storm that could burn through everything in its path.

LⱯtєѕτ cнαρτєrs ιn g𝒶l𝑛ovєlѕ.𝒸𝑜𝑚

The boat pressed on, fighting through smoke and floating wreckage. The cargo ship hadn’t gone down completely, but the stern was burning hard. Smoke made it nearly impossible to see ahead.

“Admiral Morgan, it’s too dangerous! The fire’s cutting off access!” the rescue lead called out, wiping sweat from his face. He pointed toward a part of the ship still above water. “Scanners picked something up. There’s still someone inside that room.”

Brad didn’t answer. His eyes locked on the wreckage, tracking the exact location of the game room, now entirely consumed by flames. His jaw was clenched, sharp and rigid. Without wasting a second, he grabbed a thermal fireproof blanket nearby and wrapped it tightly around himself.

“You can’t go down there, Admiral Morgan!” Brock stepped in front of him, panic in his voice. “That might not even be Dr. Owen! She would’ve made it out. She always had a backup plan. She’s smart. She wouldn’t let it come to this. She’s probably already safe.”

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