Chapter 551

Chapter 551:

I gave it a brief glance. The Mediterranean had too many fish for me to recognize, so I simply shook my head. “It’s a goldfish p>

I blinked. “What p>

“A common goldfish,” he said. “It was on our boat p>

I froze, my lips parting without a sound. Shock and delight tangled on my tongue, impossible to put into words.

I hadn’t even known there were goldfish on board. After all, the boat was rented.

“How do you know there was a goldfish on the yacht?” I asked.

“I saw it in a little plastic tank. Whoever used the boat last must have brought it with them p>

“What for p>

He shrugged.

I cursed myself for asking something so irrelevant. It didn’t matter who brought it. What mattered was that goldfish weren’t native to the Mediterranean—which meant the one lying here had to have come from our yacht.

If the fish had washed up here, the boat couldn’t be far.

Ashton picked up the fish, wrapped it carefully in a leaf, and carried it with him.

Stranded on a deserted island, with no food in sight, even one dead goldfish felt like a strange kind of blessing. But our fleeting good fortune didn’t last long.

We trekked a good distance without finding any sign of the yacht. My legs began to ache, and I absentmindedly rubbed them. Ahead, the beach stretched on, endless and unforgiving.

Frustration welled up inside me. This island was far too large for just the two of us to search thoroughly, yet it was too small to be easily spotted by any rescue teams—if there were any.

I kept this thought to myself. The more I dwelled on it, the more I wished I could travel back in time and slap myself for rushing into this diving trip and for dragging Ashton into this mess with me.

gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s．𝒸𝗈𝗺 brings magic to life

Then I noticed Ashton veering off the beach. He was heading into the forest.

I stopped in my tracks.

Daylight made it safer, but I still felt uneasy. The dense trees loomed close, heavy with shade. I had always been uncomfortable in places like this, where the air felt thick and suffocating.

“Are we really going in there?” I called out.

Ashton glanced back. He paused mid-step before turning fully to face me.

He reached out and took my hand.

The heat of his palm startled me.

Then, in a voice softer than I’d ever heard, he said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll be with you. Every step of the way p>

I stared at our interlaced fingers, dazed.

How had Ashton and I suddenly become so close?

I blinked, still stunned, and missed the moment to pull away. By the time I regained my senses, Ashton had already been leading me for a while.

The warmth of his hand felt almost scalding. Yet, when I glanced at him, I saw no flicker in his calm gaze.

Was I overthinking? When he said he’d be with me, it didn’t mean what I thought it did. Perhaps he was simply being kind, helping me through the situation.

Ashton turned his head and glanced at me. I felt the faintest tightening of his fingers around mine.