"Miss Sam, thank you for your company today."
Hunter smiled warmly, the evening breeze ruffling his hair.
"You showed me some incredible spots on the island, and the yacht and diving rentals are all sorted perfectly. I really appreciate it."
They stood outside an upscale Spanish restaurant on Paradise Island. Sam's face was flushed with a genuine, relaxed smile.
Over the course of the day, her initial wariness had completely dissolved.
At lunch, she had insisted on a cheap fast-food meal to save him money, despite his offer to treat her. But by dinner, she allowed him to take her to this pricier establishment without protest. The subtle shift in her comfort level didn't escape Hunter's notice.
He had casually suggested dinner at his villa earlier. Sam had politely but firmly declined—a clear boundary set against his escalating charm offensive.
Hunter anticipated this. He pivoted seamlessly, suggesting a public restaurant instead.
"Just call me Sam," she said. "And I'll call you Hunter. We're friends now, right?"
She adjusted the strap of her backpack. In her hand, she clutched the large tube containing the oil painting Hunter had gifted her.
She smiled at him, though her gaze flickered away shyly.
Sam wasn't naïve. She knew she was beautiful.
Since her school days, men had swarmed around her like flies, creating chaos in her life. After her parents died at sea, the harassment only worsened.
Back then, Jared had been her shield. He chased off the creeps and protected her when she was most vulnerable. That sense of safety was why she accepted him when he confessed a year ago, right after his ex dumped him.
Even when he was a mess—unemployed, angry, volatile—she remembered that safety. She stayed loyal.
But she wasn't blind.
She knew Hunter was interested. His eyes held an admiration that was open and undisguised.
If she were single, Sam admitted to herself, she might not have been able to resist him. He was handsome, wealthy, talented, and surprisingly gentle.
But she wasn't single. She valued loyalty and family above material comfort. As long as Jared didn't betray her, she would never betray him.
Hunter caught the subtle rejection in her eyes. He didn't push.
Instead, he extended his hand with a perfect, gentlemanly smile.
"I'm glad to have made a new friend."
Relieved he didn't take offense, Sam shook his hand warmly.
"I should head back, Hunter. Tomorrow, we'll take the boat out. Since you're certified, I'll show you some of the best diving spots around the island."
"Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow."
He watched her walk away toward the Atlantis Resort employee lot to retrieve her bicycle.
Once she was out of sight, Hunter's expression shifted. The warm smile vanished, replaced by cold calculation.
He began to follow her.
He kept a precise distance, utilizing his [Tracking: Level 3] skill to blend into the shadows. He jogged lightly, mimicking a tourist on an evening run.
Given his enhanced physical stats, he could easily outrun her bicycle if he wanted to. But tonight wasn't about catching her. It was about finding the nest.
Specifically, finding Jared.
Hunter's plan was already in motion.
That morning, after realizing he was in the Into the Blue timeline, he had deliberately dropped a specific map for Jared to find.
It was a copy of one of Stansfield's maps, cross-referenced with local charts. It pointed directly to the most likely location of the "treasure."
Hunter needed Jared to verify it.
Let the desperate, treasure-obsessed boyfriend do the legwork. Let him brave the sharks and the currents.
Once the location was confirmed, Hunter would swoop in. With his [Inventory], he didn't need cranes or salvage crews. He could simply swim down and vacuum up the gold.
As for the drug plane?
In the movie, the cocaine plane crashed right next to the legendary pirate ship Zephyr. If Jared found one, he found both.
And that was the trap.
Hunter had zero interest in the drugs. But he knew Jared.
Jared was broke. Desperate. And while he had a conscience (thanks to Sam), money had a way of eroding morals. In the original plot, Jared was tempted to sell a few bricks of cocaine. That temptation drove a wedge between him and Sam.
Hunter intended to widen that wedge into a canyon.
Sam was too principled to be bought with money. To steal her, Hunter had to destroy her faith in Jared.
He would let the drugs do the work. Let Jared find the cocaine. Let his greed take over. Let him make the mistake that would cost him everything.
Hunter followed Sam across the bridge to a run-down coastal village on the outskirts of Nassau.
In the fading light of sunset, he spotted a figure on a dilapidated fishing boat.
It was Jared.
He was frantically working on the hull, energized by the map he had "found" that morning.
Hunter watched from the shadows, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
Dig your own grave, Jared. I'll be waiting to comfort the widow.
Read ahead with 100+ chapters now with daily updates!
@patreon.com/Authorizz