Ding-ding!
The crisp sound of a bicycle bell cut through the air. Jared, who had been sweating over his repairs, turned toward the shore.
There she was. Sam.
His beautiful girlfriend, with her perfect curves and sweet face, had returned.
"Hey, baby."
Sam parked her bike next to Jared's seaside shack and greeted their dog. She noticed Jared staring and instinctively hung her backpack—and the large painting tube—on the handlebars.
She knew Jared. He was possessive. If he knew the client had given her an oil painting, he'd spiral. So she decided to keep it a secret for now.
She walked toward the boat, forcing a bright smile to smooth over the tension from yesterday.
"Hi, darling."
Jared tore his eyes away from the bike. Even though he knew Sam was loyal, the jealousy still burned in his gut.
"Hi, babe."
He forced a smile of his own. He couldn't let her know he had stalked her today. If she found out he didn't trust her, the ensuing fight might expose all the other times he had followed her in the past.
Sam saw the exhaustion on his face and felt a pang of guilt.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the cash Hunter had given her.
"Look at this!"
Jared's eyes lit up the moment he saw the stack of bills.
It was $1,000.
For a moment, the map he had found earlier faded from his mind.
That morning, he had tailed the Asian tourist and Sam. When the tourist dropped a map, Jared had snatched it up.
He knew Paradise Island sold fake treasure maps to tourists—he had bought enough of them himself. But this one was different.
He had spent years studying local currents, tides, and historical records. One glance at the markings on this map told him it was serious. It pointed to a location he had already suspected might hold debris from the recent storm.
He was convinced it was real.
Driven by this discovery, he had rushed back and pawned whatever he could to buy repair materials. He had spent the entire day patching up the boat, desperate to get out to sea.
But the money hadn't been enough. He was still short on supplies.
Now, staring at the cash in Sam's hand, he saw his salvation.
Sam saw the hunger in his eyes. Guiltily, she pressed the money into his hand.
"For me?" Jared blinked, his excitement mixed with a flicker of shame.
"Yeah." Sam hugged him, ignoring the smell of sweat and grease. "What's mine is yours, right?"
In that instant, Jared's anger evaporated. He hugged her back, lifting her off her feet and kissing her hard.
"Thank you, babe! You're the best!"
Sam giggled, melting into his embrace.
After he set her down, she noticed the new tools and materials scattered on the deck.
"Hey, where did you get the money for all this?" she asked. "Did you have a stash hidden away?"
Jared froze. His smile faltered.
"Uh... yeah. Something like that."
Sam, sweet and trusting as always, didn't press him.
"Well, keep working. I'm going to grab a shower and head to bed early. Big day tomorrow."
"Okay!"
Jared watched her walk away, relief washing over him. He was too ashamed to admit where the money really came from.
Sam entered their small home and flipped on the light.
She frowned. The room looked... disturbed. Things were slightly out of place.
A cold feeling settled in her stomach.
She walked to her dresser and pulled open the drawer. She reached for the small metal cookie tin where she kept her most precious possession.
It was empty.
Sam's face went pale. The blood drained from her lips.
She grabbed the tin and marched back outside.
"Jared!"
Her voice trembled with rage.
"Did you sell my mother's necklace?!"
Jared flinched. He dropped the wrench he was holding.
"That was all I had left of her!" Sam screamed, tears welling in her eyes. "I told you that was the one thing you could never touch!"
Her parents had died at sea. Their bodies were never recovered. That gold necklace was the only physical connection she had left to her mother.
Jared couldn't look at her.
He had been desperate. The map had consumed him. He needed the boat fixed now, before anyone else found the treasure. He had pawned the necklace thinking he could buy it back once he struck it rich.
"Sam, I'm sorry," he stammered. "I... I just pawned it temporarily. I swear I'll get it back."
"You swore?" Sam stared at him, tears spilling over.
"I found a lead, Sam. A real one," Jared pleaded, desperation creeping into his voice. "This time is different. I know where the treasure is. Once I find it, I'll buy you ten necklaces. I'll buy you a house. Just trust me one more time."
Sam looked at the man she loved.
The man who had stolen her mother's memory to chase another fantasy.
"I trusted you," she whispered, her voice breaking.
She looked at him, really looked at him, and for the first time, she didn't see her protector. She saw a stranger.
And she realized, with a breaking heart, that Hunter Sun had been right. Jared didn't need a partner. He needed a reality check.
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