Morning on the Maldivian island came wrapped in heavy grey clouds.
The storm from last night hadn't fully arrived…
but it hadn't left either.
The ocean was calmer than expected, yet the sky felt heavy. Like it was holding its breath.
Inside the resort lounge, chaos had already begun.
Percy was arguing loudly with Aries over a board game.
"I'm telling you that was a legal move!"
"It absolutely was NOT," Aries shot back, slamming the table.
Honey was filming the whole thing on her phone, laughing so hard she nearly fell off the couch.
"Internet is going to LOVE this."
Across the room, Daisy and Nova were setting up a card game.
"You shuffle wrong," Daisy complained.
"There is literally no wrong way to shuffle cards," Nova replied calmly.
"Yes there is. You do it like a psychopath."
Joong sat beside them, already half-drunk despite it being morning.
"I support Daisy," he mumbled.
Endrix was hacking into the resort's sound system to play music.
Freya and Rakhi had turned one corner into a mini photoshoot area.
Cin was trying to fix the lighting while Ella and Aries kept photobombing.
Meanwhile…
Keifer and JJ sat quietly on the balcony watching the ocean.
"Everyone's loud again," JJ smiled.
Keifer nodded.
"They're healing."
But two people were missing.
Care.
And Cole.
No one noticed when they quietly walked toward the dock earlier.
No dramatic goodbye.
No announcement.
Just two people silently needing space.
A small wooden boat drifted away from the resort.
The engine hummed softly over the calm water.
Care sat at the front, her hair moving with the ocean wind.
Cole steered.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Not awkward silence.
Comfortable silence.
Finally Care looked back.
"You know everyone's going to blame us when the board game war becomes physical."
Cole smirked.
"Worth it."
She laughed quietly.
The boat approached a tiny island.
Barely more than sand and palm trees.
No buildings.
No people.
Just untouched nature.
They tied the boat to a rock and stepped onto the shore.
Soft white sand.
Clear water stretching endlessly.
Care inhaled slowly.
"This… is perfect."
Cole looked around.
"Feels illegal that no one owns it."
She kicked sand at him.
"Billionaire problem."
They started walking along the beach.
Barefoot.
The ocean brushing their feet with each wave.
For the first time in months…
Care looked truly relaxed.
Not leader.
Not protector.
Just a girl.
Cole noticed.
"You look lighter."
Care shrugged.
"I forgot what normal felt like."
They walked further inland where tall palms created shade.
Care suddenly stopped.
"You know something?"
Cole raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
She turned toward him.
"If anyone told me a year ago I'd be stuck vacationing with eighteen billionaires who behave like children…"
Cole crossed his arms.
"Excuse me."
"…and somehow they'd become family…"
Her voice softened.
"I wouldn't have believed them."
Cole looked at her quietly.
Neither of them joked this time.
Because they both felt it.
The bond.
The survival.
The loss.
The rebuilding.
Care looked away quickly.
"So."
She clapped her hands once.
"Officially not a date."
Cole nodded.
"Absolutely not."
She pointed at him.
"Good."
He pointed back.
"Very good."
They both laughed.
Then voices appeared.
Loud.
Drunk.
Aggressive.
Care froze.
Cole turned his head slowly.
Five men were walking out from behind the palm trees.
Local criminals.
Cheap alcohol bottles in their hands.
Eyes already scanning Care in a way that made Cole's stomach twist.
One of them whistled.
"Well… what do we have here."
Care immediately stepped closer to Cole.
The tallest man grinned.
"Private island visit?"
Cole's voice dropped.
"We're leaving."
He grabbed Care's hand and started walking back toward the boat.
But the men moved forward.
Blocking the path.
Another one laughed.
"Why rush?"
Care squeezed Cole's hand tighter.
Cole stepped slightly in front of her.
Protective.
Cold.
"Move."
The leader smirked.
"Or what?"
Cole didn't answer.
His eyes said enough.
But the men were drunk.
And stupid.
One reached toward Care's arm.
That was enough.
Cole shoved him hard.
The man stumbled back.
Everything exploded.
"RUN," Cole shouted.
Care didn't hesitate.
They sprinted toward the shoreline.
The men shouted behind them.
Footsteps chasing.
Care's heart pounded violently.
"Cole—"
"Keep running!"
They reached the small dirt road near the island dock.
A cargo truck was driving slowly toward the harbor.
Cole grabbed Care's hand.
"Trust me."
Before she could ask anything—
He jumped onto the back of the moving truck.
Pulling Care up with him.
They rolled inside the cargo area.
The truck kept driving.
The criminals stopped chasing.
Too far now.
Care breathed heavily.
"We did it…"
Cole nodded.
"Yeah…"
They both lay on the metal floor catching their breath.
Care started laughing.
"Best non-date ever."
Cole chuckled.
"Absolutely."
Then he frowned.
The metal walls around them.
Thick insulation.
Heavy steel door.
No windows.
The temperature…
Dropping.
Fast.
Cole slowly stood.
His stomach dropped.
He found a small digital display.
Temperature: -18°C
His heart stopped.
"Care…"
She sat up.
"What?"
Cole looked at her.
His voice suddenly serious.
"This isn't a cargo truck."
Her smile faded.
"What do you mean?"
He pointed at the display.
She read it.
And froze.
"…frozen storage."
At that exact moment—
The heavy back door slammed shut automatically.
LOCK.
The truck accelerated.
Driving away from the island.
Care ran to the door.
Pulled it.
Nothing.
Cole tried the side panels.
Solid.
The cold air blasted from the vents.
Their breath turned visible.
Care whispered quietly.
"…Cole."
He turned toward her.
The truck kept driving.
Ocean disappearing behind them.
No signal.
No help.
Just steel walls.
And freezing air.
She asked the question both of them were thinking.
"Are we… trapped?"
Cole looked around the frozen container.
His jaw tightened.
"…Yeah."
The temperature dropped again.
-19°C.
Outside the truck…
The storm clouds over Maldives finally began to break open.
Thunder rolled across the ocean.
And far away at the resort…
No one had noticed they were gone yet.