Chapter 264

"Alright, it's your money, so you call the shots."

"We can't really say much, but sometimes your reactions are totally unexpected."

The Duke just smiled faintly.

"Some things are hard to predict. Who knows, maybe we'll find some unexpected surprises here?"

He looked serious, and the others fell silent, sometimes thinking he made a lot of sense.

But other times, they thought the Duke was a bit eccentric.

Anyway, they were used to the Duke saying one thing and doing another.

Meanwhile, Christina finally managed to untie the rope.

But due to holding her breath for so long, she passed out from lack of oxygen just as she freed herself.

Without the rope's restraint, Christina began to float upward.

The Duke's yacht arrived in the same area.

His companions marveled at the scenery.

"I think coming here with you was a great decision. I never expected to find such inspiration for my sketches."

"Of course."

"If it were anywhere else, I wouldn't have brought you. I spent a long time studying the map for this spot, and it's pretty much undiscovered."

"And this part of the sea is unpolluted, so you can enjoy it without worry."

His companions nodded in agreement.

"Let me use the binoculars to see if there's anything interesting in the distance."

The Duke smiled, holding his wine glass and gazing ahead.

Just then, one of his friends spotted Christina floating in the water.

At first, he couldn't believe his eyes and thought he was seeing things.

"Is that a person?"

"Maybe I've been staring at the sea too long and my eyes are playing tricks on me."

His comment made the others curious.

When they all looked through the binoculars, their eyes widened in shock.

"It really is a person, and it looks like a woman."

Everyone was puzzled.

Hearing this, the Duke grabbed the binoculars from his friend.

When he saw the person in the water, he was stunned.

He quickly ordered a speedboat to be lowered and, along with a few lifeguards, went to rescue Christina.

"Judging by your reaction, you know this lady, don't you?"

Indeed, despite her disheveled appearance, Christina was strikingly beautiful.

They were all puzzled about how someone could end up alone in such a remote part of the sea.

"Let's not worry about that now. We need to wake her up first."

When Christina opened her eyes again, she found herself in a room. She thought she might be dreaming.

Before she passed out, all she felt was the cold sea water.

She had been wearing very little when she was taken, making her current situation even more surprising.

"You're awake?"

Hearing the voice, Christina looked up.

Seeing the familiar face, she thought she might be mistaken.

"Don't be curious, it's really me. Honestly, I think we have a special connection."

Christina gave an awkward smile.

"If you don't feel like smiling, don't force it. Here, have some hot water first."

"How did you end up in the sea?"

"Fate or not, if I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have found you."

Christina's eyes flashed with anger.

"Yeah, lucky me," she practically spat out the last word.

"I'm really curious about what happened to you. You don't look like you're in a good situation."

Christina decided not to hide anything and briefly explained what had happened.

"Before this, I never thought people could be so malicious. Now I see how true that is."

"At first, I thought they wouldn't dare go this far, but I was wrong."

"Where are we now?" Christina asked, curious about her location and wondering where Parker had taken her.

"This is the neighboring sea of Zephyra."

"This area is deserted. Our yacht had to pass through several checkpoints to get here. If you came from your city, it would take even longer. Who did you offend to end up here?"

Christina frowned slightly.

"Never mind, I won't bother you. Get some rest, and we'll talk when you wake up."

"Where are we going now?"

"We're heading back. Finding you floating in the sea ended our sketching trip. We planned to stay nearby, but now we'll return."

Christina sighed.

She nodded and asked the Duke to leave.

When the Duke came out, his friends looked at him curiously.

"Who was that beautiful woman?"

"Do you two have a special connection? I always thought you didn't date because you liked men."

"So, you do have someone you fancy. What a coincidence."

"Yeah, but she seems to be in some trouble. How did she end up in such a situation?"

Though it was strange, they were all familiar with family conflicts.

They knew Christina's appearance here wasn't simple and that the situation was likely very complicated.

The Duke shook his head.

"I only asked a bit, but she fell asleep. If you really want to know, ask her when she wakes up."

They quickly shook their heads.

"We don't have the guts. She doesn't look easy to deal with."

"If you don't want to talk, that's fine."

"Exactly."

When Christina woke up, it was already evening.

The yacht had traveled a long way.

"I didn't expect you to save me again. Last time at the exhibit was a coincidence, but this time?"

Christina stood by the railing, holding a cup of hot coffee.

"This time was also a coincidence. It shows we have a special connection. But I didn't expect your place to be so dangerous."

"Why don't you stay with me? At least I can keep you safe."

He spoke half-jokingly, half-seriously, knowing Christina would never agree.

He had suggested it before, and Christina had firmly refused. Now, he just smiled.