Kael was the last person youâd expect to back himself into a corner. When Balfour pitched his offer, Kael nodded eagerly, âAlright! You want to buy me off, huh? Well, I want you to cough up a cool million in cash! And throw in a sports car, plus arrange for me to skip the country, pronto.â
Margot rolled her eyes secretly. The guy was the epitome of greed. Did he seriously think he could lug around a million in cash?
âCash? I can give you two hundred grand, tops. The rest, we wire to your account. How do you plan to carry a million in cash anyway?â
Kael did a quick reality check and agreed.
âFine, but you move nice and slow towards me. I need to make sure I can make my getaway!â
As the two sides inched towards their respective new positions, none of them expected Colton and the producer to suddenly show up.
âKael? You!â Both were thunderstruck.
They had gone out of their way to hire certified dive instructors as lifeguards to protect Ivy. Little did they know that one of them would turn into a criminal.
With Thalia captive in his grip, there was no doubt that the incident involving Ivy rested on his shoulders.
Upon hearing Coltonâs voice, Kael shamefully bowed his head.
Colton, aware of the history between Kael and Diana, had warned him against putting all his eggs in one basket for a girl.
Initially, Colton had brought Kael on board as a lifeguard, partly out of pity for his recent run of bad luck.
However, Kael had now betrayed that trust.
âI didnât mean for things to turn out this way. Iâm sorry,â Kael mumbled.
The producer, sensing Kael was on the edge, quickly intervened.
âAre you in some kind of trouble? Weâre all friends here. If youâre in a tight spot, why not just tell us about it?â
Kael was at a loss. His current predicament was all self-inflicted.
If he hadnât met Diana, if he hadnât agreed to turn a blind eye to the planned accident for Ivy, or pretended to cramp up, would he be in this mess?
âDonât bother asking. Iâve let you down, and thereâs no turning back now, Hurry!â
Waving the knife at them, he commanded, âMove over there! I need to get down this hill.â
They raised their hands in compliance, âAlright, alright, weâll do as you say. Just donât do anything rash.
Kael, weâve always had your back, brought you on board when the crew was in a bind. Have you thought about your mom back home waiting for you?â
Coltonâs words were both an appeal to Kaelâs conscience and a genuine concern for his future.
If Kael harmed Thalia, what would become of his elderly mother back home?
He couldnât be so selfish as to only think of himself.
The thought of his mother back home made Kaelâs knife hand tremble, âI didnât want this. I really didnât.
She forced my hand.â
Balfour had little sympathy for the man.
Kael was quick to lament his misfortunes and blame the woman he loved. Yet, who could force him if he truly didnât want to do it? In the end, it was his cowardice, pushing all his troubles onto others, thinking it would ease his pain.
But fateâs puppeteer is always oneself.
And Kaelâs predicament was of his own making.