Chapter 157
Jonathan walked up to Nina, who opened her palm to reveal a stall starfish. Nina smiled at him. “Mr. Bennett, isn’t it cute!”
Jonathan’s voice was gentle. “Very cute
“Here, it’s for you.” Nina placed the tiny starlish in his hand,
Jessie, standing nearby, grinned and teased, Jonathan. Nina is giving you her heart. You’d better take good care
Nina looked up at Jonathan and blushed before quickly lowering her head. I’m going to find Cynthia. She’s amazing. She just caught an octopus with her bare hands. With that, Nina ran off.
Soon, they gathered an assortment of fresh ingredients. Lisa looked at them and said regretfully, “Jessie looked at the bounty, a bit disappointed. “All this would be perfect for grilling, but it’s too bad we don’t have any seasonings.” The boiled shrimp they’d had for lunch had been fresh but lacked flavor.
Jonathan then spoke up. “I can cook these.”
Preston looked at Jonathan, stunned. “U–Un, you? Can you even cook?” As far as Preston could remember, Jonathan had never set foot in a kitchen. With several chefs on staff, Jonathan had never needed to lift a finger.
Even during his time abroad, his family had sent their seasoned head chef to care for him, so cooking was something Jonathan never had to learn.
Jonathan gave Preston a sharp look. “You better not eat later
Preston quickly backed down, surrendering with a laugh.
Ethan added, “But without any seasoning–not even salt–how will it be any different from boiling?”
Jonathan’s gaze shifted to Cynthia. “If I remember right, Cynthia has some knowledge of herbs, and many herbs have flavors
-sweet, salty, even sour.
“On our way to find fresh water earlier, we noticed a few edible herbs that could work for seasoning. Cynthia explained some of them to us. I’d like her to join me in gathering some now!
Ethan stood there in confusion. He didn’t recall Cynthia ever explaining herbs to them–maybe he’d missed it somehow. Cynthia realized Jonathan was looking for an excuse for them to be alone–he likely had something he wanted to say. Honestly, she was just as weary of their constant back–and–forth, and some things needed to be settled once and for all. Besides, Jonathan wasn’t entirely wrong; she did know a bit about herbs, She often used herbs to make fragrances, and Jonathan had once promised her a plot of land at Paradise Resort where she could grow herbs once it was completed.
“Alright, I’ll go gather some herbs for seasoning.” Cynthia agreed
Nina quickly followed along. “Mr. Bennett. I’ll come with you.”
Jonathan said. “There are a lot of mosquitoes in the woods. You should wait here, we’ll be back soon.
Preston also tried to tag along, but Jonathan turned him down with a firm tone, practically pulling rank, “You stay here as
well
Preston hesitated. He was worried that Cynthia might suffer from Jonathan’s sharp tongue.
Sensing Preston’s concern, Cynthia’s voice softened as she spoke to him. “Preston, we’ll be quick. Why don’t you help gather some firewood for the fire? Be good, alright?
Fri, Nov 8
Chapter 157
That “be good” made Preston’s heart skip a beat, and he nodded ready to do exactly as she asked
Cynthia and Jonathan stepped into the forest together, with the Brone trailing behind them.
As they reached the entrance, Jonathan turned to the drone, his ice cold and firm, “You stay here, too
The drone twirled in place, looking a bit confused. He watched Jonathan and Cyrghia disappear into the forest, clearly wanting to follow, but Jonathan shot him a sharp look over his shoulder.
In the control room, Jason suddenly shivered, a sense of dread creeping over him. He had a feeling that if the drone insisted on following them, he might be in for some serious trouble. After a moment of hesitation, the drone scurried back to the beach.
In the live room chat, viewers were complaining:
[What’s going on? Why did Jonathan and Cynthia vanish?]
[Is the production budget that low? Other shows have a cameraman for each guest, and here we get one drone!]
[Poor Cynthia’s working way too hard. She’s doing all the tough tasks, while Jonathan plays favorites–not letting Nina go because of bugs, but it’s fine for Cynthia?
[All I want is more of Cynthia and Preston together. That ‘be good from earlier was so sweet!]
Jonathan led Cynthia deep into the forest, expertly avoiding the cameras. He remembered their placements from the last time he’d scouted the area, mapping out the blind spots as he went.
After about ten minutes of walking, they came upon a clearing filled with various herbs–wild onions, garlic, and even rosemary. Cynthia picked a few, preparing to head back.
“Cynthia, there’s something I need to tell you,” Jonathan said, his voice steady.
Cynthia knew Jonathan had gone to great lengths to avoid the cameras, so he must have something to say. She turned, her expression detached. “Go ahead.”
Jonathon looked her in the eye, his tone serious. “My sister has had her sights on you for a while now. Whitney isn’t just possessive; she’s unhinged. If she knew you meant something to me, she wouldn’t hesitate to have you hurt, or worse–hire, someone to stage an accident, kill you if she had to.”
Jonathan couldn’t bear Cynthia’s indifference any longer. Even after just a day on the island, he had already understood the current situation.
Since they were all on this island, Whitney was definitely pulling the strings behind the scenes. It meant Cynthia was already part of the twisted game. As for what might happen next, he couldn’t predict
Distance hadn’t kept her safe–she was in it now. And if that was unavoidable, he was determined to protect her. But their relationship was in a bad state.
He needed to explain everything clearly and be on the same side as her. But there was more to it than that. Life without her had felt like an endless agony. He missed her so much.
Cynthia frowned. “So what?”
Jonathan reached out, taking her hand cautiously.
Cynthia didn’t pull away, so Jonathan continued, “Breaking up with you was all a performance for my sister, to make sure she wouldn’t see you as my weakness. I thought it would keep you safe, but now that you’re involved, I want us to face it together.”
10:30 Fri, Nov 8
Chapter 157
Cynthia gave an exaggerated, sarcastic laugh. “Oh, wow, I’m so moved. You’re really a saint, sacrificing your feelings, so noble and restrained. It was all for ny good? You’re practically the romantic hero of the century”
SEND GIFT
