If Gavin Reeves did not know the real score between Leoric Graystone and Angel Hart, he would think Leoric was jealous. Upon further reflection, Gavin considered that it might be more about a common male inclination to be possessive, even if the object of their possessiveness holds no real significance to them.
The doctor let out a heavy sigh as he thought about Angel, a stunning and kind woman trapped in a marriage with a despicable man. Angel reminded him of a woman he had once loved. He closed his eyes and drifted asleep, only to dream of the earlier scene he had witnessed when the desert was bathed in the ethereal glow of the crimson moon.
Dr. Reeves stirred.
"Hey, can you stop moving? Other people are sleeping," Leoric reprimanded him. The doctor had been restless in his half-asleep state and constantly moving since he lay down.
Dr. Reeves froze and stopped moving.
Leoric lay beside Angel with his eyes closed, but sleep eluded him. The events of the previous night continued to haunt his thoughts. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease about his recent marriage. Ever since their arrival in this mysterious place, Angel had been experiencing inexplicable occurrences. Was she somehow influenced or possessed by supernatural forces?
In his memory, he couldn't shake the image of her bathed in that ethereal glow. Her beauty was breathtaking, and her hair gleamed with the fiery hue of an orange flame. Leoric shifted his gaze towards the woman he had married as part of a vengeful scheme. In the dim light coming from a small bulb in the front of the vehicle, her features were obscured, but her distinct fragrance filled the air, reminiscent of jasmine and tuberose.
The wee hours of the morning grew bitterly cold, with the temperature dropping to almost freezing. Without even realizing it, Leoric instinctively drew closer to Angel, enveloping her small waist with his arms. To shield them both from the biting cold, he covered them with a thick quilt that the housekeeper thankfully threw into the vehicle.
...
Leoric blinked and emerged from his daze. He watched Angel finish the bread and the water from the tumbler.
"Do you want some more water?" Leoric asked his face, an inscrutable mask
"No, I am full." Angel replied. Her voice was polite but distant as if she was talking to a stranger.
Leoric glanced sharply at her. It was not the way he spoke to the doctor.
Angel looked around, and she was disappointed to find that they were still in the desert.
Leoric reached into his black backpack and pulled out a blue notebook. Flipping through the pages, he found the map he had sketched of the vast desert they had been journeying through. As he studied the map, he meticulously marked the distance they had covered, noting that they had traveled over one thousand kilometers without reaching the desert's end.
Once the four moons vanished from the night sky, their ability to travel after sunset was lost, causing further delays.
As Angel sat across from Leoric, she couldn't help but steal a glance at the map he had sketched out. However, her gaze soon lifted to his face, where she noticed a rare absence of his usual composed demeanor. Instead, she was struck by the sight of concern etched into his usually handsome features.
"Leo," Emily complained, "I'm not feeling well. It's getting really hot in this vehicle, and I think my butt is being roasted."
All of a sudden, the occupants in the vehicle, including Angel and Leoric, shifted their gaze towards Emily. Her hair was tangled and unkempt, giving her a disheveled appearance.
Leoric poured a little water onto the towel and then wrapped it in plastic. "You can sit on it to help relieve the heat," he suggested.
Emily accepted the towel and used it as a cushion to sit on.
"Leo, I want to go home. I don't want to stay here anymore. Please take me home. I promise I will be good and not pester you anymore." Emily wailed. She seemed to be not herself. She has been throwing tantrums in the past few days.
Leoric felt a deep sense of pity for her, knowing that there was little he could do to help. As the days passed and their situation grew more desperate, he began to fear that they might not survive their ordeal in the unforgiving desert. It had been eight long days since their boat was inexplicably drawn into a swirling vortex and deposited in the desolate wasteland.
"Leo, I want to go home," Emily repeated, her voice trembling with emotion. Her wails gradually turned into pitiful sobs that echoed through the vehicle.
Leoric sat beside her and pulled her. He let her head rest on his head to comfort her.
She looked so pitiful that Leoric wondered if it was his fault she was in this situation. If he had not gotten married, would they have not been taken?
Later, he gently pushed her away as their body heat added to the hot environment. They were both sweating, and he felt a little disgusted.
"Stop complaining. There is nothing we can do at the moment. Your whining would not solve anything," Leoric said gently.
Emily seemed to have come to her senses. She looked around and saw the weary faces of the crew. Even Rose, the usually poised escort, seemed downcast with her listless eyes.InsertRetryShorten it
Emily's eyes fell upon Angel. Her wavy locks were swept up into a graceful bun at the crown of her head. The midday sun had tinted her cheeks with a rosy glow, and her lips were a striking shade of red. Despite the heat, she appeared composed, glowing, and absolutely stunning.
Emily was consumed by a fierce loathing that seemed to emanate from the depths of her being. Her eyes blazed with anger as she directed her fury at Angel, unleashing her words with a vehement shout. "It's you. You're the curse. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be stuck in this unbearable place." Despite her overwhelming desire to rise and scratch that flawless face, the oppressive heat left her feeling too dizzy to move.
Angel turned to look at Emily. "Watch your words, Miss Lucas. Remember that I was quietly celebrating my birthday on my island when your so-called fiance stormed in and forced me to marry him! Then I was brought into that yacht against my will."
Angel shifted her attention away from Emily and fixed her eyes on the man who was still grasping the notebook and the map in his hands. She held his gaze, staring directly into his eyes.
"If you want to blame someone, then blame your man. He brought this misfortune upon us."
"You..." Emily pointed her finger at Angel. "Leoric and I have been to many cruises but never encountered such a bizarre thing. It was only when you were around that this happened."
Angel smirked. "Same here. It was only when I was with you that I encountered such misfortune, so don't point your finger at me."
"Enough!" A booming voice and a heavy aura filled the air. "We are already in this situation and you still have the energy to quarrel. Stop the blaming game. it is our collective bad luck that we were brought here."