Chapter 553
Magnus was seething, his disdain for Alice churning like a tempest. He wished she''d vanish off the face of the Earth, never to
cross his path again. The thought of giving her a chance to redeem herself was more than he could stomach; in his eyes, Alice
was utterly unworthy.
But Natalia, with her earnest, pleading gaze, melted his resolve. Reluctantly, he nodded, a storm cloud of annoyance brewing on
his face. "Let''s go. But mark my words, there won''t be a next time."
With a serious look, Magnus turned to Henry, his voiceced with a warning. "| don''t care how powerful your background is or the
extent of your influence. I''m only letting this slide because of my wife. If Alice doesn''t change her ways and crosses me again, I''ll
make sure she understands the true meaning of a living hell."
Henry''s face twisted in difort. Acknowledging that Alice had indeed instigated the situation, he found no grounds to argue
with Magnus.
With a frosty expression, Magnus took Natalia''s hand, left the vi, and instructed his men outside, "Prepare the speedboat.
We''re heading to that deserted ind."
As the men nodded and started to move, Henry interjected, "We have a speedboat. There’s no need for you to go through all
that trouble."
“What are you waiting for? Go!" Magnus barked at his men before turning to Henry. "I handle my own business. Especially when
ites to the safety of my people. | don''t rely on outsiders."Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.
Henry, usually quick to rise to a challenge, was silenced by Magnus'' rebukes. But he was desperate to save Alice and swallowed
his pride, pretending not to hear Magnus'' jabs.
Natalia gently tugged at Magnus'' sleeve, signaling him to ease the tension. Magnus patted her shoulder reassuringly, indicating
she needn''t worry. He didn''t take Henry seriously — if it weren''t for his wife''s pleading, he wouldn''t have given Henry the time of
day.
Soon, the men reported the speedboat was ready. Magnus boarded with Natalia wrapped in his arms while Henry followed onto
his own yacht.
The vessels sliced through the water under the bright moonlight, heading for the deste ind that held Alice captive. The sea
breeze was strong, and the speedboat''s wake sprayed the deck with a rhythmic patter.
Natalia felt a chill, and huddled into herself. Magnus slipped off his jacket and draped it over Natalia''s shoulders before pulling
her close. "Cold?"
Shaking her head, Natalia replied, "A little, but not anymore."
"Good," Magnus said, relieved. He nced back at Henry, following in another speedboat, and murmured, "My dear, your heart
is too kind. Some people don''t deserve forgiveness.”
Natalia knew he referred to their decision to let Henry pick up Alice. She leaned into Magnus, her eyes shining. "Mercy begets
mercy. | want to gather blessings for our daughter, hoping she returns to us safe and sound."
Magnus hadn''t expected such foresight from Natalia, and his heart swelled with tenderness. Beside her, his own spirit seemed
narrow. How could he not be utterly bewitched by her?
The speedboat hurtled towards the ind, finally slowing as they neared their destination. Magnus helped Natalia off the boat,
cautioning, "Be careful."
On the other hand, Henry leaped from his vessel and dashed across the ind, calling out, "Alice! Alice!"
The ind was dark, save for the moonlight, revealing the rocky terrain beneath their feet.
Walking alongside Magnus, Natalia surveyed the area but saw no sign of Alice, only the remnants of frayed rope on the ground.
The sight eased her somewhat. Despite Alice''s cruelty, it wouldn''t do for Henry to see that they had tied her up and left her to her
fate on the ind.
“Alice! Alice!" Henry''s voice echoed closer, signaling he''d circled the ind to no avail.
Natalia and Magnus exchanged a nce, both wondering if Alice might not have been on the ind at all.
Henry approached, panting slightly from the urgency. "Natalia, are you sure it''s this ind?"
"Yes, I''m certain. Alice abandoned me here once. | could never forget this ce," Natalia confirmed, the memory of destion
unforgettable.
"I''ve searched the entire ind and found no trace of her," Henry said, approaching them, his breath shallow with concern.
"| don''t know where she..." Natalia''s words were cut short as she stumbled, nearly tripping.
"Careful." Magnus caught her swiftly, preventing a fall.
Looking down, they discovered the culprit — a high heel, unmistakably Alice''s, often seen on her feet.
Pointing to the shoe, Natalia called Henry over, "Look, this is Alice''s.
Henry rushed to examine the shoe. It
was stained with dried blood and
covered in sane ge!
abgndgneidord east a couple of
days. A sinking feeling gripped Henry.
The ind offered no means of
survival, and with no sign of Alice, he
feared the worst. Please read the
original content at .
He red at Magnus, usation in his voice, "You''re heartless. Did you leave Alice on this ind to starve?"
"Hmph!" Magnus snorted with a
dismissive air. "Heartless, are we?
Get your facts straight ekayeThisy |
spytaee ihd Was Alice''s idea
ofa perfect prison for my wife, and
now you have the gall to use us of
cruelty? What a joke—it''s like the pot
calling the kettle ck!" Please read
the original content at
.
Natalia chimed in, "Look, I''ve been marooned here long enough myself. But it''s not like | starved, okay? There are coconut palms
and a small grove of banana trees. Surviving a month or two is a piece of cake."
Henry was momentarily lost for
words, hearing how Alice had treated
Natalia in the same harsh way. But
his concern for Alice''s-satetyaraWed
at yimphiseyed biouded with
anguish. "The problem is, | can''t find
her anywhere on this ind. It''s
surrounded by water; she couldn''t
have just left. And this abandoned
shoe of hers with blood on it... | just
hope to God nothing terrible has
happened to her." Please read the
original content at .