Chapter 25: Confrontation on the Yacht
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"Mrs. Taylor, how do you find my yacht?" Michael asked, watching her intently for any reaction.
"Impressive." Zoe maintained perfect composure, though every nerve in her body was on high alert.
Michael guided her to the exact spot on the deck where Rachel Williams had plunged to her "death." The night was dark, the wind whipping across the deck—a perfect mirror of that fateful night.
"The view is most spectacular from here," he said, positioning himself behind her just as he had done before.
Zoe sensed his intent immediately. Unlike three years ago, she smoothly pivoted to face him, eliminating his advantage.
"Beautiful indeed, though I prefer areas with proper railings." She smiled meaningfully. "It's so treacherous here—one wrong step and someone could easily... fall overboard."
Michael's expression flickered. "You have quite the imagination, Mrs. Taylor."
"Not imagination," Zoe held his gaze unflinchingly. "Some people believe they can disguise murder as an accident, not realizing that truth has a way of surfacing... just like bodies in water."
Alarm flashed across Michael's face. "What exactly are you suggesting?"
Just as the tension peaked, Jack appeared at the perfect moment.
"Magnificent view, isn't it?" Jack approached casually, sliding a protective arm around Zoe's waist.
Frustration darkened Michael's features. "Mr. Thompson is quite the attentive fiancé."
"When something truly matters to you, protection becomes instinct," Jack replied with quiet intensity.
Back at the villa, Zoe finally asked the question that had lingered in her mind: "Jack, why do you send those paper lanterns out to sea each year?"
Jack was silent for a long moment. "To mark the day I found you. And as a kind of penance. If I'd uncovered Michael's schemes sooner, you might have been spared so much pain."
Zoe's heart swelled with emotion as she embraced him. "There are no 'ifs' that matter anymore. Only now."
