Castaway: The Game of Death

Chapter 2

Victor's face darkened as he turned around, glaring at Marina. "Let me tell you, I am not your assistant. Watch your mouth!"

Marina, startled by his hostile gaze, still kept her tone firm. "Why are you yelling? There's no one else around. Can't you show a little chivalry and consider a lady's feelings?"

"Sorry, but I have no obligation to do that!" Victor snapped. He was momentarily stunned, not expecting this famous actress to be so rude. He shot her a glare and turned to walk away.

"Don't you dare leave!" Marina shouted after him. Seeing Victor getting farther and farther away, she panicked. She tried to stand up, but the pain in her foot made it impossible.

"Ouch!" Marina let out a sharp cry of pain.

Victor's heart softened despite himself. He stopped, turned around, and saw Marina in distress. With a sigh, he quickly ran back to her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"My... My foot hurts so much!" Marina said, clutching her foot with a pitiful expression.

Victor crouched down, and when he saw the injury, he froze.

The inside of her left leg was swollen, with a small puncture wound that was still bleeding.

"How did it get this bad?" Victor muttered to himself.

"What do you mean? Am I going to die?" Marina asked, her voice trembling as she teetered on the verge of tears.

"You have a blood clot in your foot. It needs to be treated immediately," Victor said, examining the wound closely.

"What should we do?" Marina's voice trembled, panic setting in.

"I'll suck the blood clot out for you," Victor said after a moment of thought.

"What did you just say?" Marina froze, staring at him in disbelief. Did he mean he was going to touch her leg?

Marina's mind raced. 'Does he have some ulterior motive? We are stranded on a deserted island, after all. What if he tries to take advantage of me? But then again, if the wound isn't treated and it gets worse, what should I do? If it leaves a scar, it will be a disaster for my acting career.' Her thoughts spiraled, her mind clouded with doubts and fears.

Victor, noticing her hesitation, didn't waste any more time. He pushed her down onto the beach without hesitation. "Stop overthinking!" he said firmly as he leaned his head toward her leg.

Marina was utterly shocked, her eyes wide with disbelief. But then she realized the man in front of her had no intention of doing anything inappropriate. He just wanted to suck the poison from her wound. Still, she was furious. She was a famous actress, after all. She usually didn't even glance at the male actors she worked with, and now she was lying there like a helpless lamb, completely at his mercy.

"You punk, if you dare try anything else, you're dead!" Marina snapped before closing her eyes.

Victor didn't hear a word she said. At that moment, he was focused on her smooth, fair skin. This was the first time in his life he had seen a woman's legs up close, and they belonged to Marina. The feeling was indescribably surreal.

Suddenly snapping back to reality, Victor remembered what he needed to do. He quickly lowered his head and began cleaning the blood clot from Marina's wound.

"Argh!" A sharp scream pierced the air. Marina cried out, her whole body trembling. She could clearly feel Victor's lips brushing against her leg. The sensation sent an electric shock through her body. She shut her eyes tightly, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Victor took a deep breath and spat out a mouthful of dark blood. He kept going until the blood gradually turned a normal deep red, and only then did he stop. Reluctantly, he glanced at her leg twice more before finally looking up at Marina. "It's nothing serious for now, but your wound needs proper treatment, or it might get infected."

"Thanks for your concern, but forget it. I'll handle it myself," Marina said stubbornly, struggling to get up from the ground. She felt like she could walk normally again and, after steadying herself, glanced at Victor. "Let me tell you, once we get out of here, you better keep this matter to yourself, or I won't let you off!"

"Don't worry. I won't say a word about this," Victor snorted, clearly unbothered. Without saying anything more, he turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Marina asked, frowning.

"I'm going to find a higher spot to figure out where we are. Don't you want to know where we've drifted to?" Victor replied flatly.

Although her injury had stabilized for now, the thought of being stranded in an unknown place sent a chill down Marina's spine. She looked around at the empty beach, shivering uncontrollably, and hurriedly stumbled after him. "Wait... Wait for me!"

Victor paused and turned back. "Why?"

"I'm going with you," Marina said quickly.

Victor smirked. "Oh, so you're scared and want me to protect you," he said, clearly amused. "But with that attitude of yours, you don't seem like someone asking for help."

Marina noticed his dissatisfaction but, due to her pride, couldn't bring herself to apologize. Instead, she retorted, "You're a man. Why are you being so petty with me? But if you can get me out of here safely, I'll give you a million dollars afterward."

"A million dollars?" Victor's eyes widened in surprise. That was more than he could ever earn in a lifetime as a security guard. "Alright, since you're a lady, I'll reluctantly help you out!" He quickly agreed, his tone lighthearted.

"Thank you!" Marina said, feeling a weight lift from her chest.

"Can you walk? Do you need me to carry you?" Victor asked, glancing at her.

"No need. I can manage on my own," Marina replied quickly, waving her hand. Even though he had just saved her, she still couldn't fully let her guard down around him.

"Fine, then keep up." Victor rolled his eyes at her. "Let's go check that out." He pointed to a small hill not far away and immediately started jogging toward it.

Marina gritted her teeth and followed him. However, after just a few steps, a sharp, piercing pain shot through her wound. She stifled a groan, her body wobbling before her legs gave out, sending her crashing onto the beach with a dull thud. Hearing the sound, Victor stopped and turned back. Seeing her lying on the ground, he sighed and walked back. "What's wrong?"

"I feel so dizzy..." Marina mumbled weakly, her mind growing hazy.

"Then why were you acting tough earlier?" Victor muttered under his breath, shaking his head. With a resigned sigh, he quickly helped her up. After all, this woman was technically his boss now.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you," Victor said softly, his tone unexpectedly gentle.

Half-conscious, Marina barely registered his words. She murmured something faint in response before she passed out completely.