The tension aboard the ship feels like a rising tide, building and crashing into every moment as Jack and I try to piece together Alex’s next move. After witnessing Alex’s suspicious meeting with the unidentified man, Jack and I agree to stay close to him without revealing our intentions. It’s a delicate game—one wrong move, one slip of caution, and we might lose the chance to uncover the truth about what happened to Mia and Brenda.
It’s late morning, and I find myself seated in one of the ship’s lounges, my notebook open on the table before me. From the corner of my eye, I can see Alex a few seats away, casually sipping a cup of coffee while reading a book. He looks every bit the relaxed vacationer, but I know better.
I tap my pen against the notebook, pretending to jot down observation
