CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 348: SUNKEN AT SEA

Seasickness caused Shannon Quinn’s stomach to churn. She tightly closed her eyes and leaned against Landon Sutton, calming her heart and trying not to look at the scene outside the window, hoping this would ease her anxiety a little.

With her eyes closed, she pretended to nap, her body swaying with the movement of the ship.

Suddenly, the cabin became agitated; the previous sounds of laughter turned into anxious murmurs.

With a relatively violent jolt, Shannon opened her eyes, just about to see what had happened when she saw Landon hand her a life jacket: "Put it on quickly!"

Frantically, Shannon cooperated to put on the life jacket, when before she could ask what was happening, she saw huge waves rising outside the window, and then the ship rocked violently, beginning to tilt...

Everything happened in an instant, and people, along with the items in the cabin, scattered everywhere as the ship tilted.

"The ship’s capsized! The ship’s capsized!"

In the midst of panic, someone screamed.

The ship quickly sank, the water pressure shattered the glass, and seawater gushed into the cabin.

Landon didn’t have time to fasten Shannon’s life jacket nor to grab one for himself.

As the seawater flooded in, Shannon quickly grabbed another life jacket and stuffed it into Landon’s hands.

The cries of people suddenly vanished, silence engulfed them in despair.

Landon intended to push Shannon out of the shattered window, only to be swept in the other direction by the surging seawater.

The ship continued to sink; the seabed was pitch black.

Shannon tightly held onto Landon’s hand, unwilling to let go.

Landon groped around the wreck of the ship, trying to get Shannon out.

Gasping for air was hopeless; the seawater was icy cold and biting. Trapped in the cabin, they struggled in pain and fear...

Desperately wanting to survive yet unable to find a way out.

Once the ship stabilized a bit, Landon finally found a shattered window.

The hand he held onto initially had strength but now felt cold as if he was just holding a lifeless hand.

He wasn’t sure if Shannon was still okay but held her close, struggling to swim out.

Out of the cabin, Landon used the buoyancy of the life jacket to hold Shannon as he swam upwards, finally breaking the surface.

The rain was still pouring, and Landon reached out to pat Shannon’s face, seeing her cough violently.

Before they could speak, a towering wave rose, crashing over them both.

Their hands, which had been tightly clutching each other, were forcibly separated by the giant wave.

Fortunately, with the life jacket, Shannon quickly surfaced again, looking at the sea but no longer seeing Landon’s figure.

She cried out anxiously, "Husband!"

"Husband!"

Another wave crashed over, drowning out her voice...

As the gale passed and the sea calmed down, all around was a vast, endless sea.

Silent and still, only faint moonlight illuminated the sea.

She could no longer see that person’s figure.

"Landon!"

In a tearful voice, Shannon called out to the sea, but there was no response.

In her panic and confusion, she heard the splash of water and saw a person emerge from the surface. Just as she prepared in surprise to swim toward them, she realized the person who surfaced was not the one she was waiting for.

Seth swam swiftly toward her: "Come with me."

Shannon shook her head, crying: "He’s still not here..."

Whether from fear or cold, her entire body was trembling, her voice quivering along.

Seth: "The weather is still unstable, and the waves could rise again at any moment. If you don’t leave now, you could also be in danger."

Seth dragged Shannon in a certain direction to swim while she reluctantly looked back at where the ship had sunk, where she and Landon were separated, wishing he could surface again.

But all of this was just what she hoped for...

Debris from the ship floated on the sea, quickly scattered by the waves.

"You’re pregnant, and you can’t save him now. He went through so much to save you, not to have you die with him!"

Seth tried to persuade her with words.

Shannon felt a bit numb, the rain covering the tears on her face, still staring in that direction, muttering: "He’s not dead... He won’t die..."

Knowing she was deceiving herself, she still found some solace in it.

...

The next morning, the news of the "Cinderfall cruise ship sinking due to a hurricane" dominated the headlines of major newspapers.

"Around 8 PM yesterday, a tourist cruise ship from Nanzhai to Cinderfall encountered extreme weather and unfortunately sank. It’s reported that there were over a hundred people on board, including Sutton Group’s CEO Landon Sutton and his newlywed wife. Currently, the couple’s whereabouts are unknown, and the number of casualties is unclear. Salvage operations for the shipwreck are under preparation, and our station will continue live coverage of the situation..."

Simon Rhodes reached out to turn off the TV broadcasting the news and looked at Shane Royale, who sat silently by his side, hesitated, and said, "Grandpa, I’ll go to the scene and have people search the nearby islands."

Shane took a deep breath, his eyes slightly red as he looked up at the sky: "... Are there any survivors currently?"

Simon shook his head: "No reports yet."

Simon quickly added, "There are archipelagos around Cinderfall, and many islands near the shipwreck. Vincent has undergone rigorous training; his response and survival skills are unmatched by most. He might have been swept to a nearby island, so I’ll send someone to search now."

Shane nodded: "Go, send more people... If alive, see the person. If dead, see the body."

Hearing his grandpa’s final words, Simon hesitated, wanting to say something but refrained.

Everyone knew how slim the chances of survival were in such situations, but until Landon’s body was found, they refused to believe he was lost.

...

On a deserted island, inside a damp cave.

A pile of firewood served as the only way to keep warm.

Shannon slowly opened her eyes, watching the flames flicker in front of her, unsure if she was in a dream or in Hades...

"Vincent..."

She opened her mouth, a hoarse voice calling out the name she held dear.

"Awake?"

A man’s voice responded from behind, yet it wasn’t the familiar voice she knew.

Shannon looked up to find herself being held by him.

She hurriedly sat up, and Seth let her go.

Shannon glanced at the coat draped over her. In the cold, damp cave, without this coat and the pile of firewood, she feared she wouldn’t have awakened.

"Are you feeling better? Any discomfort?" Seth asked, his gaze unconsciously falling on Shannon’s belly.

Suddenly, Shannon realized something and reached out to touch her belly. Feeling no significant abnormality, she couldn’t guarantee the child’s safety.