Chapter 16
That photo exploded across the internet under these circumstances,
Someone watching the reality show spotted Ronald Ainsley, whose face appeared for just one second before being quickly blered on. But not quirky enough to escape the eyes and screenshot fast fingers.
Who posted enime
[Damn, that guy’s hot. I want every piece of info on him–give me everything in three minutes!)
The post garnered numerous responses and sparked considerable discussion online. Normally, Edwin wouldn’t pay attention to such entertainment gossip, but during these five years of searching for Sylvia, he had tried every possible method, including monitoring widely circulated social media
trends.
So the screenshot eventually reached Edwin.
At first, he didn’t think much of it just another photo of some guy. But for some reason, he couldn’t resist taking a closer look
And in that moment, he spotted a woman tending to flowers in the blurry corner of the enlarged image.
Despite the poor resolution making her features nearly indistinguishable, Edwin had an inexplicable feeling that it was Sylvia.
To confirm his suspicion, he tracked down the director’s contact information through the show’s production company.
When a billionaire CEO of a public company suddenly reached out, the director assumed his show had attracted a potential big sponsor. He quickly accepted the friend request.
Just as the director was contemplating how to respond without seeming too arrogant or overly humble, Edwin’s message arrived:
“Where was this filmed?”
Attached was the viral screenshot that had been circulating online.
Realizing the inquiry was about the island’s owner, the director hesitated. Being honest might help him establish a relationship with this powerful CEO, but the island was private property. If he leaked information without permission, the entire production might be kicked off the island.
The owner was already upset about the photo’s circulation. After careful consideration, the director reluctantly declined to answer Edwin’s question:
“I’m sorry, sir. But we have an agreement with the owner. I cannot disclose any personal information.”
Though, he couldn’t bring himself to delete Edwin from his contacts. After much deliberation, he set his phone aside and tried not to think about it further.
Seeing the director’s determination to maintain confidentiality only strengthened Edwin’s conviction that the woman in the photo was indeed Sylvia.
Matt shared Edwin’s suspicions, but he acted more decisively.
The show had mentioned filming on a private island before it aired. By analyzing the footage that had already been broadcast, Matt quickly narrowed down the location to a specific region.
He flew directly to North America and armed with the photo, questioned various agencies that sold islands. It didn’t take long before he located Sylvia’s private island.
After arriving by boat near the shore, he didn’t immediately disembark. Instead, he waited quietly on deck.
Sylvia didn’t think much of it at first. Supply shipments were scheduled for that week, so when she saw a yacht approaching, she assumed it was their delivery. She hurried to the shoreline with Ronald, only to discover Matt standing silently on the deck.
“Sylvia!”
Just as she turned to go, his voice called out, gentle and lingering.
Sylvia didn’t turn around, but she didn’t walk away either. She stood still, waiting to hear what he had to say.
21:04
Money Heals What Love Destroys
9.6%
Chapter 16
Whatever chance they had to talk things through had vanished long ago.
Matt wasn’t bothered by her cool response. From his perspective, just seeing her again was more than he could have hoped for. tn he realized something important–if he had managed to find her, Edwin would certainly find her too.
He cleared his throat and spoke directly. “I came to tell you two things. I broke off my engagement with Tiffany. And.. Edwin will probably find you. soon. Sylvia, do you… want to come home?”
Hearing this, she turned around with a puzzled expression. “What does your engagement with Tiffany have to do with me?”
Her pointed question caught Matt off guard. As he struggled to explain, she had already turned away again, ignoring his other question.
And that question…
Home?
The word struck her as almost ridiculous. This island was her home now. Where else would she go?
As for Edwin, as long as he didn’t set foot on her island, he could do whatever he wanted–it wasn’t her business.
She reached for Ronald’s hand and walked back toward the island without another glance.
C
