The Ruthless CEO's Revenge Wife
Chapter 22: Caught Him Red Handed

Chapter 22: Caught Him Red Handed

Junho’s shoes splashed through shallow puddles as he hurried through the dim corridors of the yacht. His soaked clothes clung to his skin, but he didn’t care.

His plan had gone to hell. Jean was gone. Logan had jumped after her. And if anyone got their hands on that security footage, he was finished.

He reached the end of the corridor and paused, glancing over his shoulder.

Left. Right.

No one.

Holding his breath, he twisted the knob and quietly slipped into the control room. The door shut with a click behind him.

Darkness.

He groped for the light switch and flicked it on.

Click.

His heart dropped.

Three men stood inside.

The captain, flanked by two crew members, stared at him like hawks circling prey. Arms folded. Faces like stone.

Junho stumbled a step back, eyes wide. "W-What... what are you doing here?"

The captain took a step forward, his voice steady but cutting. "That’s what we were going to ask you."

The lights above buzzed softly as silence filled the room.

"You’ve got some explaining to do, Mr. Junho Kim."

The captain’s eyes were sharper than the blade Junho kept hidden behind his smirk all night.

"I warned you," the captain said, stepping closer. "Before we even left the dock, I told you the storm wasn’t safe. But you brushed it off. ’Dad’s orders,’ you said. ’We won’t go far,’ you said."

Junho swallowed, clenching his jaw. "I didn’t know the storm would hit this hard."

The captain gave a humorless chuckle. "Oh, I think you knew exactly what you were doing."

One of the crew members crossed his arms. "You really thought no one would be monitoring the cameras?"

Junho stiffened.

The captain walked over to the surveillance desk, where the monitors showed various angles of the yacht, still recording. He nodded to the screen that captured the deck from earlier.

"I’ve seen what happened," he said. "The argument with all three of you. The waves were strong but still your secretary went to the edge of the deck and lured Jean there. Logan jumps in after Jean to save her. And what’s worse, your secretary was there. Only standing like a statue over the edge. And you?"

He glared at Junho.

"You did nothing."

Junho tried to speak, but no words came out.

The captain leaned in. "Did you come here to delete the footage, Mr. Kim?"

Junho’s lips twitched. "I... I didn’t think it would look good to my father, that’s all. It was a misunderstanding. I came to make sure the tapes don’t cause panic among the guests."

"You mean expose your lies?" the captain snapped. "You stood there while they fell. You knew they were gone long before anyone else did. And yet you waited."

Junho stepped back, his expression darkening. "Be careful with what you say. I’m still the host of this party."

"Not anymore," the captain said coldly. "As of now, you’re a suspect."

Junho’s throat tightened. The walls were closing in. He was losing control. Fast.

"We’ve already sent a crew to search the perimeter," the captain added. "And I’ve alerted the coast guard. If they’re out there, we’ll find them. And when we do..."

He took one final step forward, nose to nose with Junho.

"...you’d better hope they’re alive. Because if they’re not, your father won’t be the one you’ll have to answer to."

__________________________________

The rain hadn’t eased; it came down piercing like a needle. The deck trembled beneath their feet as waves lashed against the yacht, but Emma barely felt the cold. Her eyes scanned the endless stretch of black water, chest tightening with each passing second.

Henry stood beside her, rigid, silent. When Mr. Kim joined them, none of them spoke at first. There was nothing to say. Only the chaos of the storm answered them.

But then Henry spotted her.

Farah.

She was standing near the railing, frozen like a statue... her face pale, hair plastered to her skin, her arms limp at her sides. The look in her eyes was empty. Hollow and haunted.

Without hesitation, Henry moved toward her, though he made sure to keep a respectful distance. He removed his coat, stepping slightly closer, and gently offered it. She flinched at first, then slowly turned her face to look at him.

"Here," Henry said softly, draping the coat over her shoulders. "You’ll catch a cold standing like this."

Farah didn’t respond. Her lips trembled.

Henry bent slightly so his eyes were level with hers. "Why are you standing here like this?" he asked calmly. "Were you here when this incident happened?"

For a long moment, it seemed like she wouldn’t answer. But then, like a dam bursting, Farah suddenly broke down. Her knees buckled, and she dropped to the deck, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands.

Emma rushed forward, kneeling beside her, wrapping an arm around her despite the rain. "What happened?" she whispered. "Farah, talk to us. Please."

Mr. Kim stood back, watching the scene unfold with a grim expression. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He fished it out, barely glancing at the screen before answering.

"Captain," he said. "Tell me you’ve found something."

A beat passed.

Then Mr. Kim’s eyes widened, and his expression darkened. "That fucking trouble maker!"

__________________________________

Logan cupped Jean’s face gently, his hands trembling. Her skin was cold, and her lips had turned a shade too pale for his comfort.

"Jean," he called softly, leaning in closer. "Come on, open your eyes."

She coughed again, weakly, struggling to get the last bits of water out of her lungs. Logan immediately pulled her into his chest, one arm wrapped securely around her waist, the other patting her back in slow, steady motions.

"It’s okay," he whispered. "You’re safe now. Just breathe... I’ve got you."

He felt her body jerk slightly with each cough, but her arms stayed limp at her sides. When the coughing finally stopped, her breathing started to slow, shallow and uneven but it was there.

He can work with that.

Still, her eyes remained shut.

Logan lowered his head, his voice breaking as he spoke close to her ear, "Jean... wake up. Please, just look at me."

But there was no response. Just the sound of rain hitting the small survival boat and the crashing waves around them.

And the terrifying silence between her breaths.

Logan didn’t know how long they’d been drifting. The rain hadn’t let up, and every drop felt heavier than the last. He kept his arm around Jean, trying to shield her, trying to stay awake, trying to stay strong, for both of them.

But his body had reached its limit.

"Jean..." His arms ached. "I think I’m getting tired now."

His soaked clothes clung to him like chains. The cold seeped into his bones. His head was pounding, and his vision blurred more with each blink.

"I can’t... not yet..." he mumbled, trying to sit upright again, but his muscles gave out.

He turned his face toward Jean, his breathing ragged. "You better open your eyes when I wake up," he whispered with a tired smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

And then, without warning, his body slumped beside hers, his strength gone.

The only sounds left were the rain, the distant rumble of thunder, and two bodies unable to move in a tiny boat, floating deeper into the unknown.