Chapter 258

Nearly a thousand nautical miles off the search grid, in the middle of the vast Pacifica Ocean, waves crashed violently against the shores of a desolate island.

The dense jungle canopy blocked out most sunlight. Beyond the thick vegetation, only endless waves and the biting salt spray remained. Evelyn Sinclair had been wandering this godforsaken place for seventy-two hours without finding a single source of fresh water or edible food.

Her throat burned with thirst. Three days without hydration had left her lips cracked and bleeding. Leo, her AI panther companion, had transformed from a luxurious accessory to a pitiful scrap of fur huddled in her coat pocket. At least she'd been quick-witted enough to survive.

Moments before the explosion, she'd yanked open the emergency hatch and deployed her parachute without hesitation. That split-second decision had saved her life, though it sent her drifting hundreds of miles off course.

Grief for the less fortunate passengers had quickly given way to grim survival calculations. Her phone was lost to the sea, all communication devices gone. Even Leo's sophisticated systems had been damaged during their rough landing.

With no satellite signals reaching this remote location, the AI panther couldn't establish external connections. Evelyn was completely cut off, left to pray her family would find her before dehydration won.

Humans can't survive more than a week without water. Evelyn knew she was approaching her limit as she collapsed onto a sun-warmed boulder. Despair crept in as dark thoughts swirled through her mind.

"Why hasn't anyone come?" she croaked, voice raw. "Do they think I'm dead already?" Her fingers clawed at the rock. "Damn you, Nathan Blackwood! That cursed invitation might as well have been my death warrant!"

In her delirium, she imagined that if Nathan appeared now like some dark knight, she might forgive every past transgression. The fantasy evaporated as quickly as it came.

Leo peeked from her pocket, his once-glossy black fur now matted with salt and sand. The sophisticated AI resembled a discarded plush toy more than cutting-edge technology. "Mama," he rasped, voice glitching slightly, "your vital signs indicate distress."

Evelyn's heart leapt. "You're functioning again? Can you send a distress signal? Contact Emily Whitaker?"

The panther shook his head mournfully. "No signals detected. We're in a complete dead zone."

Her hope shattered like glass. The rhythmic crash of waves against shore sounded like a countdown to her demise. Hot tears welled in her sunken eyes.

"To think I might starve to death," she laughed bitterly, "when I'm worth billions." Her voice cracked. "I even bought Panther Cay last month - two billion dollars for paradise, and I'll die without ever seeing it."

Leo's processors whirred as he analyzed her ramblings. "My infrared scanners are back online. I can identify edible flora and fauna. Would you like me to locate potential food sources?"

Evelyn's eyebrows shot up. "Fauna? You mean... animals?"

The panther nodded enthusiastically. "Affirmative. When watching survival shows with Lucas Sterling, humans frequently consumed-"

"Wait," Evelyn interrupted, "are you suggesting you'll hunt for me?"

Leo immediately retreated into her pocket, every synthetic fiber of his being radiating distress. "I'm merely an artificial panther cub," he whimpered, "not an actual predator."