Chapter 342

Evelyn Sinclair wasn't typically afraid of heights, but the sheer depth of this particular cliff made her pulse quicken involuntarily.

As she approached the hot air balloon basket, her knees trembled visibly.

Aside from professional adventurers like Adrian Blackwood and Ethan Caldwell, most participants shared Evelyn's nervous reaction.

Nathan Blackwood remained stoic, his expression unreadable.

The chasm below appeared bottomless, the dense forest canopy resembling a dark abyss. Floating mid-air felt like standing on shifting clouds—unsteady and precarious.

Thankfully, the safety measures were impeccable.

Otherwise, Evelyn would have refused to participate entirely! She silently vowed to avoid Adrian's extreme adventures in the future. The camera crew remained grounded, relying solely on participants' body cams and drone footage.

Sophia Laurent's pale face and death grip on the railing seemed genuine, though no one could be certain. Her piercing screams momentarily distracted everyone from their own fear.

"Scared?" Nathan's deep voice came from behind her. Evelyn paused mid-step and scoffed. "Not at all!" His quiet chuckle made her shoulders tense.

She wanted to retort when Sophia's whimpering interrupted. "Mr. Blackwood, I'm terrified!" Nathan merely glanced at her indifferently.

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Stop wailing like a wounded banshee! We can't hear ourselves think. Want to dub this entire segment?" Sophia's cries ceased abruptly.

Aside from Julian Moreau, everyone present held significant social status—people Sophia couldn't afford to offend. Tears welled in her eyes as she sniffled, "I just... can't help it."

"If you're truly uncomfortable, request extraction," Ethan suggested kindly. Sophia shook her head. "I'll manage..."

Julian remained silent, gazing at the horizon. The director's voice crackled through the balloon's speakers.

"Sophia, proceed with the questions!" Taking a shaky breath, she stood and produced cue cards.

"First question for Evelyn." She glanced at the safety harness. "You may decline to answer, but refusal requires completing the bungee jump." Clearly a planned challenge. Evelyn smirked. "Fire away."

Sophia read: "If you had to date one of these four men, who would you choose?" The atmosphere turned electric.

The biting wind accentuated the tension. "These questions were provided by production!" Sophia added hastily at Evelyn's darkening expression.

Evelyn's laugh broke the tension. "Julian, obviously." She winked at the young actor beside her—his boyish charm and sincerity made him the safest choice.

Nathan's jaw clenched visibly, his gaze turning glacial. Sophia looked oddly pleased as she pressed, "And your second choice?"

"Ethan." Evelyn offered the stunned explorer an apologetic smile. "Purely hypothetical, of course."

Ethan chuckled awkwardly while Nathan's glare intensified, his displeasure radiating like winter frost.

Adrian's eyebrows shot up. "You'd pick Caldwell over me?" He shot Nathan a meaningful look. "Seems Uncle Nathan didn't even make the top three..."