Chapter 1 - The Key in Lucas’s Hand
Lucas Reed leaned too far over the yacht railing.
Sarah saw his balance shift a fraction too late.
“Lucas!”
His body tipped forward and disappeared over the white rail.
A huge splash exploded below.
Sarah screamed and lunged toward the side, but Victor caught her by both upper arms before she reached it.
“LET ME GO! THAT’S MY SON!”
She fought against him.
Victor held on.
Beside them, Eleanor stared toward the water with an expression so cold that Sarah barely recognized the woman.
“LEAVE HIM. HE’S NOT WORTH RISKING YOUR LIFE.”
Sarah froze for half a second.
Then rage took over.
She twisted violently until Victor’s grip broke, spun around, and slapped him hard across the face.
Victor staggered sideways.
Sarah immediately climbed over the railing and jumped.
The ocean closed over her.
She surfaced seconds later, searching frantically.
“Lucas!”
He was several yards away, frightened but conscious.
Sarah swam straight to him, wrapped one arm firmly around his chest, and pulled him against her.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
Lucas coughed and clung to her.
Then one of his trembling hands opened.
Something silver rested in his palm.
A small key attached to a black floating tag.
“Grandpa dropped this…”
Sarah stared at it.
Then looked upward.
Victor was standing at the rail.
His expression changed instantly.
The fury from Sarah’s slap disappeared.
Panic replaced it.
Sarah raised the key.
“Why are you so scared of this?”
Eleanor went pale.
Victor stepped toward the edge but said nothing.
Then Lucas turned the black tag over.
A tiny red light began blinking.
BEEP.
BEEP.
Victor recoiled.
“Where the hell did he get that?”
Sarah looked from the blinking tag to Victor.
Then to Eleanor.
Neither of them looked worried about Lucas anymore.
They were staring only at the key.
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And Sarah realized her son had fallen into the ocean holding something his grandparents never expected anyone else in the family to find.
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