Then—
Crack.
A sharp, splitting sound echoed from the lower deck.
Daniel froze.
Another noise followed—louder. A dull pop from deep within the hull. Crew members looked at each other, confused.
“What was that?” someone shouted.
Suddenly, a deckhand sprinted toward the dock, panic replacing professionalism.
“Sir! Water’s flooding in from the rear compartment!”
The words hit Daniel like a punch.
Chaos erupted. Water rushed through a ruptured pipe beneath the engine housing—one that had been poorly secured during a rushed installation. Sparks snapped dangerously close to exposed wiring. A mechanic yelled for power to be cut before the engines ignited.
If the yacht had left minutes earlier, the vibrations would have worsened the rupture. A short circuit near the fuel line could have caused an explosion in open water.
Daniel stood frozen, his heart slamming against his ribs.
The untouched champagne bottle sat nearby. The ceremonial ribbon fluttered uselessly in the wind.
Slowly, he turned back.
The girl was gone.
Hours later, after emergency crews stabilized the yacht, Daniel sat in his car, hands trembling.
He had almost died.
“Find her,” he told his security team. “The little girl.”