Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen



Eileen, meanwhile, hoisted her suitcase, patted Sylvia on the head with her free hand and said, "Let's hit the road."

Sylvia blinked in surprise, quickly got to her feet, and threw her arms around Eileen, blurting out, "Eileen, you're gonna do great, right? You rocked it on 'Survivor', you'll look out for me, won't you?"

Eileen gave her a sidelong glance, "Even if I wanted to leave you behind, I doubt I could shake you off."

"Oh my gosh, you're the best!" Sylvia exclaimed, planting a kiss right on Eileen's cheek!noveldrama

Egbert, having witnessed the scene, frowned and strode over, taking Eileen's suitcase from her, "We need to find some shelter from the rain." Sylvia was puzzled, "Rain?"

Eileen looked up at the sky, observing for a moment before saying, "Looks like it's gonna rain soon. Let's check out the area up ahead."

Sylvia didn't quite grasp the situation, but seeing the other two moving, she hurried after them.

Hobson, noting their departure, followed suit.

On the beach, only Calvert and Aurora remained.

Calvert grabbed his luggage, suggesting to Aurora, "We should get going too."

Aurora was less than enthusiastic. She was feeling unwell, her complexion pale after two days of continuous travel.

"Can't we just go by ourselves?" she asked Calvert.

Calvert was taken aback, "By ourselves?"

"Yeah," Aurora pressed, "Isn't this supposed to be a honeymoon? A honeymoon is a two-person affair. We don't need to stick with the group.' Calvert furrowed his brow, "But this is a deserted island, going it alone might be risky..."

"Don't worry," Aurora pointed to the drone hovering above, "If there's a problem, we'll call the director. They're not going to leave us stranded here. This isn't a survival show, it's a romance. The crew is just trying to scare us. If we really get hungry or thirsty, they'll bring us something to eat and drink."

That seemed to make sense.

Calvert also didn't believe that the production would really let them fend for themselves, finally acquiesced, "Okay, we'll do it your way."

Aurora's wan face brightened with a smile, "Let's head over there then," she said, pointing in the opposite direction from where Eileen and the others were heading.

Calvert pursed his lips but made no objection.

"Hey," Hobson called out after a while, noticing Calvert and Aurora had not followed and were heading the other way.

"What's up with them?" he asked in surprise.

Eileen glanced back and scoffed, "Forget about them. Let's find shelter; we've got about ten minutes before the rain hits." Hobson looked bemused, "Rain?"

Sylvia chimed in, "How could it rain? This place is scorching!"

Ten minutes later.

The sudden thunderstorm, with its deluge, seemed intent on flooding all of Sapphire Solitude!

Sylvia and Hobson huddled under banana leaves, crouching beneath a low outcropping of rock.

Sylvia muttered in disbelief, "Why on earth is it raining?"

Eileen, taking shelter from the rain on the other side of the rocks, idly toyed with a pebble while perched atop Egbert's suitcase. Nonchalantly, she explained, "Thunderstorms are pretty common in a rainforest climate."

Sylvia asked, "But how did you guys predict it?"

Eileen pointed to the sky, "The fog was descending fast. You can roughly predict imminent rainfall by the speed of the fog's descent."

Sylvia was impressed but confused, "Eileen, you're amazing."

Turning to Egbert, she marveled, "And Mr. Reed, you're amazing too. How do you know all this stuff?"

Egbert, leaning against the rock face, simply said, "Maybe it's because we're in tune with each other."

Sylvia was speechless, and so was Eileen.

After a while, the thunderstorm passed.

Tropical storms like these never lasted too long, and the previously sweltering weather was now, thanks to the rain, a bit cooler.

Eileen emerged from the rocks, scanning the surroundings, and said, "Hold on."

She ventured a little further out, and when she returned, she had several damp leaves in her hand.

"Do you have any cotton pads?" Eileen asked Sylvia.

"Got 'em right here," Sylvia replied, opening her suitcase and handing the pads to Eileen.

Eileen took three, split them open into pouches, and filled each with the leaves she had gathered.

After handing them out, Egbert sniffed his and pocketed it.

Sylvia and Hobson, however, were clueless.

"What's this for?" Hobson inquired.

Sylvia sniffed hers, "Doesn't smell good... it's a little pungent."

Eileen explained, "It's a bit strong, but it's effective for revitalization."

Sylvia blinked, "Revitalization?"

"After the rain, the swamp gases in the jungle will evaporate, and although they're not highly toxic, they can affect people with weak constitutions if inhaled for too long. Keep these pouches with you. If you feel unwell, have difficulty breathing or feel dizzy and nauseous, just take a whiff. It should help alleviate the symptoms."

Sylvia immediately tucked the pouch into her chest, looking at Eileen with admiration, "What would I do without you!"

Eileen dismissed the praise with a wave of her hand, "Enough with the flattery, let's get moving. We need to set up camp quickly. Near the equator, it'll be dark by five o'clock."

By mid-afternoon, they had found a relatively dry spot under a cliff and decided to set up camp.

Sylvia and Hobson were exhausted, drenched in sweat from the humid jungle environment, struggling to adapt.

Sylvia rested her head on her suitcase with a mix of frustration and resignation, sighing, "This reality show is downright cruel. What kind of couple would appreciate a honeymoon spot like this? This isn't bonding, it's relationship sabotage..."

Before she could finish her lament, her gaze drifted to the sight of Eileen and Egbert up ahead... Eileen took a swig of water and casually passed the bottle to Egbert who was sitting beside her. Egbert looked at her, took the bottle, and without a second thought, drank from it directly. Annoyed, Eileen slapped his arm, "Why didn't you pour it into your mouth? That's my only bottle!"

After finishing his drink, Egbert capped the bottle, "How do you expect me to pour it? I don't know how to do that."

Eileen, irritated, retorted, "Forget it then!" She then berated him, "I told you to grab a couple extra bottles on the plane, but you just wouldn't listen.

Now you regret it, right? What's wrong with the complimentary airline water? Why couldn't you take some?"

Egbert sealed the bottle and gently wiped a smudge of dirt off Eileen's face with the back of his hand, "I didn't say I wouldn't take it. Our luggage was just too far away."

"Excuses!" Eileen snatched the bottle back, stashing it in her luggage, "Drink less and save some."

Egbert watched her with a grin, "I thought you didn't want it anymore?"

Eileen, hands on hips, shot back, "I meant I don't want you anymore!"

Caught off guard, Egbert turned his head and chuckled, his curiosity piqued, "Is that so? Have you been wanting me all this time?"