Chapter 46 Do Not Risk Your Life
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Brendan reached out and gripped Gabrielle’s arm tightly, his voice dropping low with urgency. “Medicinal herbs aren’t worth your life. Don’t take the risk.”
“I know,” Gabrielle murmured.
She gently freed her arm from his grasp and strode ahead without looking back. The excuse of gathering herbs to stew the chicken was just that–an excuse,
From the moment she stepped foot on the island, her mind was set. She would climb into the mountains. The herbs she sought grew near snake dens–dangerous, yes, but they might help treat the poison coursing through John’s body.
And more than that, she needed to catch a venomous snake, skin it alive, and extract its gallbladder.
Even if saving John wasn’t her true goal, a snake gallbladder from this region was a rare and potent medicinal treasure. For someone immersed in traditional medicine, such an ingredient was far too valuable to ignore.
Gabrielle…” Jennifer called gently, her eyes filled with concern.
Watching Gabrielle stride away, Brendan’s eyes lingered on her retreating figure. When Nadia made a move to follow, he held
her back.
“Don’t,” he said firmly. “She’s probably looking for something. We’ll only slow her down. We’re not agile enough for what she’s planning. Let’s fall back before she finds the venomous snake. She’ll only feel at ease if she knows we’re safe. Otherwise, if something happened to us and she’s distracted, we’d probably all die together.”
Though he hadn’t known Gabrielle for long, he realized she had her way of handling things.
People like that were rare these days. Most were restless, pragmatic, quick to abandon others for personal gain. But Gabrielle was different. Brendan had never met anyone quite like her.
“Let’s head back, Nadia said softly, recognizing the truth in his words.
With a silent nod, the group–including the photographer–made a swift retreat. Once they were safely back in the cave, Nadia rifled through Gabrielle’s bag. She pulled out a pouch of snake repellent powder, then scattered it carefully around the entrance, all the while casting anxious glances toward the darkened path Gabrielle had taken.
“Should we send some of this over to her?” Nadia asked quietly, holding up the pouch of snake repellent.
But Brendan stopped her with a shake of his head. ‘Better not. If she is trying to catch a snake, having repellent on her would drive them away.”
“Catch a snake?” Jennifer blinked in confusion. “I thought she said she was just looking for medicinal herbs?”
She was young, having no knowledge and experience on such things.
*Snake gall is a rare medicinal ingredient, Brendan explained. “I don’t know her exact plan, but herbs that grow near snake dens are often the most potent–the kind you might never find again.”
He wasn’t an expert, but as a guy, he’d picked up a thing or two over the years.
“You know a lot about this stuff,” Nadia said, tilting her head. “Do you have a background in medicine too!”
lp the entertainment industry, real friendships were rare. Most connections were surface–level–nods in the hallway, polite sipiles at events. Personal matters stayed locked behind smiles and scripts. This was the first time Nadia had asked someone about their private life.
Brendan chose a spot and sat down before saying, “I have a friend who’s obsessed with medicine. After spending a lot of time with him, I’ve picked up a thing or two–but I’m no expert”
Nadia didn’t respond, falling silent.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Chloe and Benjamin appeared, storming toward them with dark expressions.
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Chapter 46 Do Not Risk Your Life
Finished
Brendan’s brows knitted together. When he realized they meant to force their way into the cave, he moved swiftly to t entrance, placing himself in their path.
“Sorry, Gabby’s not here,” Nadia said coldly. Just the sight of Chloe made her stomach turn
the
Chloe had once used dirty tactics to snatch away Nadia’s opportunities, even going as far as hiring online trolls to smear her name, all in a bid to climb higher at Nadia’s expense.
“Move aside!” Chloe snapped. “We’ve all been poisoned. Gabrielle must have medicine in her bag–just hand them over.”
Nadia blinked in disbelief. She stepped closer, staring straight into Chloe’s face.
“What are you looking at?” Chloe scowled, irritated.
Without warning. Nadia reached out and pinched Chloe’s cheek, eyeing her as if inspecting a specimen. “Wow. You really are shameless. What does Gabrielle owe you? Just because she’s not here, you think it’s okay to dig through her things? Even if you wanted medicine, is this how you ask for help? What, does she owe your whole family a debt?”
Her tone grew sharper. “Trying to force your way into our cave–what is this, a robbery? And don’t forget, someone from your team stole food from us last night. We haven’t even dealt with that yet.”
Nadia’s words hit like rapid–fire. Chloe’s face darkened with every sentence, her annoyance visibly rising.
Her stomach was already aching, and now her entire body trembled with fury.
“You… You Chloe stammered, her eyes rolling back slightly as frustration nearly caused her to faint.
But Nadia wasn’t about to let her off the hook. She grabbed Chloe’s arm and yanked her toward the camera. “Everyone in the livestream, tune in!” she said sharply. “Take a good look at Chloe’s true colors. She’s not even part of our group! Last night. someone under her command stole from us. And now? In broad daylight, with Gabrielle gone, she’s trying to steal again. Any police officers watching! Help me out–does this not count as a repeat offender? Are we supposed to just let her waltz in and take what she wants? If we hadn’t come back in time, we wouldn’t even have known anything was missing. Chloe, you’re a C- list celebrity. You represent the image of the entertainment industry.”
At the word C–list, Chloe’s expression twisted. The insult hit deeper than the rest. She considered herself B–list, at least, and Nadia s jab cut through her pride, indirectly mocking her mediocrity.
“Mr. Nicolson! We’re on the verge of death–Gabrielle deliberately hid the medicine from us. She’s trying to kill us!” Chloe cried, her voice trembling with emotion. She turned her head toward Patrick, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
Patrick simply observed her delicate demeanor in silence.
“On the verge of death? But you’re still breathing, aren’t you? Move along. Don’t dirty our place–we still have to sleep here tonight,” Nadia said coolly
Without another word, she turned, picked up a tree branch, and began chasing Chloe away.
The production team stood frozen in place, eyes wide. One by one, they instinctively turned their faces to the side, unsure how to read.
Chloe had once been known for her beauty and gentle nature. But after her appearance on the variety show, the whispers had started. People still treated her with respect to her face, but behind her back, they all called her a drama queen.
“You- Chloe started, ready to argue again, but Benjamin cut her off, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.
en, what are you doing?” she snapped, trying to resist. “Gabrielle clearly wanted to humiliate me. She knows medicine—but she walked away on us. She’s leaving us to die on purposel
She stumbled a few steps before doubling over slightly as a sharp pain shot through her stomach.
Benjamin didn’t look any better. His face was pale, and he leaned to one side, as if all the strength had been drained from his body.
I won’t let this slide,” he muttered coldly.
Chapter 46 Do Not Risk Your Life
The stomach pain was relentless, but they had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure it.
They had to hang on until the ships arrived. If they couldn’t, they’d die trying
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