Chapter 604
The morning in Marigoldia came early.
By 5:30 AM, a soft rose-gold light had already spread across the horizon, turning the blue sea into a gentle shade of violet.
The villa area of the resort was still wrapped in tranquility, with only the occasional sound of waves and the calls of early-rising seabirds breaking the silence.
Three-year-old Gabriel and Travis were already awake. They slept in adjoining toddler beds, and Travis was the first to open his eyes. He rubbed them with his small hands and then crawled over to nudge the still-sleeping Gabriel.
"Gabriel, it's morning," Travis said in his tender voice, which, though hushed, was still clearly audible in the quiet room.
Gabriel groggily opened his eyes, glanced at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, and immediately perked up.
"Let's go play!" Gabriel said excitedly, completely forgetting Zoey and Henry's instructions from the previous day to wait until they woke up before going out.
Gabriel and Travis quietly climbed out of bed, their bare feet touching the cool floor as they tiptoed to open the bedroom door.
The hallway was silent, and the master bedroom door was tightly shut, indicating that Zoey and Henry were still sound asleep.
"Let's go find Yara," Travis suggested, taking Gabriel's hand and heading towards the nanny's room.
Nanny Yara was already up, preparing breakfast ingredients in the small kitchen.
Seeing Gabriel and Travis running in wearing their pajamas, she put down the fruit knife in surprise.
"Why are you up so early?" Yara knelt, tidying Gabriel's messy hair.
"Yara, we want to go to the beach!" Gabriel's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Yara glanced at the clock on the wall, "It's too early now, and your parents aren't awake yet, and breakfast isn't ready."
"Please," Travis immediately employed his best pleading tactic, hugging Yara's leg and shaking it, "We'll just play for a little while and collect shells for Grandma and Grandpa!"
Yara was moved by Gabriel and Travis's innocent request and hesitated for a moment.
The private beach outside the villa was very safe, with security guards on duty 24/7.
She thought it would be fine to let the kids play for a bit and come back for breakfast when Zoey and Henry woke up.
"Alright, but you have to promise me you'll come back in half an hour," Yara said sternly, holding up one finger.
Gabriel and Travis cheered and immediately ran back to their room to change.
Ten minutes later, Gabriel and Travis were dressed and ready, each carrying a small plastic bucket, happily following Yara out of the villa.
Four security guards immediately followed, maintaining a respectful distance.
The morning temperature in Marigoldia was just right, with a cool sea breeze carrying a salty scent that brushed against the children's rosy cheeks.
"Look! The sun is coming up!" Travis shouted, pointing at the horizon.
Indeed, a red sun was slowly rising, casting a golden glow over the entire beach.
Gabriel and Travis cheered and dashed towards the sand, their little feet leaving a trail of adorable footprints in the soft white sand.
The waves gently lapped at the shore, leaving behind many shiny shells and conchs as they receded.
"This one is for Grandpa!" Gabriel carefully picked up a spiral-shaped pink shell and placed it in his bucket.
"I'm going to find the biggest one for Grandma!" Travis declared, squatting on the beach and searching intently.
Yara stood not far away, smiling as she watched Gabriel and Travis play.
The security guards were spread out around them, vigilant but unobtrusive. Everything seemed so beautiful and peaceful.
About half an hour later, a medium-sized yacht slowly approached the resort's private beach.
The yacht was entirely white, gleaming in the morning light.
This did not particularly alarm the security guards, as private yachts were a common sight in Marigoldia.
Once the yacht was anchored, two women in casual vacation attire disembarked.
Both wore wide-brimmed hats and large sunglasses, appearing to be in their thirties, with well-proportioned figures and elegant manners.
One of the blonde women held a delicate woven basket.
"Look at those two little cuties, they're adorable!" The blonde woman said in a foreign language, raising her voice slightly to ensure she was heard.
Gabriel and Travis looked up, curiously eyeing the strangers.
Having lived abroad for three years, they could understand simple foreign conversations.
"Thank you," Gabriel responded in the foreign language, his pronunciation sweet and clear.
The two women approached the children and knelt down.
"Are you collecting shells? That's wonderful!" The red-haired woman said, pointing to the shells in Gabriel's bucket, "These are beautiful."
"We're going to give them to Grandma and Grandpa," Travis proudly announced.
"What thoughtful children!" The blonde woman praised, then lowered her voice mysteriously, "Do you know? We have even more beautiful shells on our yacht, collected from faraway islands."
Gabriel and Travis's eyes lit up immediately.
"Really?" Gabriel asked, taking an involuntary step forward.
"Of course! Would you like to see? You can pick your favorites to take with you," the blonde woman extended her hand invitingly.
Yara noticed the interaction between the strangers and the children and walked over cautiously.
"Good morning, ladies. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked politely in the foreign language.
"We were just enchanted by these two little angels," the red-haired woman replied with a smile, "We have some special shells on our boat that we'd like to give to the children as gifts."
Gabriel and Travis were already eager.
"Yara, can we go see? Just for a little while!" Gabriel pleaded.
Yara hesitated.
The two women seemed respectable and well-mannered, and it was broad daylight.
Yara nodded, "Alright, but I'll go with you."
"Of course," the blonde woman agreed readily, leading the group towards the yacht.
As they approached the yacht, the situation suddenly took a drastic turn.
Just as Yara stepped onto the deck, the red-haired woman gave her a hard shove.
Yara lost her balance and fell heavily onto the sand, letting out a cry of pain.
"Yara!" Travis shouted, trying to run over, but the blonde woman grabbed him.
At the same time, the red-haired woman quickly pulled out two white handkerchiefs from her pocket and, with practiced movements, covered Gabriel and Travis's noses and mouths.
The children struggled for only a few seconds before going limp in her arms.
Everything happened so fast that the distant security guards were momentarily stunned.
By the time they reacted and rushed over, the yacht's engine was already roaring to life.
"Stop!" The lead guard shouted, leaping onto the sand, but the yacht had already started moving.
He made a desperate leap, his fingers barely grazing the stern railing before being thrown off by the yacht's sudden acceleration, plunging into the shallow sea.