Beckett’s POV
The moment Elodie and Callie appear on the deck, I freeze. A strange, sudden shift in the air alerts me to her presence before her shoes even touch the varnished planks. I turn my head, my gaze cutting through the crowd until I find her.
Our eyes lock. Elodie stills instantly, staring back at me as if the rest of the world has completely blurred out. For a suspended second, the two of us are anchored together, a heavy, unspoken tension stretching between us, until one of the other female contestants, Lena, I think her name is, steps into her space, shattering the connection and pulling Elodie's attention away from me.
Before I can fully process the chill that Elodie’s presence leaves behind, a loud, piercing screech echoes from the ship's PA system, instantly silencing the
