haven murphy had nothing to lose. everything was different after sarah cameron's birthday party, the night her father died. haven just didn't feel right in her own skin. then, on a whim, she befriended pope heyward and got sucked into a wild goose h...
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CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE: NO GOODBYES (episode ten: the coastal venture)
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FOR A BRIEF, CONFUSING second, Haven thought that Arden had found her way onto the ship after all. Staring back at her was an eerily similar version of her friend, her face framed by dark hair with eyes to match. When she smiled, it was like a lion baring its teeth.
Haven was wrong, she realised that quickly. There was no way this was Arden. This had to be Eun-Cha. And she had her sights set on JJ, a gun glinting in her carefully poised hand. The cousins froze, rooted in place by the weapon darting between them.
"JJ Maybank. Long time, no see."
Eun-Cha's voice even sounded like Arden's. Obviously, there were going to be similarities between them, and Haven knew that — Eun-Cha was her mother, after all — but Haven hadn't realised just how much Arden resembled the woman she resented. The only major, obvious difference between them was their hearts. Arden's heart would always beat for her daughter. Eun-Cha's was hers and hers alone; she had no issue cutting a loved one down if it meant she got what she wanted.
"Where is my daughter?" she asked, eyes flitting around like she expected Arden was hiding out somewhere, just waiting for the right moment to strike. Perhaps that was something Eun-Cha would've done, but not Arden. "And my granddaughter."
"They're at home," JJ spat, harshly adding when Eun-Cha scoffed, "My family, I mean."
"Oh, JJ," Eun-Cha sighed in a rather convincing state of pity for him. It immediately made Haven suspicious. She inched closer to her cousin's side, looking around for some sign of life, but Pope and the others were nowhere to be found. They were entirely alone. "You don't know."
"That you tried to take my daughter for Rafe Cameron to adopt?" JJ scowled, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "Trust me, I know."
"So that's what she told you," the woman smiled, that same glimmer of pity returning. Not once had she looked at Haven. In Eun-Cha's eyes, the girl was nothing but collateral. "JJ, you can cling to my daughter's lies as much as you want, but you and I both know the truth." She took a deliberate step closer, forcing Haven and JJ's backs against the railing. Haven felt her stomach twist, taunted by the never-ending drop into the ocean below. All it would take was just one shove... "Rafe can and will give Arden and Logan the life they deserve — want, even. I was doing you both a favour. You should be thanking me."
"You're crazy," Haven scoffed before she could think twice.
Eun-Cha froze. For the first time since she cornered them, she seemed to realise that Haven was there. Briefly, her eyes narrowed like she was contemplating pushing Haven over the edge of the boat. JJ took her distracted state as an opportunity, one he should've known would only end in disaster.
