Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 261: Chapter 261

With a heavy splash, the two of them hit the water at the same time. In that instant, Shawn completely blacked out.
As they plunged beneath the surface, blood from Shawn's arm quickly dyed the nearby water a deep red. Even Zoe, who'd seen her fair share of carnage on the battlefield, was momentarily taken aback by the sight.
By now, Shawn was already unconscious. If Zoe wanted to end his life, it would've been the easiest thing in the world.
But she didn't. Zoe wanted to defeat Shawn when he was at his best, unscathed and fighting back. If she was going to kill him, it would be in a fair fight—only then could she reclaim her title as queen of the battlefield.
Letting him die now, after he'd jumped in to save her, would mean nothing. That wasn't what she wanted—not as a true queen of the battlefield.
So she said to him inwardly, 'Shawn, listen up. I won't let you die here. I'm ordering you. If you're going to die, it'll be after I defeat you myself, with my own hands.'
Zoe held onto Shawn as they drifted across the sea for what felt like ages, until finally, a small fishing boat appeared not far ahead.
The couple on the boat spotted them and quickly came over, helping Zoe get Shawn aboard.
Gavin, the husband, stared at them in shock. "Who are you? How did he get so badly hurt?"
Zoe just said, "We were in a helicopter. It exploded."
Lara, Gavin's wife, froze for a second, and then her face went pale. "Exploded? Oh my goodness... Gavin, hurry! Let's get these young people back to the village."
"Thank you," Zoe said softly.
With Lara and Gavin's help, Zoe and Shawn finally made it back to the fishing village by nightfall. On the way, Zoe gave Shawn a RevitaCore and did a quick job bandaging his wounds.
Lara and Gavin settled them in a small cottage next to their house. Lara went to make fish soup for them, while Gavin headed to the nearby town to buy medicine for Shawn.
After some chat, Zoe learned that the village was really isolated and far from the city. Getting them out or to a hospital would be nearly impossible.
Plus, it was high tide season, and all the roads to the city were underwater—there was no way to leave.
For the next few hours, Zoe stayed by Shawn's side, taking care of him with the utmost attention.
Lara noticed everything. When she brought over the food, she saw Zoe carefully tending to Shawn's back wound. With a knowing smile, she said, "You really take good care of your friend. You've been by his side for days—I can tell you love him."
Zoe was about to explain that she and Shawn weren't like that, but then thought better of it—there was no point, so she kept quiet.
"Here, I've got the medicine," Gavin called as he came in from outside, carrying some ointment and gauze.
This place was pretty basic, and the hospital was all the way in the city. They only had these supplies because someone in town had stocked up on essentials.
Zoe carefully cleaned Shawn's wound. Lara and Gavin didn't stick around to bother them, leaving the little room to the two of them. Once Zoe finished bandaging Shawn up, she finally stepped out of the hut.
Outside, she saw Lara and Gavin leaning against each other, gazing at the stars and the sea. The two of them looked so at peace, like lovers in their own little world.
"Sorry to interrupt," Zoe said, walking over.
"What's wrong? Is he awake?" Gavin asked.
Zoe shook her head. "I just want to know how I can get to any city from here."
Gavin looked surprised. "You want to leave? But your guy's really hurt. In his condition, he probably won't be able to walk for at least ten days, maybe even longer."
Lara had a different idea. She asked, "Are you worried about his injury? Do you want to call a rescue team to take him to the hospital?"
Zoe had definitely considered it. This place was way too damp, and there was barely any medicine—definitely not good for healing. Only a hospital could give him proper treatment.
Lara quickly explained, "It's high tide season right now, and the sea's rough. Hardly anyone's out fishing. With this weather, there's no way to get out to sea, and no fishing boat would risk it."
Gavin added, "Yeah, there are a lot of reefs around here. It's not safe by sea or even along the shore. We'll have to wait until the tide goes out before anyone can leave."
With both of them saying that, Zoe understood. If it was just her, she could get out—she could even swim if she had to. But with Shawn completely unable to move... that was impossible.
After thinking it over, Zoe could only say, "Then I guess we'll have to trouble you to let us stay for a while."
Gavin grinned. "Don't worry about it. Everyone runs into tough times now and then."
Lara smiled, "Exactly. We don't mind at all—you're more than welcome here."
After Lara and Gavin's warm welcome, Zoe headed back inside. Shawn was still out cold—his injuries were pretty serious this time, and she couldn't help but worry if he'd hurt his brain too.
Zoe knew he'd only gotten hurt because he was trying to save her. If it weren't for her, with Shawn's skills, he could've just jumped into the sea himself and walked away without a scratch.
She glanced at Shawn's back and saw that some of his wounds were still seeping blood.
Just then, Lara came in with a jar of thick, dark ointment. "This is a homemade remedy we use around here. It's great for stopping bleeding," she offered.
Zoe took the ointment and nodded at Lara. "Thank you."
Lara waved it off with a smile. "Welcome. Well, look at you love birds. Anyone can see how much you care about him." Then she paused, maybe realizing she was being a bit nosy.
She glanced at Shawn's handsome profile lying on the bed, then at Zoe's stunning face, and finally couldn't help but ask, "By the way, I never actually asked before—I just assumed you two were close. So... is he your man?"
Zoe hesitated for a moment, weighing her options, then nodded. "Yes, he's my husband. He got hurt protecting me."
That was why she couldn't just leave Shawn behind.
But what Zoe didn't realize was that Shawn, who had just woken up, heard every word she said.