Chapter 341

Xander Quincy's abrupt apology caught Evelyn Laurent off guard.

"What?"

She tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes brimming with confusion.

Xander stole a glance at Ethan Sullivan and Julian Langley's expressions before murmuring, "I shouldn't have asked you that earlier."

"Why?" Evelyn looked even more perplexed.

Ethan's mellow voice intervened, "He didn't want to trigger painful memories."

His gaze lingered on Evelyn's profile, heartache rippling in his eyes.

The mere thought of her past suffering twisted his heart like a knife.

But Evelyn simply uttered a soft "Oh."

"Not at all."

Those hardships were long behind her now.

Apart from the darkness under Vincent Lowell's roof and the kidnapping nightmare, most of her life—

Had been spent making others tremble in fear.

Street thugs fled at the sight of her, even offering tributes voluntarily.

She just couldn't be bothered to bully the weak.

The topic was swiftly brushed aside.

Evelyn crouched to sort through vines, joined by Julian and Xander.

Suddenly, Julian yelped and leaped back. "Bugs!"

The vine crevices teemed with swarms of insects, a nauseating spectacle.

Evelyn calmly poked at them. "Harmless. Toss them aside—they make good fish bait."

After brief instructions on vine processing, she turned to grind medicinal herbs.

The insect-repellent sachets needed urgent completion. Fewer pests meant smoother travels deeper into the island.

At least the snakes and critters would steer clear.

Meanwhile, Beatrice Quincy's team still struggled with basic survival.

Bianca Fairchild could only manage light chores due to her condition.

The pampered Quincy heiress nearly started a wildfire just trying to light a fire.

"Sorry..." She stood red-eyed, fingers twisting her hem.

Liam and Lucas Croix frantically stamped out the flames before reassuring her, "It's fine, Beatrice."

The brothers exchanged exasperated looks.

This Oscar-winning actress demanded both screen time and her delicate persona, leaving the grueling work to them.

Yet they had to keep smiling—she was, after all, the Quincy heiress and A-list celebrity.

Their mission progress suffered severely as a result.