Mel tries calling our mother again, but she is unavailable.

"So, what's our plan now?" Mel addresses no one in particular. We're all lined up on the pier, about a meter and a half apart. Nobody responds. Tension hangs heavily in the air, but Nolan seems to bear the brunt of it. He paces along the pier restlessly, casting grim looks over the expanse of the sea.

"I'm hungry," I announce.

Mel rolls her eyes. "Of course you are!" she says with a strange hint.

"What? It's breakfast time!" I meet her teasing smile. "What?!" I'm genuinely confused. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

But Mel continues to mock me. Todd and Nolan remain silent bystanders. Todd, in his usual aloofness, looks away, while Nolan appears... well, too tense, even somewhat fearful.

"Okay, okay," he exhales heavily, running a hand through his hair, pushing the unruly strands back. "We are not going to catch up to the yacht." He turns to my sister. "Melinda."

She raises her eyebrows in surprise. "What happened to Miss Charleston?"

Nolan holds her gaze without his usual politeness. "I can go back to that," he says.

"Alright, Nolan," she emphasizes his name, her eyes locking with his.

"Pass me your phone, would you?" He asks, his tone almost polite. She reluctantly fishes it out from her back pocket.

"It's almost out of battery," she adds, "and there's barely any credit left."

Nolan takes the phone, fiddles with it for a moment, and finally dials a number. The rest of us watch in anticipation.

"Good day. My name is Nolan Boehringer," he begins as someone answers on the other end. "I need to speak with Felix Boehringer."

We exchange surprised glances. It's dawning on me that I've heard the name Felix before; he's Nolan's brother.

"I understand, miss," Nolan says courteously. "But this is a matter of urgent importance. Please, kindly connect me with him."

Evidently, the response doesn't sit well with Nolan, given the way his expression shifts.

"Just listen to me for a moment," his voice takes on a metallic edge. "When Felix finds out that you've kept him in the dark about his brother's call... What?!"

Nolan removes the phone from his ear, and his gaze turns glassy and fixed, jaw clenched. He exhales sharply.

"Fine," he grates out and dials the number again, ignoring Mel's protests. "Yes, good day." This time, it seems like a different person answered. "I need to talk to Felix Boehringer."

Mel and I exchange baffled glances. What's the point of calling a second time when you've been turned down the first? Seems like a waste of battery and money...

"I understand how busy he might be, but you see, this is quite important," Nolan's tone takes an abrupt shift from pleasant to steely. "I have kidnapped his brother, Nolan Boehringer, and unless you connect me with Felix immediately, in a couple of days, you will receive a package with his brother's fingers. And then you can wave goodbye to the yearly bonus."

We gape at Nolan wordlessly.

"Of course, I'll wait on the line," Nolan's voice returns to its earlier courteous tone. After a few seconds, his voice changes again to a little lower than his usual tone, clearly indicating that he's uncomfortable with us standing so close and listening to the conversation. "Felix, we've got a situation... Because my phone drowned. Let's postpone that. The yacht sailed without me and nearly all of Mrs. Charleston's kids. We're in Werster without money. And," Nolan lowers his voice some more, trying to turn away from us. "I'm not sure... if everything's okay," he adds hesitantly as if there's something specific behind this phrase that he definitely doesn't want us to hear. My nerves are starting to jangle... Is everything alright with mom and Stacey?

Nolan listens to Felix for quite some time, his face blank.

"Alright," he finally speaks. "This phone is about to die. Yes. Good." Nolan ends the call and hands the phone back to Mel.

"Will your brother come to our rescue?" I ask with a glimmer of hope. But Nolan seems to be staring at me with a peculiar emotion in his eyes.

"Yes, he'll send another yacht," he replies and turns away.

"And... how many yachts do you have?" Mel follows up. Nolan only furrows his brows in response.

"And how long do we have to wait?" I inquire.

"Until evening, if the sea is calm," Nolan replies.

"This city wasn't that interesting to me," I shake my head. "What are we going to do until evening?"

"How much money do we have left?" Nolan asks.

"12 bucks and a little change," Mel answers, counting the money from her pocket.

"Enough for a meal!" I jump up happily.

"Can you hold it?" questions Nolan.

"Why? In the evening, they will come for us," I argue.

Nolan glances at me again with this strange emotion as if he is trying to tell me something with his eyes. He didn't look at me like that before. Is... is it because we spent the night together? My heart races, and a nervous sweat prickles at my neck. I can't recall a thing...

"Considering our luck, I'd bet on keeping the money," Mel agrees with Nolan.

"What's wrong with you guys?" I protest. "Are you for real? Todd!" I seek support from my brother, but he merely shrugs his shoulders.

We wander towards the city, finding ourselves a bench in a small garden. We do not talk; each of us is lost in thoughts.

But I don't want to get lost in my own thoughts. They disturb me. I think either about my mom and if she's alright or about the night with Nolan I don't remember. I'm not even sure if I want to remember it!

My eyes narrow as I glance at Nolan, who sits slightly hunched, hands clasped in the lock. His shirt stretches taut across his back, and I get hot again. As if my body recalls something my mind doesn't.

"Are we just going to sit here all day?" I interrupt the quiet, shaking off my daze.

"What do you suggest?" Mel raises her head to look at me.

"I don't know, maybe explore the city, or... or..." It turns out my ideas ran out too quickly. "I don't know..." I admit. With a heavy sigh, I sit back on the bench next to Nolan, lower my head, and look at my boots, then my gaze slides over Nolan's boots and jumps to his clasped hands, to his forearms hidden by the sleeves of his shirt. Damn, this weird feeling is building up again. I quickly look away.

"Ok, whatever," I mutter, rising. "I can't sit here like this. Boredom kills me! And I'm hungry!"

"Alex, sit down," Nolan commands in a quiet but unyielding tone, without even looking at me. I pretend not to hear him.

"I'll go for a walk. Maybe earn a bit of grub or something," I announce, taking a step toward the city.

"Alex, sit down!" Nolan's bark is enough to make Todd and Mel startle. I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, but I stand still, staring at Nolan. He looks up at me sternly. "Nobody needs to go anywhere," he states, a touch softer but still more as an order than a request.

"I think you're not telling us something," I remark, frowning. But Nolan skirts my question, his gaze falling again. Annoyed, I grumble but comply, settling back onto the bench. Nolan is undoubtedly keeping something from us.