CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR - Navigating the Island

Mason nodded grimly, surveying their meager supplies. "We need to set up some kind of shelter for the night. It's going to get dark soon, and we don't know what kind of wildlife is out there." Together, they managed to construct a makeshift lean-to using some of the plane's debris and palm fronds. As night fell, they huddled together under the shelter, the sounds of the jungle seeming to close in around them. "I'm sorry," Mason whispered into the darkness, his arm tight around Claire's shoulders. "This isn't exactly the romantic getaway I had planned." Despite everything, Claire managed a weak chuckle. "Well, it's certainly memorable," she said, snuggling closer to him. "And there's no one I'd rather be stranded on a deserted island with." As they lay there, listening to the strange calls of unfamiliar animals and the distant crash of waves, Mason's hand instinctively went to his pocket. The ring box was still there, a reminder of the future he had hoped to secure. Now, faced with