CHAPTER NINETY EIGHT – UNWANTED ADVENTURE

A sudden commotion in the branches above drew their attention, and Charlotte's gaze snapped upwards just in time to see a blur of tawny fur and a flash of wicked fangs as a troupe of howler monkeys descended upon them. She yelped in surprise, instinctively clutching her wide-brimmed hat to her head as the raucous primates capered and screeched, their agile forms swinging from the vines and branches in a dizzying display of acrobatics. One particularly bold monkey landed on the log beside them, its beady eyes fixed on Charlotte's hat as it gnashed its teeth and let out a guttural roar. Before she could react, the creature snatched the hat from her head with a deft swipe of its nimble paw and scampered back into the canopy, joining its raucous troop as they disappeared into the dense foliage. "My hat!" Charlotte cried, her hand flying to her sweat-dampened tresses as she gaped at the spot where the impudent primate had made its getaway. "That mangy little thief!" Julian couldn't h