CHAPTER 436

ARIA’S POV

I can't believe my luck. The fisherman knows Ethan. My heart races with a mix of excitement and relief, the weight of days spent searching finally lifting. This is it—my chance to get to the bottom of everything.

“Can you spare me some time to speak to you about him?”

“Certainly, my dear lady.”

He seems calm, as if he has seen his share of strange stories unfold, and motions for me to follow him to his boat.

As we make our way to the dock, I steal glances at the old man. His weathered face tells a story of years spent battling the sun and the sea. He moves with a deliberate pace, his steps sure, as though he’s at home here among the boats and the salty air. It feels strange, almost surreal, that this fisherman holds the key to finding Ethan—the one person who could finally give me answers.

We reach his small boat, a modest thing, its paint chipped and its deck scattered with ropes and fishing gear. He gestures for me to sit on the worn wooden bench near the helm, and I do,