Chapter 2

Stepping into the wild jungle, massive, ancient trees blocked out the sun. The surroundings looked practically identical in every direction, completely disorienting.

Julian stood before a massive trunk, carefully trying to decipher the terrain. Seeing this, I nimbly scrambled up the tallest tree in sight like an agile squirrel. Scanning the canopy, I mapped out a rough route that dodged the worst hazards.

[Hold up, who knew this girl had ninja skills?]

[What the hell, is she a monkey reincarnated? That innocent sweetheart image really held her back. No wonder she came on this show—she's here to unleash her inner beast?!]

Ignoring Julian's utterly stunned expression, I brushed the bark dust off my clothes. "Follow me, Mr. Vance. Stick with me, and I guarantee you'll starve nine times in three days, but you'll always have water to drink."

Even the seasoned movie star had to pause for a good while before finding his words. "Is it too late for me to request a teammate swap?"

You think you can jump off a pirate ship once you've boarded?

Not a chance.

I was going to milk this viral clout for all it was worth.

I raised a hand by my ear and waved it forward boldly. "Keep up, Mr. Vance! We have to beat every other team! I’m going to make my manager eat her words!"

What else could Julian do? Resigned to his fate, he followed.

The clues left by the crew were bright red ribbons—bold and striking. In a sea of green, anyone with working eyes could spot them, barring those who were practically blind.

I snatched one dangling from a low branch. It only had a single word scribbled on it: "East."

Without a doubt, east was the way.

Without missing a beat, Julian pivoted toward the right. After a couple of steps, he looked back over his shoulder, almost as if he were terrified I’d stay behind and wreak havoc on the local ecosystem. "What are you standing there for? East is this way. Let's go."

As expected of an A-lister—a man of hidden depths, capable of navigating a dense, low-visibility jungle without breaking a sweat.

I strode after him, grinning like an idiot.

Catching sight of my goofy expression, Julian frowned in confusion. "Did you find extra supplies behind my back? What are you so giddy about?"

"Do I look like that kind of person to you?"

I shot back with righteous indignation, my fists clenched rock-hard.

[By the looks of it, one punch from our former sweetheart could send our boy straight to the afterlife. Being on her team isn't hard work—it's hard labor.]

[Watch your mouth! Our Felicity is just a delicate girl. Julian is over six feet tall, he could easily hang her from a branch.]

[Guys, stop fighting! Teamwork makes the dream work. Honestly, the disgraced sweetheart and the brooding movie star look amazing together. I'm shipping them already.]

[Shipping random celebrities will only bring you pain, my friend.]

Julian let out a low chuckle. "Honestly? You look exactly like that kind of person."

Ha. Ha. Ha.

A wide river cut across our path. I grabbed a hefty rock from the shore and hurled it straight into the center of the water. The rock was huge, sending up a massive splash. Moments later, an alligator lurking at the muddy bottom slowly broke the surface.

As for me, the rock-thrower, I had already dragged Julian behind the thickest trunk nearby.

Hiding one person behind a tree was easy; squeezing in a six-foot-two grown man made things cramped. We were pressed flush against each other. When I turned my head, I bumped right into Julian's chest. Solid as a boulder, he didn't budge an inch, his dark eyes gazing down at me.

He was blessed with devastatingly alluring eyes—the kind that looked deeply in love even when staring at a stray dog.

Catching his gaze so suddenly gave me an electric jolt.

Seeing no human meat on the bank, the gator floated lazily on the water's surface, barely bothering to keep its eyes open.

Julian had sharp eyes. "Four o'clock. On top of that gator's head. There's a ribbon."

[Is the production crew insane? Playing this rough? Didn't they promise guaranteed safety?]

[To the commenter above: they don't have to get that specific clue, they can just take a detour!]