w hum of gossip and pity tha

irst her paren

voted. What a

faint, bri

ilent. Every head turned

diamonds. Her smile was radiant, triumphant. She descended the sta

r hand, his eyes shining with a love so

ke the official announcement, to i

speak, the lights

rkness. Panic erupted. The sound of screa

ut of the chaos. A hand clamped over my wrist. Another

d quickly. The last thing I heard before consciou

of Kandy's voice, a f

after the party, not during! An

eone. "I'm not paying yo

ing, a damsel-in-distress plot to make Grady her hero. But h

ey weren't her

faking?" one of the men

," another voice, deeper

hud, and Kandy's v

rs, feeling the rough texture of the man's belt near me. There was an emp

ated through the floor. The salty

voice. It was Victor Cain, a ruthless busines

boat, headi

, the boat stopped. I heard the

"Look what I have here. Your new love and your o

ted at my face. I kept my

f other boats approachin

as h

pression a mask of cold fury. But when the camera panned to Kandy, who had

oice vibrating with rage. "If you harm a single hair o

stop the single tear that escaped a

It was why I was doing all of this. But heari

ly sound. "I don't think I'

Kandy's unconscious form. We were shoved in

ith a massive splash, and with heavy weights att

ight to pretend to be unconsciou

using the sharp heel of one shoe

attered. Shards of it sliced at my arms and legs as the ocean rushed in.

ace. My lungs were burning. I broke through into the

debris from the shattered

, my voice a raw croak. "L

would have a home. He woul

raft toward the distant lights o

e, triggered by the cold and

od loosened. I ha

less, began to sink in

ng surface, at the distant

was

a figure diving toward me, a hand reaching out. A hallucin

I was staring at the sterile w

u're awake! Thank God! You've

. We don't know who you are, there's no ID, no one has come to pa

asp. "Did... did any

hed. "The other woman, though, Kandy Paul? Her fiancé has had speci

of release. A sad, quie

truly

t knock on the door. A fam

me

. My breath caug

brother,

ble, flooded my eyes an

oice thick with emotion as he rushed t

It's okay, Emely," he whispered, stroking my

f to maintain, shattered. I clung to him and sobbed, my body sha

Jeremiah caught me, his arms a strong,

ked as Jeremiah guided me slowly to

, his voice calm and steady.

tared, her

hrinking below us. The private jet ascended through

y cheek and looked out the w

goodbye to the man I

're even now. I'll