Chapter 7
Amelia gritted her teeth. “Mom, you’re being ridiculous! Theo is a monster who won’t stop until he drives me to the edge. Why should I beg him for anything!”
The argument between them escalated, their raised voices drawing the attention of passersby.
Suddenly, a woman’s started cry echoed from under the bridge. “Ah–someone’s jumping into the river!”
Another voice followed, shouting, “Cut! Stop! Stop!”
In the dim night, a small crowd began to gather.
Amelia turned to look and realized a film crew was shooting below the bridge.
She instantly recognized the woman at the center of the commotion: Sierra Havor, a rising starlet.
Beneath an umbrella, Sierra stood out even in the light drizzle and gentle breeze.
She tilted I her head slightly, letting her face peck out from under the umbrella.
The soft yellow lights illuminated her flawless features.
Tonight, Sierra was far from her usual red–carpet glamour.
Dressed simply, with her hair cascading casually over her shoulders, she still exuded a magnetic charm that was impossible to ignore
Looking visibly shaken, Sierra furrowed her brows and complained, “Someone’s jumping into the river? We have to stop shooting for now! But it’s freezing out here!”
As her words fell several crew members scrambled onto the bridge, trying to coax Evelyn down.
Evelyn clung desperately to the railing, her sobs mingling with the whistling wind.
The tension in the air was thick as more onlookers crowded the bridge.
Overwhelmed and panicked, Evelyn lost her footing when a sudden gust of wind swept through.
She wobbled, then fell
Amelia’s heart clenched. In an instant, she dashed forward, grabbing Evelyn’s hand with all her strength,
Aloud splash echoed through the air.
Both women plunged into the icy water b below, sending up a spray of water.
The bridge erupted into chaos. Below, Sierra grew increasingly irritated.
Watching the crowd thicken, she massaged her temples. “Vince, it looks like filming’s a bust tonight. Just take me home”
But Vince Hollow day
move. His piercing gaze was fixed on the river below.
Amid the confusion, not a single person jumped in to help.
The early winter wind cut like a blade, and the water was even colder.
Without a word, Vince pushed through the crowd, stripped off his jacket, and dove in the river.
Underwater, Amelia could barely stay conscious, overwhelmed by the frigid currents.
The bone–chilling cold seeped into her very core.
She clung tightly to Evelyn’s hand, refusing to let go.
Memories flashed through her mind like fragments of an old film reel.
She remembered the first tiine Evelyn had taken her swimming as a child.
That day, she’d cramped up in the water and nearly drowned. Evelyn had been terrified but managed to pull Amelia to safety
1/3
9:26 AM
Chapter 7
Onshore, Evelyn had hugged her tightly, sobbing uncontrollably,
After that, she never let Amelia near a pool again.
Now, more than a decade later, that same suffocating terror surged back with a vengeance.
“Am I going to die?; she wondered.
As the icy dread and endless darkness threatened to swallow her whole, a hand suddenly gripped her arm.
She couldn’t open her eyes–fear and cold had numbed her senses. She let herself be pulled, too weak to resist.
That hand guided her out of the abyss, dragging her inch by inch toward life and light
As her awareness faded, Amelia heard a low voice near her ear. “Hold me tight”
A fierce will to survive sparked in her chest. She instinctively tightened her grip on the man’s hand.
Amid the numbing cold, she felt the faint warmth of his palm.
“Ugh… “Amelia let out a soft, pained groan.
Vaguely. Amelia heard a distant shout. “They’ve been rescued! They’re safer
Fresh air finally filled her lungs, dragging her away from the janes of death.
Her body was drenched, the biting cold sending violent shivers through her.
As she blinked and lifted her gaze, her eyes met those of a man.
His gaze was as soft as spring rain breaking through icy clouds, carrying a warmth that seemed to melt the chill in the air.
He leaned forward, draping his coat over her shoulders.
A faint fragrance lingered–clean and refreshing, like a deer darting through a forest or a breeze stirring hibiscus blossoms:
But before she could speak, exhaustion swept over her, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.
Amelia felt as if she’d plunged into an endless, frigid dream, dragged out of it only by sheer force.
The suffocating pain wrapped around her like a relentless fog, making her tremble even in her sleep
With a jolt, she awoke from the nightmare. The sound of her sudden movement echoed as she shot upright in a hospital bed.
Gropory, she instinctively searched for the man with the spring–rain cyes.
Instead, she found herself staring into Theo’s stormy face.
A chill raced down her spine, yanking her fully awake.
Theo’s expression flickered with an unreadable intensity. He stepped closer, looming over her.
Without warning, his lips crushed against hers
Amelia froze, her mind going blank as nausea surged through her.
The kiss wasn’t tender–it was a twisted claim of dominance, leaving her stomach churning
Theo grabbed her face, forcing her to meet his eyes.
His voice was deceptively gentle as he murmured. “Babe, you’re awake at last. You scared me so much, I was freaked out…
But then his tone shifted, venom dripping from his words as he hissed in her ear, “It’s such a pity, though.
“Why didn’t you drown! If it weren’t for that crowd of onlookers, your body would already be cold by now,”
