Chapter 404
Timothy Gold paced nervously along the shoreline, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.
Evelyn Laurent's figure dragging Ethan Sullivan toward the shore stood out starkly under the moonlight.
In the distance, hurried footsteps approached as the hastily awakened medical team sprinted toward them with first aid kits.
The sea shimmered with silver ripples.
Ethan hesitated for only a second.
"Evelyn."
His voice was soft.
She froze mid-motion and turned to look at him.
Under the moonlight, his eyes were crystal clear.
Her arms stiffened in the water.
Ethan sighed. "I won a swimming championship at six. I can hold my breath for five minutes."
"I just needed some quiet time in the water."
His words were quiet but deliberate.
He could have pretended to faint.
But he couldn't bear to.
Couldn't bear to see her panic.
And he refused to lie to her.
Such a clumsy act wouldn't hold up under scrutiny.
Evelyn's fingers trembled slightly.
A sudden realization hit her—
She had been a fool.
Her grip on Ethan loosened abruptly.
She had used every ounce of strength to drag him ashore.
The weight in her chest finally lifted.
For a moment, she thought she'd lost him forever.
Ethan watched her flustered expression, warmth flickering in his eyes. "You were worried about me?"
Though phrased as a question, it carried certainty.
Evelyn turned her face away. "I didn't want you dying here and ruining the mood."
Her voice wavered.
Ethan chuckled lowly. "I don't plan on dying."
His tone was serious.
After surviving a childhood of schemes to reach where he was today—
More importantly—
He hadn't won her over yet.
The tips of Evelyn's ears flushed pink. "Oh."
The sea breeze brushed past, but her heartbeat refused to steady.
Ethan gently took her hand. "The water's cold. Let's go back."
"Mm."
After swimming just two meters, Evelyn suddenly paled.
A sharp pain shot through her right leg, and she sank beneath the waves.
Ethan reacted instantly, pulling her back up.
Onshore, frantic footsteps echoed as a lifebuoy was thrown into the sea.
He held her shivering body tightly.
Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
The crew hauled them both onto the sand.
Julian Langley rushed over, his voice shaking. "What happened?"
The night wind cut like ice.
Timothy swiftly wrapped them both in blankets.
Ethan ignored the question, his hands massaging Evelyn's cramped calf. "Does it still hurt?"