"Help! Somebody, help!"
The frigid seawater cut through like a knife to her.
Lana Smith fought for air, while her desperate cries were lost in the roaring waves. Lana, struggling and battered, sank into the water, her lungs on the verge of bursting.
Her Achilles' heel? She couldn't swim.
At that moment, she was sinking into the raging sea, a hair's breadth away from the jaws of death.
The early spring weather didn't offer much warmth, and the sea was downright bone-chilling. Lana fought to keep herself afloat, teetering on the edge of sinking to the ocean floor.
On the sea surface, within the cruise ship, glasses clinked, and shadows mingled. The attendees were all from the elite families of Gompool, and no one wanted to be ignored at this gathering. Each person was dressed extravagantly, showcasing the pinnacle of luxury.
Someone in the crowd wondered aloud, "Where are the Smith sisters?"
Suddenly, they noticed two missing persons.
Swiftly, people spilled out from the ship, and one pointed at the sea and shouted, "Jesus! Ms. Smith went overboard!"
A tall figure swiftly cut through the crowd.
His eyes fell on the two struggling people in the sea, and a complicated emotion flashed across his handsome face.
With no time to spare, he ditched his suit, leaped into the sea, confronting the turbulent waters head-on.
A sudden storm disrupted everyone's view. After what felt like minutes or maybe longer, the crowd witnessed the man climbing aboard with an unconscious woman.
"Alice! Wake up!"
Ignoring rest, the man gasped for air while performing chest compressions on the woman.
While he completely forgot that there was another dying woman in the sea.
A girl in the crowd suddenly exclaimed, "Lana! Lana is also in the sea!"
"She fell too? Hurry! Save her! She's sinking fast!"
A thunderous sound echoed as murky waters swallowed Lana like a waking beast.
The girl who had spotted Lana drowning cried out, "What do we do? Lana got washed away by the sea! She can't swim!"
Martin Smith, who was performing CPR on Alice, froze.
He saw Lana just now. However, at that moment, he chose to save Alice.
At that very moment, someone tied a rope around their waist and hurriedly jumped into the sea.
Martin instinctively looked, but weak coughing sounds reached his ears.
"Ahem..." Alice Smith slowly opened her eyes.
"Martin..." The moment she saw him, she burst into tears.
She weakly got up from the ground, as her cold hands clung to his shoulder. She buried her pale face in his robust chest. "For god sake! I thought I'd never see you again..."
Martin's handsome face, wet from the sea, expressed a profound emotion.
He embraced Alice tightly, as if making an important decision. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Meanwhile, Lana was finally rescued.
Her face, unnaturally pale, limbs slightly stiff, soaked to the bone.
The girl who had cried earlier said, "Lana... she seems not to be breathing..."
Martin stiffened and looked over in shock.
A lifeguard was performing CPR, artificial respiration.
He pressed her chest repeatedly, and then Lana finally coughed up seawater.
Weakly opening her eyes, her gaze unfocused, she could vaguely see two familiar figures embracing nearby.
Martin, Alice...
Well done...
A faint, pathetic smile curved Lana's pale lips. Her fingers were pale from soaking in seawater, and they trembled slightly before she fainted again.
...
Lana narrowly escaped death, at least she reclaimed her life.
When she woke up, it was three days later.
Afternoon sunlight bathed the hospital room warmly, but Lana felt a bone-chilling coldness.
The room was eerily quiet, with no one but Lana.
She lay on the hospital bed for a long time, staring at the blue sky and white clouds outside. In her clear and cold eyes, a touch of chill lingered.
No one knew what she was thinking.
After a while, she decided to go downstairs for a walk.
Not for any particular reason, just because she hated the cold hospital room.
Her body wasn't fully recovered, and she walked lightly, as if stepping on cotton.
Lana walked slowly, and each step reminded her of what happened that night three days ago.
The hospital garden had a beautiful view, with the warm and comfortable afternoon sun of early spring.
Wearing a patient's gown, Lana strolled in the garden. The gown was excessively loose for her.
The white magnolia flowers in the yard were about to bloom. Lana stood under the magnolia tree, quietly gazing at the white flower buds on the branches.
She had a pale and cold face, with delicate and beautiful features. Even standing quietly, she easily caught people's attention.
Isolation was her innate temperament.
She rarely smiled, giving her a somewhat aloof vibe. Her long hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, adding a touch of gentleness to her otherwise cold feeling.
She didn't notice that not far away, in an independent courtyard, a white-haired, elegant old lady sat in a wheelchair. She smiled as she observed Lana. A hint of approval flashed in her eyes.
After basking in the sun for a while, Lana felt slightly better and decided to return to her room.
Just as she turned around, she saw Alice standing behind her.
Alice wore a men's suit, holding a thermos cup in her hands, her slightly curled hair falling over her shoulders.
She looked weak and harmless, but there was a hint of malice in her eyes at this moment.
She intentionally tightened the suit jacket around her and said, "Lana, it's getting cold. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Lana tightly pursed her lips, looking somewhat proud. "Alice, you really never let me go!"
Looking at her pale and weak face, Alice was in a good mood. Her smile became more brighter as she took two steps forward, approaching Lana's ear, and whispered in a voice only they could hear.
"Lana, how does it feel? Your boyfriend, the one you've loved for years, chose your sister in the end?"