He felt incredibly satisfied. Go ahead, pretend. Be cold. Ignore me. Know the pain now, don't you?

He held that photo and, right in front of her, carefully tucked it into his pocket.

He saw her gaze follow the movement of the photo, and he felt even more satisfied.

Later, he went inside, rummaged through the cabinets, and dragged out everything related to Clara. In fact, some things didn't need to be rummaged through at all; he knew exactly where they were, but he wanted to show her. He wanted her to know how much he cared about Clara. He wanted to make her miserable.

She stood at the doorway, watching.

After rummaging through the last corner, he stuffed those things into a backpack and headed toward the door.

Nina took a step forward and blocked him.

He stopped, looked up at her, feeling immensely smug. Look, I knew you couldn't bear to let me leave.

Julian remembered taking a step forward, forcing her back, and deliberately saying that sentence:

"I'm telling you, you won't keep me even if you beg. Unless—you go apologize to Clara."

He thought she would be like she was in the past—soften, beg him, say, "I was wrong."

Nina didn't. She took out an agreement, flipped to the last page, handed it to him, and said, "Didn't you say we were even? Sign this, and we'll be even."

Now, Julian sat in the car, carefully recalling the events of that day.

He understood now. What he signed that day really was a divorce agreement.

Julian sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel, unmoving.

Chapter 11

Cold.

It was so cold.

The cold surged in from every direction, like countless hands dragging her down.

Nina didn't know how long she had been sinking.

She opened her eyes, but could see nothing. She closed her eyes, and still, she could see nothing. The seawater rushed into her mouth, salty and bitter. She wanted to cough, but couldn't, and every time she opened her mouth, even more water poured in.

She remembered learning to swim when she was a child; the coach had said, when drowning, don't panic, hold your breath, and conserve your strength to swim upward.

She tried to swim upward.

Her legs wouldn't move. Her hands wouldn't move. She was bound, able only to sink, and sink, and sink.

Eventually, she stopped moving. As her consciousness began to blur, she seemed to see a flicker of light.

It was very far away, very blurry, bobbing on the surface of the water.

When she woke up again, she felt someone patting her face.

"Wake up, wake up—"

It was a man's voice, very young, and a bit urgent.

She wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as lead. It took a massive effort to open them just a sliver, where she saw a blurry face.

The man saw her open her eyes and let out a sigh of relief, calling back to someone. Several more people gathered around; someone draped a thick blanket over her, and someone poured hot water into her mouth, the heat making her tongue go numb.

Her whole body was trembling, and someone picked her up, holding her tightly.

"Don't be afraid, you're safe now."

The person wrapped her in their body heat, tucked her ice-cold feet into their chest, and rubbed her palms with both hands.

His clothes had a pleasant scent. Nina closed her eyes and leaned into his embrace; she was just too tired.

When she woke up again, the day had already dawned.

Sunshine poured in through the window, landing at the foot of the bed. The room was large and quiet, filled with a faint fragrance.

Nina lay still, then looked down at herself.

Her hands were wrapped in gauze, and her feet were bandaged as well. Her hair was still damp, leaving a watermark on the pillow.

She tried to move her hands, then her feet. It hurt, but she could move.

The door opened.

Someone walked in, carrying a glass of water.

Nina looked at him and froze.

She recognized that face.

Lucas.

The eldest son of the Lu family, the man who had almost become her fiancé three years ago.

The two families had talked for a long time; everything had been settled, all but the final step. Then she had run off to pursue Julian, a pursuit so loud it became a public spectacle, known to everyone.

The arrangement with the Lu family naturally fell through. Her father had been so angry he didn't speak to her for half a year, though the Lu family didn't say much, simply withdrawing from all cooperation and negotiations.

Later, when she married, Lucas had sent a gift. It was a very lavish gift, which she hadn't dared to accept and had sent back. He hadn't said anything then either.

Even later, she had occasionally seen him at social events, but always from afar—a nod, and that was it.

Now, he stood before her bed, holding the water, watching her. "You’re awake?"

Nina didn't speak. Lucas placed the water on the nightstand and sat in the chair by the bed.

He wore a light grey sweater with the sleeves rolled up a bit, revealing elegant wrists. His hair was shorter than it had been three years ago, and he seemed a little thinner.

"I found you drifting on my boat," he said. "It was past three in the morning when the crew spotted you. You were still breathing when they pulled you up, but you were frozen stiff."

Nina opened her mouth, her voice too hoarse to sound like her own. "Thank you."

Lucas nodded, offering no polite pleasantries.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze landing on her gauze-wrapped hands.

"You were kidnapped, thrown into the ocean, and left drifting for the night," he said. "Someone at the pier found bloodstains and ropes and called the police. The news says the Sinclair heiress is missing, and the police are searching for you."

Nina said nothing.

Lucas raised his eyes, looking at her.

"You have two choices now," he said. "One, I send you back and tell the police you’re fine. Two, you stay here with me, and wait until you’re ready to go back."

Nina looked at him. "How did you know to find me?"

Lucas was silent for a moment. Instead of answering, he changed the subject.

"Do you remember what happened three years ago?"

Nina was stunned for a moment.

"The marriage alliance our families had agreed upon," he said. "You ran off to pursue that magician, creating a public scandal. Later, when you married, I sent a gift, and you didn't accept it."

Nina lowered her head. "I remember."

Lucas nodded. "I thought you were just on a whim at the time," he said. "You were a spoiled heiress, after all; you’d never seen someone like that and thought it was novel. I thought once the novelty wore off, you’d come back."

He paused. "But for the two years you were married, you never came back."

"I know everything about your affairs," Lucas looked at her. "Pursuing him, marrying him, spending money to buy him an audience, pulling strings to get him that study-abroad spot. He refused to accompany you to the old family estate, yet you kept waiting. He protected that childhood sweetheart of his, yet you kept enduring it."

Nina looked up at him; Lucas’s gaze was very calm.

"What are you trying to ask?"

"How do you know all this?"

After a few seconds, Lucas said: "Because I’ve been watching your affairs all this time."

Nina was stunned.

A seagull flew past the window, calling twice before fading into the distance.

The room was very quiet.

Lucas stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his back to her.

"Now you’re divorced," he said. "The news hasn't reported it, but I looked into it. The final procedures for your divorce certificate were completed this morning."

Nina looked at his back. "If you regret it now," Lucas turned around, looking at her, "the alliance from three years ago can be resumed at any time."

The sunlight shone on him, draping his whole figure in a thin layer of light.

Nina remembered the events of last night, a chilling wind blowing through her heart.

"I haven't decided yet," she heard herself say.

Lucas nodded, not pressing her.

"Then don't think about it for now," he said. "Stay here with me; tell me whenever you’ve made up your mind."

Nina looked at him. "Don't let the news out that I’m alive."

Lucas was stunned for a moment.

"I want some peace and quiet," Nina said. "I don't want to see those people or deal with those matters right now."

Chapter 12

Julian sat in his car for the entire night.

When dawn broke, he started the engine and drove toward the police station.

The officer who received him was young; after listening to his story, he told him to wait. Julian sat on the bench, watching people come and go, his palms drenched in sweat.