I didn't get a chance to explain.

The sudden violent storm made the entire ship rock and sway.

The captain announced that all passengers should return to their rooms.

Watching Kieran disappear farther and farther away with the crowd, I closed my mouth weakly and smiled bitterly.

Forget it.

Back in my room, I curled up in the corner, listening to the chaos of the world outside, but feeling only deathly silence within.

My phone screen lit up abruptly in the darkness with a chime - a picture message from Scarlett.

My ice-cold fingertips tapped it open, and a new photo popped up.

The background seemed to be the luxury suite on the ship's top deck. Kieran was wearing a bathrobe, his figure lazily leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, while she smiled sweetly at the camera.

I bit my lip hard, the taste of blood spreading in my mouth.

My chest felt like it had been struck by a blunt weapon, aching dully.

Like a masochistic fool, my fingers scrolled upward uncontrollably, the screen's light illuminating my pale face.

One after another, photo after photo - from the day they confirmed their relationship, these pictures hinting at their intimacy had never stopped coming.

Looking at the occasional gentle expressions on his face that I'd never seen before, tears still rolled down pathetically.

With trembling fingers, I typed out that question I'd asked countless times but never received an answer to.

"Why?"

We used to be so close. I told her all my girlish secrets. Why did she turn around and betray me?

This time, she replied lightning fast, with a tone of triumphant satisfaction.

"Why? Aria, do you still not understand? Because I'm jealous of you! I've been jealous of you since we were kids! Why do you get to take for granted all his attention and affection? Such a wonderful man - why should his eyes only see you, his thoughtless niece? Do you know how disgusting you look every time you throw tantrums relying on his indulgence? Coveting your own uncle - you're shameless beyond belief!"

"I'm clearly the one more suited to stand beside him! But his gaze always followed you! Even in the deepest drawer of his study, he keeps your baby fangs from when you first shifted and your childish cub drawings! What gives you the right?"

"But now it's good - he personally told me he finds you suffocating, that your feelings disgust him! He's mine now, completely and utterly mine! Aria, I'm warning you - give up that hopeless dream and stay away from my fiancé! Stop using that pitiful expression to get his attention - he'll only find it more annoying!"

Each word fell on me like snowflakes, light and airy, but piling up until they caused an avalanche, completely destroying my rationality.

Rage mixed with long-suppressed resentment, I furiously typed on my phone.

"No matter how shameless I am, I can't compare to you! Stealing the person your best friend has secretly loved for so long - Scarlett, you're the most shameless and disgusting one!"

After viciously hitting send, I blocked and deleted all her contact information.

The world was finally quiet. I collapsed into the sofa, completely drained.

A sleepless night. Just as I drowsily closed my eyes at dawn, violent knocking exploded like thunder.

I dragged my exhausted body to open the door. Kieran stood outside, his face dark enough to drip water, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night.

He didn't even let me say a word before his ice-cold interrogation crashed down on me.

"Aria, just how long are you going to keep acting out!"

I looked at him blankly.

He gave a cold laugh, shoving his phone screen almost into my face.

"I thought you'd finally grown up, but you're still this vicious! If you can't have something, you have to destroy it, right? Using such filthy language to insult someone who's about to become your aunt?"

On the screen were last night's text conversation records between Scarlett and me.

But they'd been carefully edited and altered.

My "why" had become vicious curses.

And my words calling her out for stealing her friend's man had been spliced together with extremely crude insults and provocations.

Her triumphant boasting and vicious slander had vanished without a trace.

The entire conversation made it look like I was a madwoman who, out of jealousy, was harassing and attacking her - the woman about to become my aunt.

Blood rushed to my head instantly, then drained away just as quickly.

I opened my mouth, wanting to explain that it had been edited.

I wanted to tell him those photos she sent were fake.

I wanted to ask if he really didn't trust my character at all.

But looking into those ice-cold eyes that held no trust whatsoever, all the words stuck in my throat, shattering into glass shards that cut painfully.

The string in my chest that had been stretched too long finally snapped with an audible break.

Fine.

I suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

So this was what complete despair felt like.

I slowly raised my head, no longer looking at the carefully orchestrated lies on his phone screen.

Instead, I looked directly into his furious eyes, even curving my lips slightly, my voice so calm it sounded foreign even to myself.

"Uncle, I'm sorry."

"I lost my composure and offended Aunt. Please convey my apologies to her."

I saw a flash of confusion in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected me to give in so easily.

But that confusion lasted only an instant before being covered by even deeper coldness.

He coldly put away his phone, as if even looking at me one more second would contaminate him.

"Remember your place. Don't test my patience again."

The door slammed shut in my face, the wind it stirred hitting my face like ice.

I finally sank down slowly, hugging myself, but I couldn't shed a single tear anymore.

The storm at sea came without warning.

The intercom repeatedly broadcast emergency announcements, requiring all passengers to immediately return to their cabins and lock their doors.

I felt strangely relieved - at least I wouldn't have to face Kieran and Scarlett anymore.

Taking advantage of the weak signal still available, I quickly transferred all three million from the auction and connected to Butler's phone.

"After we dock, please give this card to Uncle. Tell him it's thanks for all these years of raising me. It's not much, just a token of my gratitude."

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Butler's worried voice came through.

"Miss, what's this about?"

"I'm fine."

I interrupted him, trying to make my tone lighter.

"After we dock, I won't be going back. I'll go directly to meet the Alpha that Grandfather arranged for me."

Before I could finish speaking, the ship suddenly tilted violently to one side.

The lights overhead flickered frantically, things crashed to the floor, and screams could be heard even outside my door.

My heart tightened as I shouted into the phone.

"Something's wrong with the ship! I need to find Uncle first!"

I pulled open the door to find the hallway in complete chaos. People were crying and screaming everywhere.

In this moment, all grudges and emotions were cast aside.

Fear left me with only one thought.

Find Kieran!

I just wanted to hear his voice, just wanted him to come get me.

I pushed against the panicked crowd, struggling toward his suite.

People kept bumping into me, shoving me around.

I tripped over something on the floor, a sharp pain shooting through my ankle as I crashed heavily onto the cold, slippery deck.

Affected by the silver injury just now, I couldn't shift or heal myself.

I tried to stand, but my right ankle couldn't bear any weight.

Just then, the ship let out a teeth-grinding sound of fracturing metal.

Countless gallons of icy seawater came rushing up from the lower decks.

"The ship is sinking!"

I sat paralyzed in the freezing water, shaking all over.

Crying, I pulled out my phone and dialed that number I knew by heart with trembling fingers. It rang only once before being answered.

"Uncle! Uncle, save me!"

I sobbed incoherently.

"The ship is sinking! My foot is sprained and I can't move! Where are you? Please come find me..."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

Then came Scarlett's voice, laced with malicious laughter.

"Aria, you really are like a ghost that won't leave. Why can I always hear your voice no matter what? What, sprained your foot? Can't move? Then don't move. Drowning or getting crushed - pick one."

All the blood in my body froze.

Her voice grew more amused, filled with undisguised satisfaction.

"Perfect, saves me the trouble of getting rid of you later. About to die and you still call to make trouble? Let me tell you, Kieran is helping me find life jackets right now. He doesn't have time for unlucky trash like you!"

"Please, just give him the phone, please..."

I begged desperately.

The seawater had reached my ankles, so cold my teeth were chattering.

"Go die."

She spoke those words lightly, then hung up.

I called back frantically, only to hear the cold automated message that the phone was turned off.

Once, twice...

I could only hear the busy signal.

He really didn't want me anymore. Even my last hope of survival was cut off by someone else with his permission.

Overwhelming despair and cold instantly swallowed me.

The seawater kept rising, already past my waist. The bone-piercing cold and the agony in my ankle nearly made me lose consciousness.

All around was an apocalyptic scene, and I was abandoned at the center of this despair.

Just as my consciousness began to blur, a steady male voice cut through the chaos above my head.

"Miss, do you need help?"

Through blurred, tearful eyes, I looked up to see a tall figure standing before me against the chaotic light and shadow.

I couldn't make out his features, only saw a strong hand extended toward me.

Tears fell even more violently as I grasped at this final lifeline, nodding through my sobs.

"Yes, please help me."

He bent down, carefully avoiding my injured ankle, and lifted me steadily in his powerful arms.

Through the chaotic crowd and rising seawater, he quickly made his way toward the deck where the lifeboats were stationed.

As he settled me in a relatively safe position on the lifeboat, I instinctively looked back.

At the other end of the chaotic deck, I immediately spotted that familiar figure.

Kieran was protecting Scarlett, anxiously searching for an escape route. His jacket remained conspicuous even in the gray gloom.

Once, that figure had been my entire sense of security.

But now, my heart felt only deathly calm.

In the pouring rain, I turned my head away without any lingering attachment.