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.