The bodyguard grabbed me and hurled me into the water.
The winter water bit me like knives. I shivered hard on contact, scrambling to get out, but he shoved my shoulder back down.
"No ring, no getting out." His voice was flat. "Want less pain? Find it fast."
I bit my lip and gave in, bobbing in the filthy water. My fingers groped through the icy mud.
Dirty water seeped up my sleeves, numbing my fingertips.
From dawn to dusk, till Ethan's parents were due back, I finally snagged the ring.
Gripping it, I dragged myself to Ethan's door and knocked.
He opened the door, his eyes dark. "I'll let it slide this time. Just stay away from Hanna."
He flipped his hand, and the ring sailed out of the window.
"Hanna doesn't like the style. I'll redesign one for her," he said.
I watched the ring I'd fought for vanish into darkness and forced a smile.
It made sense. He saw our past as baggage and naturally didn't want the ring that bore reminiscences.
...
Even though Ethan's parents never warmed to Hanna, they couldn't fight his stubbornness.
They swallowed it and threw a lavish engagement party.
Guests kept glancing my way.
"Debbie has got it rough—busts her ass finding her guy, and now he's marrying someone else."
"They were childhood sweethearts, made for each other. Everyone thought they'd tie the knot. Who saw this twist coming?"
"If I were her, I'd slap that jerk and his side piece. No way I'd show up here."
Hanna glided to the center in a high-end gown. Ethan held her hand, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.
He cleared his throat, dropping his usual chill for something polished. "Folks. Let me introduce you properly to..."
Before he could finish, the lights flickered and went out.
In the dark, chairs crashed, and screams erupted.
I backed into a corner, but someone grabbed my wrist, slapping a rag reeking of chemicals over my mouth.
The world spun. I fought hard but eventually blacked out, screams filling my ears.
Sometime later, Hanna's hushed yell cut through. "Dammit! Who told you to do it at the engagement party? I said kidnap me and pin it on Debbie. Why did you bring her too? You idiots! Even if you played it straight, you're not getting the rest of the cash. You wrecked my whole plan!"
My mind cleared, piecing it together.
It was another setup by Hanna, but this went off-script.
In the struggle, I'd felt a gun holster on one of them. These weren't her hired thugs.
Worse, the leader's voice rang familiar.
It seemed like a business rival Ethan had crushed and cornered lately.
The man called Ethan, "Ethan, take a pick from your childhood sweetheart and your love post-amnesia. Who are you saving?"
Ethan kept cool on screen, but seeing the bruises on Hanna's shoulder cracked him. "Touch a hair on Hanna, and I'll bury your whole crew!"
I shut my eyes, a sour sting hitting them. Tears silently slipped down my face.
No surprise. I should've known Ethan's pick.
The kidnapper burst out laughing. "You think I'm giving you a choice?"
At a gesture, his men dragged me into a glass box, shoving me against a warm body.
The box got tossed into the sea, splashing huge. Weights on the bottom sped the sink.
I yanked off my heels fast, slamming the metal spike into the glass.
The torrent dragged at my limbs, glass shards cutting into my skin. I gritted my teeth, pulling the unconscious Hanna out of the container, and swam desperately toward the surface.
By the time we broke water, I was spent, but I did my best to push her onto driftwood, tapping her cheek. "Hang on!"
She lived, and Ethan's obsession found its home.
As I shoved the wood toward the shore, ALS hit me.
My arms went dead, and I sank helplessly into the depths.
I stared at the rippling light above and slowly closed my eyes, resigned to fate.
Before my consciousness faded, I seemed to see a hand reaching for me. 'Hallucination?'
...
I opened my eyes to see the white ceiling of a hospital.
A nurse quickly leaned in. "Thank God! You're awake. You've been out for two days. Any longer, we'd have stopped your antibiotics for being unidentified. Lung infection flares without meds."
I croaked, "No one visited while I was out?"
"Nope," she sighed. "You're a tough case. The girl who came in with you just choked on water. Her boyfriend got her a VIP suite, and he is still there."
I froze, then smiled bitterly.
Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by a familiar voice. "Debbie."
I snapped up, tears flooding at the tall figure.
"Couldn't reach you, so I came myself." Cole Norton pulled me into a tight hug and stroked my hair. "Come on, let's go home."
He carried me onto the chopper.
It pierced clouds, heading abroad. I wiped my tears, gazed out, and whispered, "Ethan, goodbye. Be with Hanna as you wish. We'll never meet again."
