Chapter 7

Gabriella's expression stiffened for a moment before she let out a cold laugh. "A pathetic lowlife like you dares to question me? Your employee records say you can't swim and are terrified of water, while I'm an expert swimmer. "How about we have some fun? If we both fall into the sea, who will Blake save?" With that, she shoved Elena hard. Elena was caught off guard, and her waist slammed into the railing. She flipped over the next second and plunged into the ocean. Gabriella smirked, then gracefully dived in after her, moving through the water as effortlessly as a fish. Meanwhile, the icy, salty seawater swallowed Elena whole, flooding her mouth and nose. Just then, the past came rushing back like a tidal wave. As a child in the orphanage, Elena had been praised by the headmistress for her excellent grades. That small moment of recognition had made her a target. The bullies, led by the school tyrant, had shunned her and tormented her. The worst incident was when they forced her head under a barrel of water again and again. If the headmistress hadn't arrived in time, she would have drowned that day. From that moment on, Elena had developed a fear of water. When Elena got with Blake, she had slowly let down her guard, revealing the painful memories she had buried deep inside. Back then, he had pulled her into his arms, and his voice was filled with tenderness as he promised, "I'll protect you. I won't let anything like that happen to you again." Now, as she struggled against the waves, she saw Blake diving into the sea without hesitation, swimming toward her with powerful strokes. At that moment, he became her last hope in the suffocating darkness. She fought against the current, reaching out toward him with all her strength. "Save me…" He came closer, closer still—until he swam right past her just as her fingertips were about to touch his. He was going straight toward Gabriella instead. "You knew I could swim, yet you still came for me? Do you love me that much?" Gabriella smiled in triumph as she wrapped her arms around Blake's neck while laughter spilled from her lips. "So much that you don't even care if Elena dies? Men can be so heartless when they stop pretending." Blake said nothing. His face was grim, and his jaw was tight as he carried Gabriella back toward the yacht. A wave crashed hard against Elena's chest, knocking the last bit of air from her lungs. She choked, and saltwater flooded her throat as her body slowly sank. Her vision blurred, the sting in her eyes making it impossible to tell if it was the ocean or her own tears. She never should have held onto hope. Blake had clearly never loved her! Even so, it was such a shame. She would never get the chance to see her newly reunited family and her new fiancé. Elena refused to accept this. She didn't want to sink into the depths of the ocean like this. But her body was drained of all strength, and she could no longer fight. In the end, she could only close her eyes in despair and let the waves and darkness consume her. When Elena opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital bed. It was the HR manager, Kade Johnson, who had saved her. Kade looked at her sympathetically as he asked, "Elena, did you already know about Blake and Ms. Sadberry? Is that why you decided to resign?" Seeing how pale and lifeless she looked, he shook his head. "People like us can't fight against someone like her. It's good that you're still young. Once you leave, find a new place and start fresh." Elena thanked him, and her face was still ghostly pale as she got up to go to the bathroom. But when she looked out the window, she saw something by the flower beds below. Gabriella was wrapping her arms around Blake. "Blake, since you love me so much, I'm willing to give us a try. Let's go on a trip for a week. If you do well, I'll make it official." She had just found out that Elena was resigning and would be leaving in a week. Since that was the case, she would keep Blake occupied, making sure he and Elena never crossed paths again. Blake should have been ecstatic—after all, this was everything he had been chasing for so long. But instead, he just stood there in a daze. That was until Gabriella pouted and nudged his chest. "Hey, this offer won't last forever." Only then did he snap out of it, his voice slow and uncertain as he replied, "Alright." He had pursued her for so long, so giving up now was never an option. Besides, it was just a week. When he came back, there was still time to take care of that matter. Elena simply watched as they stood together, wrapped in each other's arms. Then, she slowly began to smile. So, that was it? Blake hadn't been hesitating—he had just been too stunned by the sudden good news. They were finally together. And soon, she would be gone. From now on, their worlds would have nothing to do with each other, perhaps forever.