Chapter 1

William forced me to jump off the five-meter-high deck to entertain his sister, who had come from far away.

He knew better than anyone that I was afraid of water.

My life was literally saved from drowning.

"Karen is my closest sister, and she rarely visits," he said casually. "It's not like you haven't jumped before."

I smiled. "I'll jump..."

I looked at Karen standing behind him, her face full of anticipation.

"But she has to jump with me."

William frowned. "Lily, are you crazy? Karen is different from you."

I knew exactly what "different" meant.

He thought I was rough and tough from childhood, with blood on my hands, unlike Karen, who had been carefully protected and kept clean since she was young.

But he seemed to forget that without my blood-stained hands, William would have rotted in that dark basement long ago.

Turns out men's hearts change so fast. This morning, he was saying he'd love me forever, and this afternoon, he could trample on my dignity for Karen's sake.

The commotion drew quite a crowd on the boat.

Karen's jewelry jingled on her wrist as she timidly stepped back. "William, Lily doesn't welcome me... I should just leave."

"Don't go." I took off my jacket. "I welcome you very much."

The next second, I pulled her with me as we plunged into the sea.

The seawater swallowed us instantly.

Karen couldn't swim and thrashed around on the surface in panic. I quietly dove deeper, then, under the cover of darkness, climbed back onto the deck from the other side, slipping into the crowd.

"Someone help! Help!" William shouted frantically.

People pulled Karen out.

William rushed over, crying while giving her CPR.

So even someone as high and mighty as William, a financial tycoon, could lose all composure for someone, kneeling in front of everyone, looking so desperate.

Actually, Karen wasn't even suffocating. Even from this distance, I could clearly see her chest rising and falling.

Only William acted like a fool, crying and shouting, "Karen, wake up."

"Mr. Mason..." his assistant said carefully from the side, "we still haven't found Lily."

He held Karen in his arms, face covered in tears, not even looking up, his voice cold. "Don't worry about her. She won't die."

So in his heart, I was always beneath her.

Something rolled down my cheek - seawater, or maybe something else.

I wiped it away with my hand.

How surprising that someone like me would still shed tears for him.

Just then, a warm jacket suddenly fell on my shoulders.

It was Mark, the man now controlling all the gun trade in South America.

His voice was low. "Seen enough? Lily, shouldn't you be leaving with me now?"