Chapter 3
Catalina's POV
At 4 AM, I made another insane decision.
During the guard shift change, I slipped out through the villa's back door. This time I didn't head for the jungle—I ran straight for the beach. Better to gamble on swimming to that distant island than get caught in the forest again.
The Caribbean waters felt brutally cold in the pre-dawn darkness, but I didn't care. I swam desperately forward, my lungs burning, arms growing heavier with each stroke.
Damn it, I'd overestimated my endurance.
The waves were more vicious than I'd imagined, repeatedly pushing me back toward shore. I gritted my teeth and kept going, but my strength was fading fast.
Then I saw the dorsal fin that made my blood freeze.
"No..." I gasped, swimming frantically toward shore, but the shark was much faster.
It circled me, seemingly evaluating this sudden prey. I could almost feel its gaze, that terrifying sensation of being watched by death itself.
"HELP! Someone HELP me!" I screamed desperately, my voice echoing across the empty ocean.
That's when a familiar figure charged into the water from the villa.
Dimitri held a diving knife, swimming with shocking speed, cutting through the surface like a flying fish.
"Are you trying to DIE?!" he roared while swimming toward me. "These waters are FULL of sharks!"
The largest shark noticed him, opening its massive jaws to reveal razor-sharp teeth, charging straight at Dimitri.
I watched him swim directly toward the shark instead of dodging. At the last second, he twisted sideways, avoiding the bite, and drove his knife deep into the shark's belly.
Blood instantly stained the water red. The wounded shark thrashed wildly, its massive tail striking Dimitri's left arm hard. I heard his pained grunt, but he still gripped the knife tightly.
Another shark, attracted by the blood, began approaching. Dimitri defended with the knife in one hand while swimming toward me with the other.
"Grab my hand!" He reached out his bloodied arm.
I swam desperately toward him. Just as the second shark opened its jaws to bite me, he yanked me behind him and stabbed the knife precisely into the shark's eye.
We finally reached shallow water, the remaining sharks circling in deeper water, not daring to come closer.
We collapsed on the beach, both gasping for air.
Dawn was breaking, the blood-stained sand bearing witness to our narrow escape. Dimitri's left arm was badly injured, his diving knife still bloody, his eyes burning with rage.
"Why... why did you save me?" I stared at his bleeding arm, my emotions conflicted.
"Because I'm not done playing with you yet." He smiled coldly while wiping blood off the blade. "You think death would be an escape? That would be too easy on you."
His answer filled me with complete despair. I lunged at him frantically, pounding his chest with my fists.
"I HATE you! I hate you SO MUCH!" I cried while attacking him. "Why torture me like this? Why not just KILL me?"
He didn't dodge, letting me vent my rage. When my fists were too sore to continue, he caught my wrists.
"Because I'm suffering TOO!" For the first time, he lost emotional control in front of me, his voice hoarse. "You think watching you hate me is EASY? You think imprisoning you brings me JOY?"
"Then why won't you let me GO?" I glared at him through my tears. "If you're suffering, then LET ME GO! Let me return to Gabriel!"
Hearing that name, Dimitri's face twisted instantly. His grip tightened, almost crushing my wrists.
"Gabriel? That DAMN name again!"
He slammed me down onto the sand, his body pinning me, his burning chest pressed against mine.
"You know what?" His breath washed over my face. "Every time you say his name, I want to..."
He didn't finish, but I could feel his body tensing.
"Want to what?" I laughed coldly. "Kill me?"
"Make you forget him." His voice became hoarse, his thumb stroking my lips. "Make you remember only ME."
His touch sent shivers through my body, but I refused to admit it was from desire.
"NEVER!" I bit down on his thumb until I tasted blood. "I'll NEVER forget Gabriel! Not even in death!"
SNAP.
That sentence completely destroyed Dimitri's last thread of sanity. He grabbed my face roughly and kissed me hard.
He bit my lips with such force I could taste blood.
"Don't... let me GO!" I struggled desperately, but he held my head in an iron grip.
"Don't you EVER say his name again!" he roared against my lips. "NEVER!"
The metallic taste filled our mouths, pain shooting through my nerves. And suddenly, that pain reminded me of something else...
Another kiss that tasted of blood. But that kiss had been gentle, sweet...
Five years ago, University of Miami campus
On a spring afternoon with cherry blossoms dancing in the air, I first met Gabriel Romano.
Golden hair gleaming in the sunlight, deep green eyes, wearing a simple white shirt and jeans, radiating an aura of justice and mature charm.
"Hello, I'm Gabriel." He introduced himself first, his voice warm and magnetic.
My heart skipped a beat instantly. Love at first sight—this was exactly what it felt like.
That night, I excitedly called Dimitri: "He's so handsome! And intelligent, well-spoken, with this sense of justice... Can you help me get close to him?"
Silence stretched on the other end, then came a tired voice: "Fine. I'll help you."
Over the following months, Dimitri arranged countless parties and chance encounters. But Gabriel kept his distance—polite yet cold.
"Let's pretend to be a couple to make him jealous," Dimitri suggested one day. I didn't notice the flash of desperation in his eyes.
So began that cruel charade. Dimitri played the perfect boyfriend—gentle, devoted, caring. Every gesture felt so real that sometimes even I wavered.
And it worked. Gabriel started paying attention, I could feel his jealous stares.
Until that decisive night.
Under the full moon, I deliberately acted intimate with Dimitri in front of Gabriel. I kissed Dimitri's cheek, let him hold me, feeling his body tremble, mistaking it for nervousness from acting.
"Enough." Gabriel finally exploded, pulling us apart. "Catalina, I need to talk to you. Alone."
My heart nearly burst with excitement as I looked at Dimitri eagerly. He slowly released his embrace, his smile perfect: "Go. Chase your happiness."
Gabriel pulled me toward the beach, giving me a passionate first kiss under the moonlight. It was my first kiss, so sweet it made me dizzy.
While we kissed, I glimpsed Dimitri in the distance. He still stood there, his figure blurred in the moonlight. After what felt like forever, he finally turned and walked away, his silhouette heartbreakingly lonely.
But lost in love's sweetness, I didn't think much of it then.
I woke to my own screaming.
Thunder crashed through the stormy night, rain pounding the windows with dull thuds. I was drenched in cold sweat, heart racing. The nightmare had felt so real, throwing me back to that bloody night.
The image of my father raising the gun to his temple, blood splattering the wall, his desperate final look...
"No..." I covered my face, tears leaking through my fingers. "Please no..."
The bedroom door opened. Dimitri stood there in a dark robe, awakened by my screams.
"Another nightmare?" he said calmly.
Seeing his face, all my terror transformed into rage. I leaped from the bed and charged at him like a madwoman.
"You MONSTER! MURDERER!" I pounded his chest frantically. "You destroyed my family!"
He let me attack without moving.
"My father is DEAD! My mother is INSANE!" I sobbed while hitting him. "All because of YOU! Your revenge!"
"They got what they deserved." His voice was ice cold as he caught my wrists. "Your father should have seen this coming."
"I'll KILL you!" Rage made me lose all reason. I reached for his throat. "I'll avenge my family!"
But my strength was nothing against him. He easily subdued me, pinning my arms behind my back, his body pressed against mine from behind.
"Revenge?" He laughed coldly in my ear. "With what? You're nothing but my prisoner now."
