After dinner, Emma was worried that Amelia would ask her to watch TV. But Amelia suddenly announced she wanted to swim in the hotel's pool.
"Now? It's autumn. The water will be cold. It's not good for your health."
Emma spoke out of concern for Amelia's well-being.
"It's fine. We'll swim indoors."
Amelia's eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. Seeing her so happy, Emma couldn't bring herself to refuse. After a moment's hesitation, she agreed.
It wasn't peak season at the hotel, so the pool area was nearly empty. Amelia crouched at the edge, dipping her feet in first, happily splashing the water.
"Emma, the water isn't cold at all. And there's hardly anyone here. It's wonderful."
Emma hadn't been swimming in a long time. The sight of the spacious pool lifted her spirits. She swam a few laps, and when she returned from the other side, she found Amelia still sitting by the edge.
"Aren't you going to swim?"
Emma pushed her goggles up onto her head, catching her breath as she asked.
"I'll swim later."
Since Amelia said that, Emma didn't push her. She thought to herself, Who exactly is accompanying whom here?
After a few more laps, Emma was getting tired. That's when Amelia called out to her, asking for help.
"Emma, I'm not very good at swimming. You have to hold me. Otherwise, I'll be scared."
So that was it. No wonder she hadn't wanted to get in the water earlier. She must have been psyching herself up.
"Don't worry. I won't let you sink."
Amelia placed her hand in Emma's and then slipped into the water.
Soon, Emma regretted her words. It turned out Amelia hadn't been modest. She couldn't swim at all.
Her hands clung to Emma, showing no sign of letting go.
The pool they were in was two meters deep. They had already swum several laps, and Emma's energy was nearly spent. Keeping Amelia afloat was exhausting.
"Amelia, let's go ashore and rest for a bit."
Emma was truly out of strength, so she made the suggestion.
"Alright."
Amelia agreed readily. Emma told her to go up first, and she would follow. As she was reaching for a bottle of water, she heard a sound behind her.
She turned around and saw Amelia suddenly lose her grip and slip back into the pool.
"Amelia!"
Emma took only two steps before she realized she wouldn't make it in time to jump in and save her. From a distance, Benjamin came running at full speed. He dove into the water and pulled Amelia out.
By then, Amelia had already swallowed several mouthfuls of water. Although Benjamin helped her cough it up, she had also lost consciousness.
Emma stared at the scene before her, dumbfounded. She had no idea how things had turned out this way.
"It seems I really shouldn't have left you alone with Amelia. Why is she always in danger whenever she's with you?"
Liam's questioning gaze was icy cold. Emma felt as if the frost in his eyes had turned into shards of ice, cutting into her.
"I—"
Emma wanted to say she didn't know anything. She had only turned to get water, and Amelia had fallen in.
"Didn't you know Amelia nearly drowned when she was young? She's had a psychological scar ever since. You must have asked her to swim with you. How could you be so selfish?"
Benjamin held the unconscious Amelia in his arms, his face red as he shouted at Emma.
Emma wanted to say she had never heard of it. She had only just found out that Amelia couldn't swim. If she had known about Amelia's history, she would never have agreed to come to the pool.
"Fine. Go back to your room. You don't need to worry about this."
Liam's face was cold as he waved his hand dismissively at Emma. Then he called Christopher to find a doctor, and followed Benjamin out.
Everything had happened too quickly, too suddenly. Watching them disappear from the swimming hall, Emma felt a turmoil of emotions. There was a sense of injustice, but even more so, anger.
Why wouldn't Liam listen to her explanation? Why did he so stubbornly believe she wanted to put Amelia in danger? Didn't she just want to see Amelia happy?
Emma weakly picked up the towel from the ground. The water on her body had turned cold. Even wrapped in the towel, she felt a deep, bone-chilling cold.
After changing in the locker room, she didn't want to go back to the hotel room. She didn't want to see the cold look in Liam's eyes when he looked at her. So she walked out of the hotel, planning to clear her head by taking a stroll around the area.
She came to an open road, lit only by dim streetlights. The late autumn wind blew against her, but she felt no colder than the chill in her heart.
"Boss, this is too easy. We were planning how to disguise ourselves as hotel staff tomorrow. Now this fat sheep has come right to us."
"I didn't expect this woman to look even better in person than on TV. After all, she's married to the president of Pinnacle Corporation. Even if he married Cinderella, she'd have to be a beautiful one."
"You two, stop your nonsense. Hurry up and grab her while there's no one around."
The thin, dark-skinned man spoke in a low voice, his eyes fierce.
His two companions stopped their idle chatter. One held a rope, the other a handkerchief, and they quickly appeared in front of Emma.
Seeing the two grinning strangers and the tools in their hands, Emma's first instinct was to turn and run. But how could a woman outrun two men?
"Help!"
She barely got the word out before one of the men clamped a handkerchief over her mouth. Then he pressed his hand firmly over her nose and mouth. Emma struggled, but soon, due to lack of oxygen, she sank into darkness.
After the two men tied her up, they quickly dragged her into the bushes.
The three men then loaded her into the trunk of a hidden car.
On the empty road, only a single pink and purple sneaker was left behind.
Christopher had called the doctor, who had given Amelia an IV and prescribed some medicine. After telling Liam and his brothers that Amelia was out of serious danger, the doctor left, assured by Benjamin.