Chapter 4

Antonio's words hit me like a bucket of ice water. The words died in my throat.

I should have known. How could Antonio ever choose to believe me? Since Camilla entered his life, when had he ever taken my side?

I looked straight at Antonio. The hatred in his eyes cut deep.

I dropped my gaze. "Since you don't trust me, let's just get divorced."

What was the point of staying in a marriage where the husband believed his mistress over his wife?

But my words only made Antonio angrier. He laughed and gestured to the bodyguards.

"You think it's that easy? You keep trying to hurt Camilla, and now you want a divorce so you can take my money? I let you off easy before, but clearly you haven't learned your lesson. This time, I'll make sure you remember."

Before I could react, several bodyguards seized me and dragged me to the car. Antonio drove us all to the luxury yacht he'd purchased last month, taking me, Camilla, and the doctor aboard.

I watched him direct the bodyguards to tie a thick rope to the railing. My face went pale as I realized what he intended to do.

He'd used this punishment on family traitors before. They'd tie the prisoner to one end of the rope, secure the other end to the boat, then drive the yacht at full speed, dragging the victim through the water until they broke.

As they tied the rope around me and prepared to throw me overboard, tears streaming down my face. For the first time, I begged.

"Don't throw me in. You know I'm terrified of the ocean..."

But Antonio was too busy listening to Camilla to hear me.

Just before they tossed me over, I heard him tell her, "She threw coffee at you, didn't she? I'll let her soak in the water for a few days. We'll see if she confesses then."

Antonio seemed to have forgotten that I'd been kidnapped as a child by a rival family and thrown into the deep ocean. I'd nearly died.

I'd been terrified of deep water ever since. Just standing on the boat and looking down made my stomach churn.

Once they threw me in, cold sweat broke out across my skin. I gripped the rope desperately, thrashing and struggling to stay afloat.

Up on the yacht, Camilla stood by the railing, laughing at the sight of me. But clearly, it wasn't enough for her.

"Amore, I heard you're great at driving yachts. You can even do those beautiful S-curves. Could you show me?"

Antonio was eager to please Camilla after what she'd been through. The next second, he grabbed the yacht's wheel and made a sharp turn.

Camilla let out a startled cry and fell into Antonio's arms with the momentum. At the same time, a massive wave slammed into my face.

Salty seawater rushed into my nose. I choked and coughed, but the moment my head broke the surface, all I heard was Camilla's worried voice.

"Amore, you scared me to death. What if I'd fallen into the ocean? You turned so sharply that Signora Gatti's choking on water. If we both drowned, who would you save? Me or her?"

Antonio hesitated, seemingly considering the question. But in the end, he pulled the woman in his arms closer. "I'd save you, of course."

Those words drained every ounce of strength from my body. The freezing water closed around me. My head spun. The pain in my chest nearly made me black out.

Up on the deck, Camilla looked down at me like I was an insect. Then slowly, she removed the necklace from around her neck and tossed it into the ocean.

"Signora Gatti, I'm in such a good mood today. I forgive you for throwing that coffee at me. You wanted this necklace, didn't you? Think of it as a peace offering."

My eyes went wide. "No!"

The rope around my wrists had already loosened from the seawater. I wrenched it free and, in front of everyone, overcame my deepest fear. I dove headfirst into the deep ocean after that necklace.

As I sank toward the bottom, the last thing I heard was Antonio's desperate scream.

"Martina!"