Chapter 4

The next day was the family’s yacht party. The sea breeze was thick with the scent of salt and money.

The deck was a sea of designer clothes and champagne flutes as men discussed guns, territory, and deals.

Sofia was in her element today, a social butterfly flitting between Evan and the various capos.

She knew how to play her cards.

“Evan, I want to go to the bow and feel the wind, just like… just like when your brother was still alive.”

She was always dropping his dead brother into conversation. Evan’s brother was his greatest source of pain and guilt.

As expected, he couldn’t refuse her.

I stood by the railing, watching them walk to the front of the yacht, Evan gallantly draping his suit jacket over her shoulders.

That’s when the chaos started.

Someone screamed—they’d spotted a rival family’s boat approaching.

The party instantly devolved into panic. Bodyguards drew their guns, forming a perimeter around the bosses.

The crowd surged, shoving and pushing.

Someone slammed into me. I stumbled backward, crashing right into Sofia, who was running back from the bow.

She let out a piercing shriek and fell backward.

As she fell, her hand shot out, grabbing my arm in a death grip.

Before I could react, she pulled me over the railing with her, and we both plunged into the bone-chilling sea.

“Help! Somebody help!”

The icy water swallowed me whole, salt burning my nose and throat.

I thrashed, fighting to stay above the surface.

The deck was in chaos. I saw Evan rush to the side of the boat.

He saw me. And he saw Sofia, flailing a few yards away.

Without a second of hesitation, he ripped off his jacket and dived in.

For a single, stupid heartbeat, a tiny flicker of hope sparked inside me.

I was closer to him.

He’ll get to me first.

But Evan didn’t even glance in my direction.

He swam straight for Sofia.

I watched, paralyzed, as he pulled her into his arms, murmuring, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

It was just like the last time.

In my past life, I had a child.

It was Evan’s.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was ecstatic. I thought if he knew, he might finally give me a place by his side.

But before I could tell him, I fell down a flight of stairs.

Blood soaked through my dress.

They rushed me to the hospital. The doctor said it was critical, that they needed a family member to sign off on the procedure.

My hands shaking, I called Evan, sobbing, begging him to come.

His voice on the other end was clipped with impatience.

“Rachel, I don’t have time for your little dramas.”

I could hear Sofia coughing weakly in the background.

“Sofia’s sick, she has a high fever,” he said. “She needs me. You just took a fall. Don’t be dramatic.”

Then he hung up.

I lost my baby on that cold operating table.

A child Evan never even knew existed.

Seawater filled my lungs. The feeling of drowning was suffocatingly familiar.

Thankfully, Luca was there in a flash, pulling me from the water.

I collapsed on the deck, coughing violently, spitting out saltwater.

Evan climbed aboard a moment later, carrying Sofia.

Evan came up moments later, carrying Sofia. He settled her down, making sure she was okay, before standing up and walking towards me.

“Rachel, are you—”

“Evan!” Sofia cut in, grabbing his arm. Her voice was shaky, but her eyes were filled with a deep, possessive love. “The way you came for me just now… it wasn’t just because of your brother, was it?”

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried.

The family members on deck froze, then their faces broke into knowing, benevolent smiles.

To them, it was perfectly natural. Sofia was from a good family, a powerful ally for the Blackthorns.

Someone started to hoot.

“Come on, Evan, you can’t deny that!”

“A match made in heaven!”

Evan didn’t deny it.

He just looked at Sofia in silence, his expression complicated.

I pushed myself up, my body trembling and soaked. I was a complete wreck, but a bright, beautiful smile spread across my face.

I started to clap.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The sharp, clear sound cut through the noise on deck.

Meeting Evan’s shocked gaze, I smiled at them both.

“Congratulations,” I said, my voice ringing with false cheer. “You two are a perfect match.”

The color drained from Evan’s face. He stared at me in disbelief, a storm of fury gathering in his grey eyes.

He leaned in, his voice a low, vicious snarl only I could hear.

“Are you insane, Rachel?”

Beneath the rage, I could hear a trace of panic in his voice.

“Have you forgotten what you and I are?”