Chapter 4

The night wind on the top deck was bone-chillingly cold. I stood alone in the corner, staring blankly at the dark sea. Faint laughter and music drifted from the distance, making this place feel even more desolate.

Soon, I would be able to leave. I just needed to endure a little longer.

Just then, the sound of leather shoes on the deck interrupted my thoughts.

"Leon, I really regret it." Penny's tearful voice floated over.

I froze instantly, instinctively retreating further into the shadows.

"Marco is getting more and more unreasonable now."

Through the gaps in the railing, I saw Penny leaning against Leon's chest. Tears were streaming down her face. Leon frowned. His hand was suspended in mid-air for a while before he started patting her back gently.

"I thought marrying him was the right thing to do, but now? His business gets worse every day, and his attitude toward me is just..."

She looked up at Leon with teary eyes. "But seeing you doing better and better makes me really happy."

Leon's expression instantly softened as he held her in his arms. "Penny..."

"You don't need to worry about me." Penny wiped her tears. "I'll be fine as long as you and Vee are happy."

Leon held her tighter with heartache. "Penny, your happiness matters too."

Penny's eyes brightened. "Then, what if... What if I asked you to divorce Vee and marry me right now?"

The sea breeze suddenly turned piercing. Leon didn't answer immediately. I saw his fingers curl slightly, then relax.

Penny's expression quickly dimmed. "Never mind, I should have known. You changed after you married her. Before, you would give me anything I wanted, but now..."

She suddenly stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Now, I even have to initiate kisses."

Leon's body clearly tensed. He tilted his head slightly as if trying to avoid her, but in the end, he didn't push her away. When Penny started unbuckling his belt, I couldn't watch anymore and silently left through the side door.

The second deck was empty. I pulled out my phone, ready to contact Uncle Dante for immediate action. Before I could unlock it, a hand suddenly snatched the phone away.

"Veronica, what are you doing here alone?" Marco stood drunk in front of me. His eyes were bloodshot.

"Did you finally realize Leon doesn't love you at all? Do you regret leaving me?"

"Give me my phone back!" I reached up to grab it.

"Answer me first," he said, swaying as he pressed closer. "Do you regret leaving me?"

I just wanted to get my phone back quickly. "Yes, I regret it. Happy now?"

Marco showed a satisfied smile and shoved the phone back into my hands. As he staggered away, he muttered something smugly under his breath.

I looked down and quickly typed a message. My fingers trembled slightly from the urgency. Just as I was about to hit send, a dark figure suddenly lunged at me.

"You bitch!"

Penny's voice was shrill as she viciously knocked the phone from my hands. It arced through the air and plunged into the dark seawater.

"What the hell are you doing?" She was shaking with rage. "Are you meeting with Marco behind my back?"

I looked at her swollen lips and suddenly laughed. "What about you? Are you kissing my husband behind my back?"

Penny's face instantly turned deathly pale.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded coldly.

"If I wasn't here, how else would I have seen you getting cozy with my husband?" she sneered. "What's wrong? Now that Marco's down and out, you want to crawl back to him?"

I had no patience for her taunts. I stared intently at the sea's surface. Without my phone, I'd lost contact with Uncle Dante. I had to find another way to send the signal.

Seeing that I was ignoring her, Penny's eyes turned vicious as she deliberately moved closer. "Do you know why your mom deteriorated so quickly?"

My attention was pulled away as I looked up at her. She smiled sweetly yet maliciously. "I had someone switch out her meals with food that was bad for her kidneys.

"And also, every time you went on missions, I would visit her and show her photos of Marco and me together. But the best part…" She lowered her voice, and her eyes were gleaming with mad excitement.

"When your mom died, she was watching your kidney being put into my mother's body. She died with her eyes wide open!" She burst out laughing.

The thread of my sanity snapped instantly. I raised my hand and slapped her hard!

Penny staggered backward, covering her face and screaming. A second later, Leon's voice came from behind me.

"Veronica!"

He strode forward and grabbed my wrist tightly. His face was dark. "What's gotten into you today? You've been causing trouble for Penny all evening!"

I sneered. "What right do you have to stop me?"

"She saved my life!" His tone was firm, as if this was perfectly justified.

"Saved your life?" I gritted my teeth. I started enunciating every word. "So, you used my kidney and my mom's life to repay that debt? Is that it?"

Leon's eyes widened slightly. He struggled for a moment before adopting his cold expression once more. "I did no such thing."

He was still lying. I shook off his hand and turned to stop a passing waiter. "Could you please contact the rescue team? My phone fell into the ocean."

Leon frowned. "Who threw it?"

"She did." I pointed coldly at Penny.

He glanced at Penny, then back at me. His tone was impatient. "I've bought you so many phones. Just forget it if it's lost. Stop looking for it.

"Have I not given you enough? Do you really have to compete with your sister over this?"

Marco from years ago and Leon in this moment overlapped perfectly. I looked at him, and my gaze grew colder bit by bit. It was as if something in me had completely shattered.

Leon's heart suddenly lurched, seeming to sense something was wrong. He was about to speak when a deafening explosion suddenly erupted. The yacht started shaking violently as flames shot skyward.

Penny screamed and threw herself into Leon's arms. "Leon! Let's go! The ship is sinking!"

The yacht split in half right down the middle. The spot I was standing on was already tilting, with churning seawater just beyond the railing. Leon instantly reached his hand out to me.

"Leon! Save me!" But Penny clung to him desperately while crying and shouting. "Didn't you promise you'd always protect me?"

He closed his eyes, finally gritting his teeth as he lifted Penny in his arms. Before turning away, he shouted at me, "Veronica, hang on! I'll be right back!"

I watched his resolute retreating figure and silently said goodbye. Just then, there was another explosion.

Leon whipped around. In the raging flames, he saw my figure getting swallowed by tongues of fire. In that final moment, I smiled at him gently.

"No! No! Veronica!"