Chapter 5

The leader sounded like one of Anastasia's rivals, the same man she had driven to ruin not long ago during a corporate battle.

After a long pause, the kidnappers finally started a video call. "Ms. Kain," one of them sneered, "you've got two people here. One's your childhood sweetheart of 20 years, and the other's the man you fell in love with after losing your memory. Who do you want to save?"

Anastasia kept her composure at first, but the moment her eyes landed on the red mark across Philip's face, she completely lost control. "If you so much as touch a hair on Philip's head, I'll make sure every last one of you goes down with him!"

My eyes stayed shut, but a sting burned behind them, and tears quietly trailed down my cheeks.

I didn't know what I was hoping for. I should've known what her choice would be.

The kidnapper burst out laughing. "You really thought I was gonna let you pick?"

Before I could react, someone yanked me backward and shoved me into a glass tank. I hit something warm. It was Philip's body, pressed tightly against mine.

The next thing I knew, the tank was hurled into the sea with a thunderous splash.

Heavy rocks weighed the bottom down, dragging us under fast.

I fumbled for a key, gripped it tight, and smashed it hard against the glass wall.

The raging current tossed shards of glass across my limbs, cutting me, but I clenched my jaw and hauled the unconscious Philip out before I struggled with all my strength toward the surface.

When we finally broke the surface, I was completely drained, but I didn't dare stop. I pushed Philip onto a piece of driftwood and gently tapped his shoulder.

"You have to live."

As long as he survived, Anastasia would have something to hold on to.

I was still clinging to the driftwood, trying to swim toward the shore, when the ALS suddenly kicked in, and my arms went numb.

I sank helplessly into the dark water.

I slowly closed my eyes as I watched the surface shimmer above me like fractured glass.

I decided to give up.

Just before everything went black, I hazily saw someone reaching for me through the water.

Was it real, or just a dream? I wasn't sure.

When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was the harsh white ceiling of a hospital room.

A nurse leaned over me, relief flooding her face. "Thank God, you're finally awake! You've been out for two days!

"If you hadn't woken up soon, we would've had to stop your antibiotics since you didn't have any ID. With your lungs infected, that would've gotten bad real quick!"

My voice came out, hoarse and broken. "Did anyone come to see me while I was out?"

The nurse sighed. "No one. You poor thing. The young man who came in with you only swallowed a bit of seawater. His girlfriend booked him a VIP suite and hasn't left his side since."

For a second, I froze, then let out a small, bitter smile.

Right then, a soft knock came at the door. A familiar voice followed.

"Hey, Mason."

I looked up sharply. The moment I saw the beautiful woman standing there, my eyes flooded again.

"When I couldn't reach you, I decided to find you myself," she said.

She crossed the room and wrapped me in a firm embrace, her hand gently running over my hair. "Come on. Let's go home."

Katherine Hudson and I boarded a private jet together.

The jet cut through the clouds, soaring far away toward another country.

I wiped away the last of my tears, looked out the window at the fading horizon, and whispered my final goodbye in my heart.

I just wanted Anastasia to be happy with Philip. From here on out, our paths would never cross again.