Chapter 3

Every single person on this boat was Adam's friend. I was completely on my own.

Adam and some of his friends held diving certifications, while I wasn't as experienced as they were.

Once we hit the water, my life would be entirely in their hands.

I slumped onto the deck, trying one last time to reason with Adam. "I'm really not feeling well. What if I throw up down there?"

Adam squeezed my hand tightly and replied softly, "We'll stick right by the cave entrance. The moment you feel off, we head straight back to the boat."

Ben paced nearby, checking his watch every few seconds in an obvious rush.

Lucy finally snapped under the standoff. She snatched up her wetsuit and barked at us, "Forget it. I don't have time for her princess drama. Do whatever you want. I'm going down to check out the cave."

The rest of the crew lost their patience too, turning back to prepare their gear.

Frowning, Ben looked at Adam. "Are you really staying behind?"

A chilling thought hit me. If everyone else dove in and left Adam on the boat with me, I'd be just as dead.

Out here on the high seas, getting rid of me without a trace would be child's play for him.

Diving meant certain death. Staying on the boat meant the same.

And if I blurted out that Adam was planning to murder me, his friends would probably commit me to an asylum.

Adam helped me up with a helpless smile. "I'll stay here and look after you. Get some rest."

I could never overpower him on my own. With his friends around, he'd at least have to tread carefully.

If it was just the two of us left on board, he might not even bother waiting. He could just slit my throat and dump my body in the ocean without leaving a trace.

I steeled myself. My only slim chance of survival was down in the water.

Pushing through the cold sweat, I grabbed Adam's hand back. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance, after all. I'll go down with you."

Adam studied my face, his expression unreadable. "You're not feeling sick anymore?"

I shook my head, fighting to keep my emotions locked down.

Adam pulled me up and turned to help prepare our oxygen tanks.

When Lucy saw him walk over, her face lit up. "Adam! So, you are coming with us!"

Adam offered a gentle smile and pointed back toward me. "Vivian changed her mind. I'll just stick with her near the entrance and take a few pictures."

At those words, Lucy's smile instantly melted into a scowl.

She let out a contemptuous scoff and said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Classic rich heiress. Always changing her mind on a whim."

A few guys chuckled.

"What's wrong, Lucy? Are you jealous?"

Lucy let out a harsh laugh. "Jealous? I'm not the kind of high-maintenance heiress who treats her husband like a pet."

Ben bumped Adam's shoulder, teasing him, "Look at you, playing butler for her. She says go, you go; she says stop, you stop."

Another wave of laughter broke out.

Adam shrugged, cutting Ben off. "Cut her some slack. She's just not feeling well."

Lucy chimed in instantly, "She was fine the whole trip. Now she suddenly falls sick right at the finish line? She just wants all eyes on her. You guys are so clueless, letting that manipulative woman play you like a fiddle!"

After saying that, she threw a blatant roll of her eyes in my direction.

Normally, I would have argued back, but right now, I didn't have the energy to fight with her.

My mind was racing, frantically trying to recall every detail of the underwater cave from my past life.

The more familiar I was with the cave once we went underwater, the better my chances of surviving.

Gritting my teeth, I walked over to them.