Chapter 2

The comments went into a meltdown.

"It's over! The villain husband has gone insane! He's not following the script! He's going to drown Mandy and Zachary alive!"

"Help! Mandy can't swim! Once the tank fills up and the lid is sealed shut, they're going to become a pair of doomed lovers at the bottom of the tank!"

Harold's face turned pale, and his legs went weak. He nearly fell to his knees.

Stammering, he spread his arms and tried to stop the staff from pulling the power switch. "Mr. Lavoy, you can't do that! The water pressure from this pump is too high. The performers aren't ready yet…"

I cut him off, "How could they not be ready? How could something arranged for my daughter possibly be off schedule?"

A shrill, caustic voice came from the end of the hallway.

My mother-in-law, Edith Harlowe, who had always been hopelessly biased, strode over in a custom-made dark red evening gown with her nose in the air.

She shot me a contemptuous look. "What would a man like you, who does nothing but sit at home enjoying an easy life, know about romance? Mandy spent a fortune preparing this surprise, especially to celebrate Jane's achievement as the top scorer in Riverton. Whatever she says goes.

"Hurry up and fill the tank!"

Edith had always looked down on me, believing I had married above my station by landing her outstanding "self-made" daughter.

Ever since Melinda mysteriously disappeared, she had doted on Mandy and Zachary as if they were the apples of her eye. She even spoiled that two-year-old "granddaughter" rotten, giving her anything she wanted.

Looking at how fiercely she defended them, I almost laughed out loud.

Just then, my daughter, Jane Lavoy, the city's top scorer who excelled in the science track, walked over. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her eyes brimming with excitement over the new technology.

She said, "Grandma's right. We shouldn't just fill it with water. I need to turn on this deep-sea wave generator too."

Jane happily walked over to the central control panel beside the aquarium. Her slender fingers tapped a series of buttons on the screen.

"Dad, Grandma, you have no idea how much Mom spent on this performance," she gushed.

As she operated the controls, she loudly explained the system to everyone around her, "This is a fully automated smart security system. Once it's activated, the top cover automatically locks, and all the lights inside go dark to simulate a deep-sea environment.

"When the banquet starts, we'll use the macro cameras inside to connect directly to the giant LED screen in the hall and live-stream the whole thing online. It'll be absolutely spectacular."

Harold was left speechless. He watched in despair as Jane pressed the "Enter" key.

With a click, the aquarium's heavy-duty blast-resistant cover clamped firmly into place. The sound of the hydraulic locks engaging rang exceptionally clear through the cavernous hall.

Immediately afterward, the staff threw the switch for the high-pressure water pump.

Following a low rumble, the thunderous sound of rushing water instantly filled the room.

At that moment, the comments went wild.

"Holy crap! The top-scorer daughter came out of nowhere and made the worst possible move! Once that wave generator kicks in, the bottom of the tank turns straight into a whirlpool. Mandy can't even keep her footing!"

"Zachary is already losing it in there! The current is too strong. To keep Mandy from submerging and drowning, he has no choice but to desperately hold her up by the waist while treading water. His stamina is draining fast."

"Help! The water's already up to their necks! Mandy tried to push open the top cover, only to find out it's been locked by the smart system. Now there's really no way out!"

I stood with my hands in my pockets, watching frostily as the water level rose higher and higher.

Listening to the muffled sounds of churning water coming from inside the aquarium, I felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

So, Mandy liked getting thrills underwater, huh? Then, she could have all the fun she wanted in one go.