Chapter 3

The water level inside the aquarium rose rapidly as the massive wave generator churned up powerful undercurrents at the bottom. Through the thick blast-resistant glass, I could even vaguely make out two dark figures struggling and grappling violently underwater.

At that moment, the restaurant doors opened.

Officials from the Riverton Department of Education, the principal, and teachers of every subject from Riverton High School, as well as all of our relatives, gradually entered and took their seats.

Jane's graduation banquet tonight was an extremely prestigious affair. The prominent figures from all over the city were attending it.

After taking a look around, Jane frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Dad, where did Mom and Uncle Zachary go? The banquet is about to start. Even the mayor's secretary is here. Why hasn't she shown up when she's the host?"

Edith frowned as well and complained with some displeasure, "Exactly. Where did those two run off to at a time like this? Zachary even has a child with him. How irresponsible."

Remaining perfectly composed, I said calmly to Edith, "Don't worry. Mandy spent so long preparing for this. She must be hiding somewhere, getting ready to give us a huge surprise. After all, this is Jane's graduation banquet. Mandy put a great deal of thought into it."

With that, I turned around and deliberately raised my voice, calmly reassuring all the city officials and guests in attendance.

I said, "Distinguished officials, dear friends and family, please be patient. My wife specially prepared a grand opening performance in the aquarium for tonight's banquet. Let's all look forward to her special arrangement together!"

Lively music began to play, whetting the anticipation of every guest in the hall.

The head of the Riverton Department of Education, Sean Dawson, and the principal, Ned Johansson, smiled and nodded. Everyone gathered around the massive aquarium to await the grand opening of the banquet.

Harold was trembling with anxiety. His shirt soaked through with sweat. While no one was paying attention, he quietly pulled the walkie-talkie from his waist. I guessed he wanted to warn the people inside or forcibly cut the power.

However, the moment he took out the walkie-talkie, the sharp-eyed Edith snatched it away.

Edith slammed the walkie-talkie onto the floor with a smash, shattering it to pieces. "What are you trying to do? Are you trying to ruin Jane's surprise ahead of time?"

Eager to assert her authority as the lady of the family in front of our relatives and the officials, Edith snapped, "Get out of the way! If you dare cause any more trouble, I'll have Jane fire you immediately."

Harold stared at the shattered walkie-talkie on the floor, his face ashen.

Suppressing my laughter, I looked at my "wonderful" mother-in-law. I had to say it was very thoughtful of her. She had even helped me eliminate the last remaining risk.

Jane fiddled with the tablet in her hands and excitedly announced into the microphone to all the guests, "Dear officials and teachers, the 'Love at Deep Sea' performance my mom prepared is about to begin!

"I've connected the underwater cameras directly to the giant LED screen in the banquet hall and activated the macro night-vision function. I promise that once the big screen lights up, everyone will be able to see every single eyelash on the performers' faces."

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted throughout the hall.

Meanwhile, the comments before my eyes were scrolling by so quickly that I could barely read them anymore.

"This is insane! Jane has completely sealed off their last escape route!"

"Mandy realized that she couldn't push the top cover open. She's absolutely panicking now! The tank is totally full! There's not a single pocket of air left!"

"Mandy can't hold her breath anymore and is swallowing water like crazy! To stay alive, she doesn't care about true love anymore. She's desperately yanking Zachary's hair!"

"Oh, no! Once that giant screen turns on, the whole family is going to be publicly humiliated! I thought the male and female leads would have their happy-ever-after! I can't watch anymore!"

I picked up a glass of whiskey and gently swirled the amber liquid inside.

"Mandy and Zachary, your stage is ready. I'm certainly looking forward to your underwater performance." I sneered inwardly.