Back then, it was Ryan who had plunged in without hesitation, tearing her from the lake. He had stripped off his jacket, wrapping it around her shaking body, shielding her as she shivered in his arms. And before everyone, he had slapped Rowena hard across the face, screamed, “Who gave you the right to touch her?”
He had known better than anyone how terrified she was of water. And now, it was those same hands that had chained her in a darker, colder place. Because he no longer believed her.
Scarlett stared at the rippling reflection on the filthy surface. At last, her body stopped struggling. She let herself sink into the murky black.
“Scarlett!”
A familiar voice—faint, distant, yet urgent—tore her back from the edge of unconsciousness.
When Scarlett came to, she found herself lying on a bed in what looked like an abandoned hospital.
“Awake?” The voice was youthful, casual, tinged with mischief.
She turned her head and saw Tristan Holt leaning against the wall, his smirk as infuriating as ever. Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut.
“You came to mock me?”
“Of course.” Tristan snorted. “Our famous Night Owl, failing her mission and getting thrown into the water prison? That’s worth seeing.”
They’d joined the organization in the same year, but they’d been rivals from the start. If she ranked first in marksmanship, he had to outrank her in combat. The competition never stopped. Scarlett pushed herself upright, her voice tight.
“Did he send you to save me?” For a moment, hope flickered in her chest.
Tristan rolled his eyes.
“He’s busy planning his wedding. Think he’s got time for you?”
She froze. “Wedding?”
The word shattered against her lips.
Tristan grinned, twisting the knife. “Yeah. He’s marrying Rowena—didn't you know?”
Scarlett’s breath hitched.
“No… impossible.” Her voice cracked.
Scarlett staggered off the bed, her face pale as paper, eyes burning with a desperate light. “I don’t believe it. I need to hear it from him.”
She shoved past Tristan’s hand, ignoring his attempt to stop her, stumbling toward the door. Every step felt like walking on air.
“I need to see it. With my own eyes.”
Tristan’s voice chased after her. “And what will you do once you do?”
Scarlett didn’t know. All she knew was that she had to see.