The moment the river swallowed Vanessa whole, a bone-chilling cold surged in from all directions. The current wrapped around her body, dragging her downward like a thousand invisible hands pulling her into the abyss. 

Her consciousness began to fade, and fragmented images flashed before her eyes. 

How 15-year-old Matthias wiped paint off her face in the library, how 18-year-old Matthias secretly held her hand at graduation, and how 20-year-old Matthias knelt in the snow, cupping her frozen hands and breathing warmth onto them.

"Matthias..." she whispered in her heart as river water gushed into her mouth. 
 
Darkness took over, and she slowly closed her eyes. She thought, "We can finally meet again."

In a haze, it felt like someone grabbed her wrist.

...

Vanessa struggled to open her eyes, only to be met with the stark white ceiling of a hospital room. The sharp scent of disinfectan

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city. Alexander stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows with his whiskey glass nearly empty.

"Alexander," Lucille whispered in a honeyed voice as she embraced him from behind. "Stop waiting. She's not coming." 

The crystal glass let out a stressed creak under his grip. He had been waiting for Vanessa to show up ever since the night of the party. She had never disobeyed him before, but this time, not only had she skipped the event, she had vanished for days without a trace.

His phone screen was still lit, displaying the last message Vanessa sent. "I'm not coming. I'm going to find the one I love."

He had replayed those words over and over in his mind, and each time, it felt like a stone pressing down on his chest.
 
The one she loved? Who else could it possibly be besides him?

Alexander couldn't help but wonder if this was just another one of her

Alexander stood in the doorway. His face dark with rage, his eyes burning. "Why did you run off without saying a word? Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?"

Vanessa slowly lifted her head, her eyes blank. "Mr. Hawke, what are you doing here?"

Alexander was caught off guard by the question. He was also unsure what he was doing there. He'd already auctioned her off, and he was already with Lucille. 

However, the moment he saw Vanessa being taken away, a strange panic clawed at his chest. After settling Lucille in, he immediately sent people to search for Vanessa and even went to the hotel himself.

When he kicked open the door and saw only the bloodied Jorge clutching his head and crying out, something inside him nearly snapped.

"I-I wasn't worried about you," Alexander said, throat tight. "You're still technically my employee. If anything happened to you, it'd reflect badly on me."

Vanessa forced a smile but said nothing. 

Alexander took a deep breath, trying to smother the irritation twisting in his gut. "Lucille and I are officially together. I'm hosting a celebration tomorrow. Make sure you're there."

When she didn't respond, he asked, "Did you hear me?"

"I won't be going." Vanessa turned to the window, her voice soft. "Tomorrow is the last day... I'm going to find Matthias."

Just then, his phone rang, and Alexander didn't quite catch her last words. Lucille had asked him to come back and try on suits for the event. He answered irritably and made a few perfunctory responses. Then, he ended the call and gave Vanessa a cold look.

"You must be there tomorrow. Don't make me repeat myself."
 
With that, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

... 

The next day. Vanessa didn't go to the party. Instead, she went to the cemetery and bought the burial plot beside Matthias'.
 
She traced the photo on his headstone and whispered, "Matthias, just wait a little longer. We'll be together soon."

After leaving the cemetery, she took a cab to the bridge that spanned the river. Five years ago, Matthias had planned to take her to meet his family. They had been excitedly planning their future together, but they encountered a car accident while crossing the river.
 
The car plunged into the water, and Matthias had used all his strength to push Vanessa to shore. However, he exhausted himself and drowned. 

"Nessa, live on..." Those were the last words he left her. 

Vanessa stood at the edge of the bridge, the wind brushing through her long hair. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. 

It was a text from Alexander. "The party has started. Why aren't you here yet?" 

After a long while, she finally replied, "I'm not coming. I'm going to see the person I love."
 
Her lock screen showed a photo of her and Matthias. In it, he leaned down to kiss her hair, his gaze incredibly tender. 

She whispered, "Matthias, let me be the one to find you this time."

The phone slipped from her fingers and disappeared into the river. 

Vanessa spread her arms wide like a bird finally breaking free from its cage and leaped down. The moment the river water swallowed her, she seemed to see Matthias standing in the light, reaching out to her with a soft smile.

"Nessa, I've been waiting so long for you."

The moment the river swallowed Vanessa whole, a bone-chilling cold surged in from all directions. The current wrapped around her body, dragging her downward like a thousand invisible hands pulling her into the abyss. 

Her consciousness began to fade, and fragmented images flashed before her eyes. 

How 15-year-old Matthias wiped paint off her face in the library, how 18-year-old Matthias secretly held her hand at graduation, and how 20-year-old Matthias knelt in the snow, cupping her frozen hands and breathing warmth onto them.

"Matthias..." she whispered in her heart as river water gushed into her mouth. 
 
Darkness took over, and she slowly closed her eyes. She thought, "We can finally meet again."

In a haze, it felt like someone grabbed her wrist.

...

Vanessa struggled to open her eyes, only to be met with the stark white ceiling of a hospital room. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled her nose, and she instinctively frowned.

"You're awake?" A woman's unfamiliar voice broke 

Chapter 9