Chapter 8

The fierce waves quickly swallowed Ariel. Watching her disappear into the ocean, Keith's eyes widened. "Ariel, no!" he shouted instinctively. His desperate cry attracted everyone's attention. Keith was always calm and composed. It was the first time anyone had seen him lose his composure. All the guests fell silent and looked at his pale face in confusion. "What's wrong, Keith?" Natalie asked, her expression stiff. She smiled awkwardly and grabbed his arm. "Aren't I right next to you? Why did you shout so loudly?" Keith shook her hand off and pushed her away without hesitation. Then, he rushed to the deck. Since Natalie was wearing heels, she was knocked off balance and only managed to steady herself after stumbling back for a few steps. She almost fell to the floor. Her sweet smile faltered. It was the first time Keith had treated her so roughly. Upset, Natalie looked in the direction he had been staring. The fireworks in the sky lit up the surface of the ocean. The waves sparkled in the light. Whenever light shone on the surface of the ocean, Natalie could see a slim figure moving with the waves. The dress she was wearing looked surprisingly familiar. It was Ariel! Natalie was shocked for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by excitement. Ignoring the guests, who were whispering amongst themselves, she quickly raised the hem of her dress and hurried after Keith. The wind was strong outside. She almost lost her balance. Grabbing the railing tightly, Keith looked at the faint silhouette in the ocean. "Someone, get in the water and rescue Ariel!" "Y-Yes, sir!" At his command, his subordinates had no choice but to prepare the lifeboats and toss a few lifebuoys into the ocean. Suddenly, several large waves came crashing in. Ariel's figure disappeared beneath the water. Keith's heart seized. "Ariel! Ariel!" He called out her name at the top of his lungs again and again until his voice was hoarse. However, all he could hear was the sound of the waves and the wind. Keith's mind went blank. No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out why Ariel would jump into the ocean and kill herself. Today was her birthday. She should be happy instead. Endless questions wrapped around his heart like thorny vines. The thorns dug deeper with every heartbeat. Now that things had come to this point, no one could answer him. Staring at the dark surface of the ocean, Keith panicked and lost his rationality. He quickly climbed up the railing. "I'm going to rescue her myself." "Mr. Ford, don't!" Ethan Reed, his assistant, rushed over, face pale at the sight. He quickly stopped Keith from climbing over the railing. "This is a shark-infested area. It's too dangerous for you!" "That's right! It's too dangerous!" Natalie agreed. She held onto Keith's suit with Ethan. "Natalie must have jumped into the ocean to die. No one can stop her if she's made up her mind!" Her eyes glinted coldly as she added, "Maybe that group of playboys did something to her. She must've felt too ashamed to—" "Shut your mouth!" Keith roared and kicked her aside. Natalie had never seen so much bloodthirst in his eyes. "I don't have time for your nonsense!" With that, he jumped into the ocean without a second thought. The raging waves drowned out the shouts behind him. Keith had only one thought in his mind: he had to save Ariel. The waves were ruthless. They slammed into Keith's body over and over again. His suit was wet and heavy. The seawater that filled his mouth was cold and salty. Suddenly, he spotted something white in the water. It was the hem of Ariel's dress! Seeing that the waves were going to crash into him again, he swam toward the dress like a drowning man reaching out to a lifeline. "Ariel! Hold onto me!" When he finally grasped the white dress, Keith sighed in relief. "Are you alright—" His heart sank. It was just a white scrap of fabric. When he was stunned, fierce waves crashed over him and swallowed him up. He could hear his subordinates shouting from the ship, "Mr. Ford, watch out!" Noticing the sharks around him, Keith turned pale. His arm had gotten wounded at some point. The blood oozing out of it was attracting the sharks. Suddenly, he felt something tearing into his thigh. Keith groaned in pain, but his eyes were still looking for Ariel. His blood dyed the ocean around him red. Seeing the lifeboats rushing to him, Keith shouted stubbornly, "Save Mrs. Ford first! Forget about me!" His subordinate exchanged bewildered glances, but no one obeyed his commands. In the end, they dragged Keith onto a lifeboat. Covered in wounds, Keith was slowly losing consciousness from the heavy blood loss. Murmuring Ariel's name, he quickly passed out. When he woke up in the hospital three days later, Ethan barged into the room, yelling, "Mr. Ford, the rescue team has brought news about Mrs. Ford!"