Chapter 4

The family chapel was cold and damp. Amara knelt on the stone floor, her knees long since numb. Candlelight flickered across the rows of family portraits, as if generations of Mannings were silently condemning her. "I didn't poison anyone…" she whispered, tears falling onto the stone beneath her. Memories flooded back like a tide. In college, when she'd been hospitalized with severe stomach flu, Gus had skipped classes for three days to stay by her bedside. After they married, he always remembered to make her hot tea during her monthly cramps. Even when she'd gotten a tiny paper cut, he would fuss over her endlessly. And now, knowing how much she feared the dark and cold, he was letting her kneel there all night. At dawn, Amara finally collapsed, fainting on the chapel's frigid floor. When she woke again, she found herself lying in her bedroom with an ice pack on her forehead. Gus sat beside the bed, and seeing her open her eyes, he immediately leaned closer. "Amara, you're awake? Are you still in pain?" Amara turned her face away, her voice hoarse. "I'm the villain who tried to harm your child. Why are you here?" Gus' expression stiffened, and then he quickly explained, "We found out what really happened. Rose ate some bad seafood…" Amara let out a bitter laugh. "Didn't she say she only had my soup?" "She didn't mean to lie." Gus frowned. "It's normal for pregnant women to have memory lapses." Amara closed her eyes, not wanting to hear any more. She knew Rose's tactics too well. They were crude, but they worked. She didn't bother exposing the truth since Gus wouldn't believe her anyway. Seeing her silence, Gus felt increasingly guilty. Over the following days, he tried everything to cheer her up. Limited edition handbags appeared on her dresser. Haute couture jewelry filled her jewelry box. Custom-made gowns hung in their walk-in closet. Finally, he suggested taking her to a yacht auction to get her mind off things. But when Amara opened the car door, Rose was sitting in the back seat, giving her a sweet smile. "The doctor said pregnant women need to relax too, so I thought I'd bring her along," Gus explained. Amara said nothing and silently got into the car. The yacht blazed with lights. When Rose appeared on Gus' arm, she instantly became the center of attention. "So that's Mr. Manning's new woman? I heard she used to be a scholarship student." "Talk about a meteoric rise. Now she's set for life thanks to that pregnancy." "Poor Amara. From high school sweethearts to husband and wife, Mr. Manning used to dote on her so much." "Well, what do you expect when she can't have children? That's the ultimate failure for a wife." The whispers cut like knives, but Amara walked through the crowd with her expression unchanged. Once the auction began, Gus completely forgot this trip was supposed to be about cheering up Amara. Every time a new item appeared, Rose would tug on his sleeve with sparkling eyes. "Mr. Manning, that's so beautiful." "Mr. Manning, I love that vase." "Mr. Manning, that water lily painting is gorgeous." Every piece of jewelry and art that caught Rose's eye, he bought without hesitation. He even placed an unlimited bid for her—the highest gesture money can buy, meaning he'd pay any price to win. After the auction ended, Gus went to settle the bill. Amara didn't want to endure the stares and whispers anymore, so she walked alone to the deck. The sea breeze was cool. She'd barely found her spot when Rose's sickeningly sweet voice came from behind her, "Amara, enjoying the fresh air by yourself?" Amara didn't turn around. Rose moved to stand beside her, her tone smug. "That necklace Mr. Manning just bought me at auction? It's identical to the one you wore at your wedding. He said it looks better on me." Amara's fingers tightened slightly. Rose continued her taunting, "You know, I should thank you. If it weren't for your inability to have children…" Before she could finish, a sudden gust of wind swept across the deck. Rose screamed as the wind knocked her backward toward the railing. Instinctively, she grabbed Amara's hand, pulling her down too. The icy seawater closed over their heads instantly. Amara couldn't swim. The salty water rushed into her nose and throat, suffocating her as panic set in. Through the chaos, she heard a rescue diver shouting, "Mr. Manning, we have limited equipment! We can only save one at a time, so you need to decide quickly!" Then came Gus' voice, clear and unwavering, "Save Rose!" At that moment, Amara's heart froze completely. She stopped struggling and let her body slowly sink. The seawater filled her ears, but it couldn't drown out the sound of her heart breaking. … When the rescue team finally pulled her from the water, it was 5:00 am. "Ma'am? Ma'am!" The rescue worker slapped her face gently. Amara opened her eyes to see the pale dawn breaking in the east. Her lips were blue, and her whole body shook uncontrollably. She felt no warmth at all. "You have severe hypothermia. You need immediate medical attention, or you could go into shock at any moment." Amara nodded numbly and took a cab to the hospital alone. The hospital corridor was empty. She dragged her soaked body forward, but at the corner, she heard Gus' voice. "Get every doctor to Rose's room! Now!" His voice carried a panic she'd never heard before. Amara leaned against the wall, watching doctors rush into the emergency room. Soon after, the attending physician emerged. "Mr. Manning, Ms. Walsh isn't in life-threatening danger, but her fever won't break. We can't give pregnant women strong medications, so we'll have to use physical cooling methods." "What kind of physical cooling?" Gus' voice was tense. The doctor hesitated. "The most effective method is body heat transfer. You'd need to remove your shirt and hold her close. The less clothing, the better the results." The room suddenly fell silent. "Mr. Manning…" Rose's weak voice drifted out. "I know you love Ms. Pierce… But I'm the one carrying your child now. "Even if it's not for me, do it for the baby. Please help me?" Her voice broke with tears. "Ms. Pierce doesn't have to know. Just this once… You wouldn't let me and the baby suffer, would you?" Amara stood outside the door, listening to Gus' prolonged silence. Finally, his voice came out hoarse. "Everyone, out." The medical staff filed out one by one. The door wasn't closed completely, leaving a small gap. Through that gap, Amara watched Gus standing beside the hospital bed, his long fingers slowly undoing his shirt buttons one by one. His movements were hesitant, as if he were struggling with each decision. Rose lay in the bed, her face flushed with fever, tears glistening in her eyes. Gus removed his shirt, revealing his muscular torso. He moved to the bed and, with trembling hands, began unbuttoning Rose's hospital gown. One button, then another… Finally, two bodies pressed together, skin to skin, wrapped in a tight embrace.