"Ah!" Jeremy's piercing scream tore through the air. The bullet had barely missed going straight through his palm. He staggered back a few steps before collapsing onto the ground. 

"Vera!" 

Someone pulled me up from the water. At the sound of that familiar voice, I forced my heavy eyelids open. 

The moment I saw my father, I could no longer hold back my tears. I gulped for air in ragged breaths, never in my life so desperate for oxygen as I was now. 

Every inch of my body felt as though it had been crushed beneath boulders. My hands were raw and bloody, the ropes having cut so deeply they burned like fire. 

Jeremy, still reeling from the chaos, suddenly found himself surrounded by mercenaries. Tara, looking just as bewildered, turned to him. 

"Could these people be actors Vera hired? Has she been planning to ruin you today all along?"

Jeremy's confused expression suddenly shifted 

Tara trembled uncontrollably in fear. Clutching Jeremy's hand, she pleaded, "Jerry, I don't think they're actors. Why don't we all sit down and talk this out?"

But having just been slapped, Jeremy would never let this matter go that easily. He jerked his hand free from Tara's grasp and planted his hands on his hips. 

"Vera, if you get him to grovel at my feet and apologize, I'll forgive him for that slap just now."
 
I almost burst out laughing. At just 18, my father single-handedly carved his way through the mafia ranks, killing the former boss with his own hands. 

He was also the only outsider—unrelated by blood—ever to seize control of the group. No one ever dared question his authority. 

If my father so much as heard a word against him, or even caught a flicker of displeasure on someone's face, that person would be dead. 

Over time, the mere mention of his name was enough to sen

"Granting your wish to be with Tara will be the last thing I ever do for you. Once we get a divorce at the courthouse, we'll never see each other again!"

Jeremy froze. But soon, he was rubbing his temples with disdain. 

"Stop with your tantrums, Vera. Weren't you the one begging me to marry you? Tara just made one tiny request. You already have me, don't you? Can't you at least grant her this?"

His tone shifted, softening as if coaxing a child. "Don't be like this. I'll buy you a bigger diamond that's even more beautiful, alright?"

My steps faltered, and I turned to look at him. "Jeremy. You've used up your 99 chances."

For a moment, he looked confused. "What 99 chances are you talking about?"

My fingers curled tightly into a fist, and a bitter laugh escaped me. For the sake of my promise to Jeremy, I had forgiven him again and again for hurting me. But he never even remembered it. 

I wiped away the tears at the corner of my eyes and steadied my trembling voice. "Jeremy Anderson, it's over between us. I wish you and Tara a happy marriage!" 

With that, I refused to stay a moment longer and suffer his humiliation. 

Tara struggled to suppress her laughter, feigning concern as she said, "Jerry, could she be acting this way because she found out  that?" 

A look of sudden understanding crossed Jeremy's face, and he ran after me. His voice rose sharply. 

"Vera, you knew Tara was pregnant all along, didn't you? You only agreed to marry me to humiliate me in front of everyone—to let the whole world know I got another woman pregnant, isn't that right?" 

It was as if a bolt of lightning split my head in two. Tara was pregnant? Jeremy had just lost his virginity to Tara yesterday, so how could that be possible? 

My body went cold, and a brutal, absurd thought clawed its way into my mind. 

Jeremy had given himself to Tara long before. From the very beginning, they had been together behind my back. I was nothing but a fool they happily toyed with. 

"Wow, Jeremy, I must have been blind to ever believe in you!" 

I pulled out my phone and made a call to my men. "Yes, come here immediately! Right away!"

Tara's eyes widened in shock as she pointed at me. "She's not calling reporters over, is she, Jerry? You barely managed to send them away!"

Without hesitation, Jeremy slapped my phone out of my hand. His nail grazed my cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake. 

A violent spasm tore through my heart, the pain radiating as I pressed a trembling hand to my chest. Yet Jeremy acted as though he saw nothing. 

He only jabbed his finger in my face and roared, "Vera, it was just one night! Are you really going to ruin me over this?"

His words hit me like a hammer. I took a deep breath. "I don't care about your filthy affairs with Tara! Let go of me!"

My defiance left Jeremy completely enraged. He grabbed me by the collar and dragged me toward the lake, shoving my head mercilessly under the water. 

The lake rushed into my nose, searing my lungs and crushing out what little air I had left. He forced my head down again and again. 

"If you walk away now, how are we supposed to explain her pregnancy? Everyone at the foot of the mountain saw you go up. I don't care—you're taking responsibility for this child!

"Vera Graves, apologize right now! Say you were wrong! Say you'll never leave me!"

My lungs felt like they were about to burst. The taste of iron rose to my throat, and I choked out a mouthful of blood that disappeared into the water. Still, I clenched my teeth and refused to sayy anything. 

Jeremy's gaze flickered to a boat by the shore. With a frightening expression, he clamped down on my neck and spat. "Seems like I've been far too good to you. Who do you think you are?"

He dragged my weakened body and bound my wrists with a rope from the stern. 

"I'll release you when you realize your mistake!" Jeremy kicked me hard on the back, hurling me into the lake. 

The water swallowed me whole, crushing the air from my lungs. I thrashed desperately, but all it did was pull me further down. 

"While you're 'swimming,' reflect on your mistakes!"

In the last moment before my eyes shut, the love I once saw on his face twisted into a cruel smile. 

Just as his fingers reached for the boat's ignition switch, a squad of armed mercenaries stormed in. The leader fired a shot that barely missed Jeremy's hand.

"Stop right there!"

"Ah!" Jeremy's piercing scream tore through the air. The bullet had barely missed going straight through his palm. He staggered back a few steps before collapsing onto the ground. 

"Vera!" 

Someone pulled me up from the water. At the sound of that familiar voice, I forced my heavy eyelids open. 

The moment I saw my father, I could no longer hold back my tears. I gulped for air in ragged breaths, never in my life so desperate for oxygen as I was now. 

Every inch of my body felt as though it had been crushed beneath boulders. My hands were raw and bloody, the ropes having cut so deeply they burned like fire. 

Jeremy, still reeling from the chaos, suddenly found himself surrounded by mercenaries. Tara, looking just as bewildered, turned to him. 

"Could these people be actors Vera hired? Has she been planning to ruin you today all along?"

Jeremy's confused expression suddenly shifted to realization. Staring down at the dozen black muzzles aimed at him and Tara, he sneered coldly and

Chapter 5