Chapter 5

In the bitter winter cold, Calista plunged her hands into the freezing water. Her body shivered, but the physical chill paled in comparison to the ice in her heart.

“They say Ken dotes on you, but I don’t see it,” Viola’s lilting voice remarked.

Calista didn't need to turn to recognize her. She continued scrubbing the dress in silence.

Viola, clearly enjoying herself, took a leisurely sip of her coffee. “Your fingers are turning red. Must be painful, isn’t it?” she smiled sweetly. “Ken just brought me this coffee to comfort me. It’s so warm and fragrant.”

When Calista remained focused on her task, Viola’s tone sharpened. “You’re just an adopted daughter—no better than a stray dog.”

“Look at this.”

Calista turned to see Viola fingering a familiar necklace—her mother's luck charm, the one she'd given Ken. Her heart stopped. She lunged forward. “That’s mine! You have no right to it!”

Anger flashed in Viola’s eyes. “This worthless thing? No one wants it!” She yanked the necklace from her neck and hurled it into the swimming pool.

The luck charm broke the water's surface with a soft splash, ripples spreading across the dark water. Viola’s lips curved into a triumphant smile. “Now that your precious luck charm is gone, what are you going to do about it?”

Calista’s heart shattered. Ken could give his fiancée whatever he wanted, but this luck charm meant more to her than life itself. Without hesitation, she dove into the pool.

Viola froze. The near-freezing winter water, and the pool—built deep for Ken’s underwater training—were treacherous. Calista could easily die. Fear, tinged with hope, crossed Viola’s face. Silently, she backed away from the pool.

“If I don’t say anything, who would know I was here? This is your own bad luck, Calista!”

But after a few steps, she nearly collided with Ken.

“Was that Calista’s voice? Is she over there?”

Viola’s heart raced. “No! She’s not there!” She grabbed his arm. “She’s probably just trying to get your attention again. Let’s look somewhere else.”

She steered him away, praying he wouldn’t discover what lay in the pool's depths.

Meanwhile, Calista searched desperately in the frigid water. Her limbs grew numb, her body increasingly heavy. The urge to give up was strong, but this was her mother’s last gift—she couldn’t let it go.

Just as her strength was failing, she spotted the necklace at the bottom. Her fingers closed around it triumphantly, and she kicked toward the surface.

But as her head broke through the water, something wrapped around her ankle, pulling her back down.

“Help—”