The moment Kevin arrived at the villa, his phone wouldn't stop ringing. He had no choice but to lock himself in a room to attend an urgent conference call with his business partners.
The second he was gone, Stefanie and her group of pampered friends became even more brazen.
They found every excuse imaginable to make Venice run errands—mostly to keep brewing coffee for them.
By the third round up and down the villa, the old wound on her leg began to throb again. Still, Venice gritted her teeth and made a fourth pot, carefully adjusting the beans and the water temperature to suit Stefanie's preferences.
But after a single sip, Stefanie's brows furrowed in disdain.
"Venice, this tastes like dishwater. No wonder your café failed—you can't even make a decent cup of coffee!"
Venice turned to leave, expression taut, but the girl in the yellow dress grabbed her arm. Before she could react, Stefanie took the steaming cup and flung its contents straight at her.
Hot coffee splashed across Venice's face and neck, burning her skin. The pain and humiliation ignited something deep inside her.
Venice finally lost control—she lunged forward and yanked the hair of the girl in the yellow dress. In an instant, chaos erupted. Screams, curses, and the sound of chairs scraping filled the air as several people joined the fray.
"Venice!"
Stefanie's sudden shriek cut through the commotion. Everyone froze.
She was standing at the edge of the pool, clutching the pendant necklace in her hand.
"Can we stop now, Venice?" she asked sweetly.
Venice's expression changed instantly.
[Give me that necklace back!]
Stefanie tilted her head, her smile sharp. "You want it? Then come get it."
Venice didn't think twice—she lunged forward, reaching for it.
But just as her fingers brushed the hem of Stefanie's gown, the woman let out a startled gasp. Her heel twisted, and she toppled backward—dragging Venice with her into the pool.
"Ahhh!"
The icy water swallowed them both.
Venice struggled to surface, but Stefanie's foot pressed down on her shoulder, forcing her under.
"Help! Kevin, help me!" Stefanie shrieked, thrashing wildly.
Inside the villa, Kevin had just finished his call when he heard the commotion. He rushed outside, saw the figures flailing in the pool, and without a second's hesitation, tore off his jacket and dove in.
Water filled Venice's nose and mouth, her vision blurring as she broke the surface just long enough to see Kevin lifting Stefanie out of the pool.
He laid her on the ground, shouting her name, pressing on her chest, his face pale with panic. Then, as if driven by instinct, he tilted her chin up—and pressed his lips against hers to breathe for her.
Something inside Venice cracked. Her heart plummeted like a stone sinking to the bottom.
The strength drained from her limbs. She let herself fall, sinking deeper, her body going numb, her mind empty.
Suddenly a faint shimmer gleamed before her eyes. The light came from the necklace in Stefanie's hand.
No. She couldn't die. Not yet.
She still had to reclaim her mother's ashes and marry Adam.
With the last of her strength, Venice clawed her way to the surface, gasping, dragging herself inch by inch toward the edge of the pool where the necklace glimmered faintly.
She was almost there when a shadow loomed above her.
Kevin stood over her, his face cold, his gaze sharp as a blade dipped in poison.
"Venice, when will you ever learn?" he hissed. "I told you to get along with Stefanie. Why do you insist on disappointing me?"
Venice's eyes were red, her fingers trembling as she signed desperately:
[I didn't!]
[I just wanted the necklace back—it holds my mother's—]
"Enough!" he snapped. "Clearly, the last lesson wasn't harsh enough. You still don't know your place."
He turned, snatched the pendant from Stefanie's limp hand, and flung it into the deepest part of the pool.
"You want it so badly? Go fetch it yourself."
Then he picked Stefanie up in his arms and strode away without another glance.
Venice let out a strangled gasp and dove into the water once more.
Her fingers brushed the pendant, finally closing around it—but when she opened it, she froze.
The ashes inside had dissolved, washed away by the chlorine and water.
Venice clutched the empty locket to her chest, tears mixing with the pool water.
At that moment, everything inside her went silent.
She would never forgive Kevin! Never, in this lifetime or the next.
As the last of her strength ebbed away, she stopped fighting. The cold seeped into her bones, pulling her down.
And this time, she didn't resurface.
