Chapter 218

Emily Blair slowly closed her eyes.
But suddenly, a wave of fierce defiance rose up inside her.
Why should she have to die here?
She had already died once before, all because of Isabella Austin.
Why, in this life, should she let Isabella Austin be the reason for her death again?
No. This time, she would live. She would live well.
She would survive.
She would outlive Isabella Austin.
With a gasp, Emily’s eyes flew open, and in an instant, she remembered what her old swim coach had once told her:
“If you don’t know how to swim, the first thing to do in the water is relax. Don’t struggle. Let your body float up, and wait for help.”
Emily’s eyes widened, a spark of determination lighting up her face.
Behind the two figures in the water, several more people dove in to help.
All of them, without exception, were there for Isabella Austin.
It didn’t matter if they ignored her.
She had to learn to save herself instead of wallowing in self-pity.
Blocking out everything else, Emily focused inward and deliberately relaxed her limbs.
She could feel her body, almost visibly, beginning to rise toward the surface.
Bit by bit, she floated upward, until finally her head broke through and she could breathe freely.
Turning her face slightly, Emily watched as Isabella Austin was hauled from the water by a crowd of anxious rescuers, laid out gently on a towel someone had already spread on the poolside.
Everyone gathered around Isabella.
Emily caught a glimpse of someone half-kneeling at Isabella’s side, arms wrapped tightly around her as if clinging to something precious and irreplaceable, their touch brimming with pain and tenderness.
And there was Alex White.
Alex, who was usually all smirks and swagger, now stood over Isabella with a grave expression, his eyes full of anguish, lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line.
After what felt like ten endless minutes, Isabella finally fluttered her eyes open.
A wave of relief rippled through the crowd; smiles broke out, anxious tension melting away.
Gradually, the others seemed to realize there was still someone else in the pool-a girl who couldn’t even swim, left drifting alone.
But even that discovery brought her no comfort.
Instead, they pointed angrily in her direction, voices rising in indignation on Isabella’s behalf.
“It was Emily Blair-she pushed Ms. Austin in! Everyone saw her do it! It was Emily Blair!”
“Yeah, I saw it too. Emily Blair pushed Ms. Austin in!”
Emily squeezed her eyes shut once more, the accusations ringing in her ears.
Half a minute passed. Then came the splash-two more bodies hitting the water, more desperate than before, their anger practically vibrating in the air.
She didn’t open her eyes. Before she could react, rough hands twisted her arms behind her back, someone’s fingers digging hard into her neck.
The angle of her arms sent a sharp, white-hot pain shooting through her shoulders. Emily winced, crying out.
But the hands only tightened, as if her pain was the whole point.
She finally forced her eyes open.
Just as she’d expected: Andrew Lane and Alex White.
Of course it was them.
Both wore identical stormy expressions, their eyes burning with barely controlled fury. Without a word, they hauled her out of the water and tossed her onto the pool deck with brutal force.
No hesitation. No mercy.
Emily’s body hit the tiles with a sickening thud, skin and bone slamming against the unyielding floor. The pain radiated through her, sharp and deep, making her vision blur.
Her face went pale. She grit her teeth.
God, it hurt.
“Emily Blair, do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Breathless, Emily braced herself on trembling arms, forcing herself upright and struggling to steady her pounding heart.