I let go of my belly, releasing the tight grip I had been holding onto. The moment the weightlessness hit me, everything went black.

When I regained consciousness, I was plunging into the ice-cold ocean.

My entire body ached from the impact of the explosion. The blast had shattered my bones, and the once-rounded shape of my pregnant belly was now disturbingly flat. My ears were ringing, but soon, everything fell into silence.

The world around me went completely still.

Warm blood trickled from my head, the heat a painful contrast to the numbness creeping across my face.

The deep blue water around me was stained red, my blood mixing with the ocean. Alone, I drifted into the endless sea, my vision blurring as a halo of light spread before me.

Through that haze, I saw the wreckage of the plane scattered across the water. Above it all, a rescue helicopter hovered, its searchlight scanning the debris.

A rope ladder was thrown down, and there was Gerard—climbing up with Veronica, who was perfectly unharmed, cradled in his arms. But before they could ascend, the bloodied co-pilot, Chris, stepped in front of them, his face twisted with anger.

I squinted, struggling to make out their words.

Chris was furious. "You bastard! Your wife and child are still in the water, and you're only thinking about saving your mistress?!"

Even though Chris and I weren't particularly close, he was still outraged on my behalf. He'd always been a good man.

Fortunately, he survived the crash.

Gerard, however, looked even angrier as if he had been wronged.

"Vinnie twisted her ankle! Do you have any idea what that means for someone as talented as her? She's a world-class dancer! And as for my wife and child, that's none of your business!"

He sneered at Chris with a look of pure disdain.

"Wait a minute... Are you sleeping with my wife? Is that why you're so concerned about her?"

Even though I had already seen Gerard's cruelty up close, his words still cut deep.

Chris went pale with rage, but he stood his ground, insisting that they help me first.

Gerard, though, wasn't finished.

"Chris, you're just a co-pilot in training. As one of your evaluators, I have the power to rate your performance. If you keep pushing like this, you should start looking for a new job."

When Chris didn't back down, Gerard's voice grew even colder.

"Maybe you don't care about your own future, but do you think your girlfriend up in the control tower will appreciate the consequences of your actions?"

Chris' face drained of all color. He hesitated.

Gerard watched him, clearly satisfied with how easily he had silenced his subordinate.

Out of what seemed like a rare moment of pity, Gerard turned back to Chris with a smirk, throwing a glance in my direction.

"Don't be fooled by her. She's a master manipulator—she's been lying and playing the victim from day one.

"She once claimed Vinnie had sent thugs after her, and I stupidly rushed to her rescue, missing the most important competition of Veronica's career."

He snorted in disgust.

"It was all a setup—she orchestrated the whole thing just to sabotage Vinnie and ruin her future. That's who she is. She got pregnant just to trap me into marrying her.

"Now, she's using that same trick, hoping I'll sacrifice Vinnie again. I'm not falling for it this time. She's a scheming fox, Chris. If she wants to stay frozen in that ocean, let her!"

With that, he turned his back on me, carrying the unconscious but peaceful-looking Veronica onto the helicopter.

The helicopter blades stirred up massive waves as it ascended, the ocean crashing down around me in powerful, relentless surges.

My strength was gone. I couldn't hold on any longer.

And as the final wave hit, everything went dark.