Chapter 4 - Into the Freezing DeepThe deck disappeared beneath my feet.
Wind rushed past my face, followed by the violent shock of freezing water. The Atlantic closed over my head with such force that every thought vanished. Cold surrounded me, entered me, and seemed to stop my heart. My soaked dress pulled downward, the heavy silk suddenly feeling like lead. Saltwater flooded my nose and mouth. For several terrifying seconds, tumbling in the pitch-black ocean, I could not tell which direction led to the surface.
Instinct ordered me to struggle blindly, to thrash against the weight of the water, but I forced my panicked mind to remember the training Julian had drilled into me.
Find the seam. Pull the tab. Protect the baby.
My frozen fingers fumbled along the inside of my dress until they found the reinforced strip hidden beneath the fabric. I gripped it and pulled hard.
Compressed gas released with a muted hiss that reverberated underwater. Thin flotation chambers sewn into the lining of the dress inflated rapidly beneath my arms and around my waist, turning the elegant evening gown into a life-saving buoyancy device. My security chief had designed it specifically for this night, after I showed him Celeste’s message.
I shot upward, breaking the surface and coughing violently, desperate for oxygen.
The Silver Meridian was already moving away. The massive engines churned the water, pushing the beautiful ship further into the fog. No one threw a flotation ring. No searchlight swept the dark water. No voice called my name in panic.
From the stern, carrying across the waves, I heard Celeste laugh. “The fortune is ours now.”
Adrian said something in response, but I could not hear his exact words over the howling wind. It didn't matter.
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With shaking hands, I touched the pendant at my throat. Inside the diamond casing was a waterproof transmitter connected to a secure satellite relay. Everything they had said on the deck, every threat, every admission of guilt, had been captured.
“You think I’m dying tonight?” I whispered through chattering teeth, watching the yacht fade into a ghost ship in the mist. “No, Adrian. Tonight is when your life begins to collapse.”
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