Chapter 81 SUNSHINE.
\~~~LUCIANO MORETTI.
Her scream pierced the night air like a knife, and my heart slammed against my ribs. I didn't hesitate, kicked off my shoes, and then dove in right after her, the cold water hitting me like a punch.
The pool was deeper than it looked, and she was sinking fast. I could see her silhouette, her arms flailing weakly at first, and then going still.
She couldn't swim and panic clawed at me as I kicked harder, propelling myself down.
There she was, at the bottom with her eyes closed, and her body floating like she'd surrendered completely.
What the hell was wrong with her?
I reached her in seconds, wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other under her shoulders. She was heavier underwater, her wet clothes dragging like lead. I pushed off the pool floor with my legs, surging upward.
Breaking the surface, I gasped for air, holding her head above water.
Her face was pale, her lips blue-tinged, and her dark hair plastered across her cheeks. I swam us to the edge, grunting as I hooked an arm over the side and dropped her onto the tiles. She lay there, motionless, water pooling around her.
I climbed out, dripping everywhere, my shirt clinging to my chest. Dropping to my knees beside her, I patted her cheeks gently.
“Hey, hey!”
There was no response and her chest wasn't rising.
Shit.
I tilted her head back, pinched her nose, and started chest compressions, firm pushes right in the center, counting under my breath. One, two, three... I did it three times, my hands slick with pool water. Then I patted her cheeks again, harder this time.
“Talia!”
She convulsed suddenly, coughing up water in harsh, ragged bursts. It spilled from her mouth, and she gasped, rolling slightly to the side. Relief flooded me like a wave, and my shoulders sagged. I helped her sit up slowly, one hand on her back, feeling the chill of her soaked dress through my palm.
“What were you thinking, missing your step? Are you a baby?”
Her eyes flashed with anger, even as she wheezed. “Do you think I want to fall into the pool on my own?!”
She yelled, her voice hoarse but sharp.
I flinched without meaning to, the words hitting like a slap.
There had never been a day this woman didn't have a temper. What a weird ass.
“Are you okay?” I snapped back, my worry twisting into frustration. “You didn't even try to resist. You just kept drowning like a fool. What if I wasn't there?!”
Her gaze dropped to me, narrowing, and I knew that look, she was gearing up to unleash hell again. I nodded preemptively, cutting her off before she could explode.
But she did anyway. “Why don't you just tie me to a tree and yell all you want? You apathetic bastard!” she hissed, her voice cracking.
Then, out of nowhere, she burst into tears. Loud, and ugly sobs that shook her whole body. I froze, dumbfounded, just staring as tears mixed with the pool water on her face. She looked so broken, and so real at that moment. She forced herself to stand, wobbling on shaky legs, and started limping away from the poolside.
“Is... is it because I scolded you?” I asked, my voice low and uncertain.
Emotions weren't my strong suit, but seeing her like this twisted something in my gut.
She didn't answer, she just kept hobbling toward the path leading back to the house. I noticed the limp, which probably sprained her ankle in the fall.
No way was I letting her stumble off alone. In an instant, I was up, scooping her into my arms in a bridal way. She was light, even soaked, her body fitting against mine like it belonged there.
“I can... can walk on my own,” she protested through her bawling, pushing weakly at my chest.
“And give my men some show?” I shot back, starting to walk. The night air bit at my wet skin, but holding her kept me grounded.
“Of course you care about your reputation in a time like this,” she wailed, crying even harder. Her tears soaked my collar.
I closed my eyes for a second, fighting the urge to snap again. Walking out of the swimming premises, I headed toward the main building. “Should I care about yours? Is it my mouth? Why don't you set a camera and show the whole world your ugly mouth as you cry?”
She swallowed hard, her sobs hitching, and pressed her lips together tight.
"Is it truly ugly?”
“Of course.”
She sniffed, her nose running, and she sobbed quietly now with lips still sealed. I almost laughed at that stubborn expression. Who the hell worries about their appearance while they cry?
It was ridiculous, and oddly charming.
“Please, just open your mouth for the whole of New York City, and cry, Solnishko,” I breathed out, the Russian endearment slipping free without thought.
The moment I saw her, and I knew she wasn't her sister, I called her that.
It meant sunshine.
Wasn't that suitable for a person like her?
She stopped crying abruptly, her arms tightening around my neck. “It is so hard being a girl around you. God, you are so emotionless,” She hissed and looked away, but there was no real venom left.
I smiled softly to myself, glancing down at her. Her wet hair clung to her neck in dark strands, droplets tracing paths down her collarbone.
She was a mess, but a beautiful one, vulnerable in a way I had never seen.
I carried her all the way to our bedroom, the door clicking shut behind us. The room was warm, a stark contrast to the chill outside. Gently, I set her on the edge of the bed, but she was still shivering. “Should I follow you to the bathroom? Help you get rid of these clothes and shower?”
She whipped her head around, eyes wide. “Pervert!'” she hissed, scrambling up despite the limp. “As if you'd actually help without trying something.”
I raised my hands in mock surrender, but she was already limping toward the bathroom, slamming the door with a thud that echoed her temper.
I breathed out slowly, crossing my arms over my chest as I leaned against the wall. The adrenaline from the rescue faded, leaving my mind to wander.
Back to Talia. I'd met her only twice before the wedding, and it was brief, calculated encounters in which she fed me stories about her life. Fears of deep water, allergies to roses and peanut bagel, and a childhood stutter she'd overcome.
It all clicked clearer now. None of it was hers. It was Raina's, and it was stolen and repackaged to build this perfect facade.
I'd always known her running away wasn't impromptu. The woman was too sharp for that. She'd planned it from the first meeting, tying up loose ends so meticulously it took my best trackers weeks to even get a lead.
But I hadn't pieced it together that she'd orchestrate throwing her own sister into the fire. Using Raina's memories like a mask, and vanishing without a trace, leaving this innocent woman to bear the weight.
One thing was crystal now, anyway. Raina was truly a victim.
Hell, I hated to admit it, but whatever twisted game this was… whether Talia was in alone on this or with her parents pulling strings, Raina was innocent as hell. No deception was in her eyes, just raw fear and hurt.
The way she'd sunk in that pool, giving up... it wasn't acting. It was real terror.
And those tears? They were pure vulnerability cracking through the walls she'd built to survive this mess.
I uncrossed my arms, staring at the bathroom door. Water ran behind it, and I pictured her peeling off that clinging outfit, steam rising around her. Part of me wanted to barge in and stay to watch her even if she screamed no, but I didn't move.
So, as I stripped off my wet shirt, my thoughts lingered on her.
On the sister who had been betrayed, and now tangled in my world.
A world she'd never leave, by the way.
And on Talia, who had created this whole mess. One she'd eventually pay for, too.