Chapter 79
The man's panicked shout crashed into Ophelia's ears.
It was William.
Ophelia's heart suddenly relaxed. The strength that had been holding her up drained away in an instant, and her arms and legs went weak.
She could even vaguely see the figure sprinting toward the shore, moving so fast he stirred up the wind. William didn't even bother taking off his coat—he just dove straight into the river.
The icy water reached William's chest, but he didn't care one bit. His eyes were locked on Ophelia and Scarlett struggling in the water, and he swam desperately toward Ophelia.
"Ophelia! Let go! Don't waste your energy on her!" William's voice was cold, with unmistakable fear underneath.
Hearing William's voice, Scarlett gripped Ophelia's wrist even harder and deliberately pushed her down toward the deeper water.
"William! Save me! Ophelia pushed me in! She's trying to drown me!" Scarlett's crying carried a deliberate fragility that floated across the water, sounding especially grating.
Ophelia choked and coughed a few more times. The icy river water rushed down her throat. She felt so awful that her vision went dark, and she barely had any strength left to struggle.
Just then, William finally reached them. Without a word, he wrapped one arm tightly around Ophelia's waist and pulled her forcefully toward him.
His grip was so strong that it broke Scarlett's hold. He pulled Ophelia into his arms and coldly pushed away Scarlett with his other hand as she tried to get closer.
"Hold on to me, don't let go." William lowered his head, pressing his forehead against Ophelia's. His warm breath swept across her icy face. His voice carried an unprecedented tenderness, mixed with forced composure.
Leaning against him, feeling what little warmth remained on his body and his hand steadily supporting her back, Ophelia's taut nerves completely gave way. Tears fell uncontrollably, mixing with the river water—impossible to tell apart.
She raised her hand and clutched the corner of William's shirt tightly, her fingertips ice-cold. She hummed something incoherent from her mouth, which counted as a response.
Holding Ophelia, William turned and swam toward shore. After a couple of strokes, he remembered Scarlett still in the water. His brow furrowed tightly as he turned and yelled at the driver who had run over to the shore: "The fishing net in the trunk! Get it now!"
The driver was already panicking. Hearing this, he immediately turned and ran to the car, fumbling to open the trunk. He pulled out the folding fishing net and quickly ran back to the shore, reaching down to the net along the riverbank.
William held Ophelia with one arm, letting her lean against him and keeping her head above water as much as possible. With his other hand, he grabbed the fishing net and aimed it precisely at Scarlett.
Scarlett was still flailing wildly in the water. Seeing the net coming, she tried to dodge, but she had no strength left. Within moments, she was caught tight in the net.
"Pull her up!" William shouted at the driver, then held Ophelia and slowly swam toward shore.
The driver quickly pulled hard on the net's rope, dragging Scarlett toward land. Scarlett struggled, still calling William's name, but no one paid her any attention.
William finally got Ophelia to shore. The moment they landed, he quickly laid her on the grass. He grabbed a clean suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around her, then crouched down and rubbed her arms with both hands, trying to warm her up.
"How are you? Does anything hurt? How much water did you swallow?" William's voice was still shaking. His eyes swept over Ophelia's soaked hair and pale face, full of heartache and fear. His hands didn't dare touch her too hard.
Wrapped in the jacket, Ophelia was still shivering all over, her teeth chattering nonstop. She looked up at William—his shirt was also soaked through, clinging to his body and outlining his solid frame. Water dripped from his hair, his face covered in water, but his eyes were locked on her, not daring to look away for even a moment.
"I... I'm fine." After a long while, Ophelia managed to speak, her voice terribly hoarse. "Just cold..."
On the other side, the driver had also dragged Scarlett to shore. The moment she landed, her legs gave out, and she fainted, lying motionless on the ground, her face even paler than Ophelia's.
The driver looked at Scarlett on the ground, then at William, and asked quietly: "Mr. Brown, Ms. Lewis... should we call an ambulance?"
William's eyes turned cold. He glanced at Scarlett on the ground, his tone full of disgust: "Call one. Don't let her die here and dirty the place, or give people something to use against Ophelia."
Then he looked down at Ophelia again, reaching out to gently wipe the water from her face. His movements were extremely gentle, completely different from his cold attitude just moments ago.
"Hang in there a bit longer. The ambulance will be here soon. You won't be cold once we get to the hospital." As William spoke, he tucked the jacket more tightly around Ophelia, then sat beside her and put her hands inside his coat, warming them with his body heat.
Ophelia's hands were ice-cold, William's palms burning hot. The contrast of cold and heat together made Ophelia feel a bit better.
She leaned on William's shoulder, looking at his tense jawline, feeling warm inside, though also a bit wronged.
She had only wanted to see what Scarlett was really up to. She never expected it would turn into this, nearly drowning in the river.
Before long, the ambulance siren grew from distant to near, quickly stopping at the shore. Medical staff ran over with a stretcher, first checking Ophelia, then looking at the unconscious Scarlett.
"Her first." William pointed at Ophelia, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She's caught a chill and swallowed water."
The medical staff quickly did a simple check on Ophelia and wrapped her in a thermal blanket before lifting Scarlett onto the stretcher and into the ambulance. William helped Ophelia up and followed them into the vehicle.
In the ambulance, William kept holding Ophelia's hand, warming it, and kept looking down to ask if she felt uncomfortable anywhere. The worry in his eyes never faded.
Ophelia leaned against the seat back, wrapped in the thermal blanket, watching William beside her, so worried about her. The sense of grievance in her heart gradually faded, leaving only a deep sense of security.
Thank goodness he came.
Thank goodness he was always there.
The ambulance soon arrived at the hospital. Ophelia was taken for a full examination. Fortunately, the doctor said she had just caught a chill and swallowed a bit of water—nothing serious. Some medicine and good rest at home would do the trick.
Only then did William breathe a sigh of relief, his anxious heart finally settling.
He sat with Ophelia on a chair in the hallway and had the driver buy hot lemon water and clean clothes. He handed the hot lemon water to her.
"Drink some, warm yourself up. Don't catch a cold." William sat beside her, watching her drink the hot lemon water, his eyes gentle.
Ophelia held the warm lemon water and took a sip. The warmth slid down her throat into her stomach, making her whole body feel better and not so cold anymore.
Drinking the hot lemon water, she looked toward the emergency room at the other end of the hallway. Scarlett was still inside being examined. Her heart felt nothing—she even found it a bit ridiculous.
Scarlett had a perfectly good life, but insisted on scheming against others, and ended up putting herself in the hospital. Purely her own doing.