Chapter 106
Evelyn's POV
"Fuck the ring." Julia's voice was rough. "You almost died for a piece of jewelry."
"It's Isabella's ring. The Winthrop—"
"I don't care if it's the fucking Crown Jewels." He pulled back just enough to look at my face, his hands coming up to frame my jaw. "You almost drowned, Evelyn. Do you understand that? I came down here and found you clinging to a ladder in a flooding corridor, and you were—"
He broke off, his jaw clenching. In the dim light from his phone, I could see something in his expression that made my chest tighten. Fear. Real, genuine fear.
"I'm okay," I said, even though I was still shaking, still struggling to breathe normally.
"You're not okay." His thumbs brushed across my cheekbones, wiping away tears I hadn't realized were still falling. "You're having a panic attack. Your lips are blue. You're hypothermic. You are very much not okay."
"But I'm alive." The words came out steadier than I'd expected. "Because you found me."
"Yeah." His voice was rough. "I found you."
Something shifted in my chest as I looked at him. Something warm and terrifying and overwhelming. I felt it wash over me like a wave—this certainty, this need, this feeling that I couldn't quite name but that made my throat tight and my eyes burn.
Was this love? I didn't know. I'd never felt anything like this before. Never let myself feel anything like this before.
The words almost came out. I love you. Three simple words that people said all the time, that meant everything and nothing depending on who was saying them.
But I couldn't. The words stuck in my throat, heavy and impossible.
Telling someone you loved them was like handing them a loaded gun and trusting them not to pull the trigger. It was giving them the power to destroy you completely. It was vulnerability in its purest, most dangerous form.
I trusted Julian with my life. I'd just proven that—I'd been trapped and drowning and terrified, and some part of me had known he would come. Had known he would find me. Had known I would be safe.
Trusting him with my life was easy.
But trusting him with my heart? Saying those words out loud? That was harder than any mission I'd ever completed, more terrifying than any target I'd ever faced.
So I didn't say it. I just pressed my face back against his chest and let him hold me, let myself feel whatever this was without naming it.
"How did you know where I was?" I asked finally, my voice muffled against his shirt.
"Your message." He shifted, pulling me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around me like he was trying to shield me from the world. "I checked the pool area, saw your shoes by that gap, and—" His arms tightened. "Found the crew access and came down."
I should have protested. Should have said something about being able to handle myself, about not needing rescue. But I was so tired, so cold, and he was so warm.
"We should go back up," I said eventually, though I made no move to pull away. "Isabella will be looking for her ring."
"In a minute." Julian's voice was firm. "You're not going anywhere until your breathing is normal and you stop shaking."
"I'm fine—"
"You're not fine. You almost died." He pulled back just enough to look at my face again. "And I need you to not be fine for a few more minutes, because if you try to go back up there and pretend nothing happened, I'm going to lose my mind."
I stared at him, seeing the tension in his jaw, the way his hands trembled slightly where they held me. He'd been scared. Really scared.
For me.
"Okay," I said quietly. "Okay. A few more minutes."
He exhaled, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Thank you."
We sat there in silence, his arms around me, my face pressed against his chest. The sound of the water below had changed—the rushing had stopped, replaced by a steady mechanical hum. The automated system completing its cycle, draining what it had filled.
Slowly, my breathing steadied. The shaking subsided to occasional tremors. The panic receded enough that I could think clearly again.
"I need to give the ring back to Isabella," I said finally. "She trusted me with it."
Julian was quiet for a moment. Then: "And I need to have a conversation with Scarlett and Vivian."
Something in his voice made me pull back to look at him. His expression was cold, dangerous in a way I recognized all too well.
"Julian—"
"They did this deliberately." His voice was flat. "They grabbed you, made your bag fall, and then just walked away while you nearly died retrieving it. That's not an accident. That's attempted murder."
"We can't prove that."
"I don't need to prove it." His jaw tightened. "I just need to make sure they understand what happens when they fuck with you."
"Don't." I put my hand on his chest. "Not tonight. Not at Isabella's engagement party. She doesn't deserve to have her celebration ruined by drama."
"Evelyn—"
"Please." I met his eyes. "I know you're angry. I'm angry too. But Isabella has nothing to do with this, and I won't let those two ruin her night any more than they already have. We'll deal with them later. Quietly. But not here. Not now."
Julian stared at me for a long moment. Then he exhaled sharply. "Fine. But we are dealing with them. Soon."
"Agreed." I tried to stand, my legs still shaky but functional. Julian immediately moved to support me, his arm around my waist.
He retrieved my clutch from where it had fallen and handed it to me. I checked the interior pocket—the ring was still there, diamonds glinting in the dim light.
"Ready?" Julian asked, keeping one arm around my waist.
"Ready." I leaned into him, drawing strength from his presence.
We made our way toward the exit Julian had used—a maintenance ladder leading up to a crew access door. As we climbed, I could hear the party still going on above, oblivious to the near-disaster that had unfolded below.
Julian pushed open the access door and we emerged into a quiet corridor away from the main party. His shirt was soaked through, clinging to his chest and arms, water still dripping from his hair. He must have shed his jacket before coming down after me—I could see it now, draped over a railing a few feet away where he'd left it.
He grabbed it and immediately wrapped it around my shoulders, his hands lingering on my arms even though the fabric was dry and he was the one who was wet.
"You look like you fell in the ocean," he said, his voice softer now. "Your dress is ruined."
"I'll live." I pulled his jacket tighter around me. "I just need to find Isabella, give her the ring, and then we can leave."
"I'm coming with you."
"Julian, if we show up together like this, people will talk—"
"Let them talk." His voice was firm. "You almost died, Evelyn. I'm not leaving your side."
I wanted to argue. Wanted to point out all the reasons why appearing together was a bad idea. But I was too tired, too shaken, and honestly, I didn't want to face the party alone.
"Okay," I said quietly. "Okay."
We made our way back toward the main deck, Julian's arm around my waist, his jacket warm around my shoulders. I was still shaking slightly, still processing what had just happened, but with him beside me, I felt like I could face whatever came next.