My Mafia Fiancé Chained Me Underwater and Married My SisterChapter 3

I shook my head desperately, signing that my tank was almost out of air.

Marco went quiet for a moment, then finally spoke.

"By all accounts, that tank should last until dawn."

"But just to be safe, I'll lower a few backup tanks down to you."

"The Boss was worried something might happen, so he had us bring extras."

I let out a long, shuddering breath of relief, pressing my palm against my tightening belly as tears surged up again.

Baby, we're saved.

Hold on until dawn, and Mommy will get you out of here.

Soon, tanks tied to a rope descended slowly through the water.

The current pushed them off course.

I struggled to swim over.

Conserve movement, reduce oxygen consumption—all of it went out the window.

I seized the tank, giddy with relief.

But the next second, my heart plummeted to the bottom of the ocean.

The tank was empty.

I called Marco in a panic.

He sounded even more shocked than I was.

"Hold on!"

He rushed to check the remaining tanks, bewilderment flooding his voice.

"That shouldn't be possible. The rest of them all show pressure."

"Hang tight, I'll send the rest down."

But I never could have imagined that every single tank they lowered—gauges looking perfectly normal—had no air inside at all.

I called again.

This time, Marco's voice had gone flat.

"Miss Morgan, we're just people working for the Moretti family."

"If we don't follow the Boss's orders, we lose our jobs."

"My wife just had a baby. I can't afford to lose this job. Please—don't put us in this position."

Before I could respond, he hung up.

Less than a second later, Adrian's call came through.

He was barely containing his fury, his voice a low snarl.

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

"The instructor sent you three or four tanks and you're claiming every single one is empty?"

"Are you not going to stop until you've ruined this wedding?"

"If you keep this up, I won't come get you right after the ceremony either. I'll make you wait until morning."

I shook my head in despair, signing as fast as I could.

"That's not what happened."

"I'm not lying—the tanks really are empty."

"Adrian, I'm begging you. I don't want anything anymore."

"Just let me out."

"I'm really going to die."

He froze for a moment.

Just then, my mother's voice drifted over from his end.

"Adrian, get ready—it's almost time to exchange rings."

When Adrian looked at me again, his voice was drained to the point of exhaustion.

"Claire, stop this."

"Just hang on a little longer. It's almost over."

The call was cut off again.

I broke completely.

Why was staying alive so impossibly hard?

I refused to give up and kept dialing.

But both Adrian's and Marco's numbers wouldn't connect.

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

They had blocked me.

Then the watch died.

And the tank finally ran out.

I held my breath and silently counted down the last three minutes of my life.

I looked up. Above me was nothing but pitch black.

Through my blurring vision, a dark shape seemed to glide slowly toward me.

My eyes snapped wide open.

It was Adrian.

He had come.

From his dive watch, my mother's urgent voice carried through the water.

"Hurry, hurry!"

Tears spilled from my eyes.

They were still the people closest to me, after all.

How could they truly leave me to die?

I swam to the cage door.

But Adrian shoved me backward.

He quickly produced a new lock, snapped it on, and ripped away the old one that had already been working loose.

My mother's voice instantly flooded with relief.

"Thank God we made it in time!"

I stared at Adrian in disbelief.

He signed rapidly.

"Good thing Lily noticed your lock looked off."

"Otherwise you really would have gotten out."

"Just wait a little longer. It's almost over."

I shook my head in despair and thrust the ultrasound photo at him.

"Let me and the baby go."

"I'm begging you."

Adrian swatted the photo out of my hand without so much as a glance.

"Stop with the games."

"Just wait."

The photo drifted near Adrian's dive watch.

On the other side of the screen, my mother's face changed instantly.

The look she gave me held a trace of pleading.

I had seen that look countless times.

When we were little, Lily took my toys.

When we were older, Lily took my university recommendation.

Every single time, my mother would look at me with those exact eyes.

She was asking me to let my sister have it.

But Mom.

This time, I don't want to give in.

I want to live.

I want to live, and I want to take my baby with me.

I looked at Adrian in desperation, seizing the last chance I had to survive.

"Please, let me go."

"I don't want the wedding. I don't want you."

"I just want to live."

In the deep sea, I bent my knees and lowered myself into a kneeling position.

Tears flooded my mask.

Please.

I don't want to die.

Adrian went completely still.

Something like pain flickered across his face.

And then Lily's face appeared on the screen.

She was sobbing so hard she could barely catch her breath.

"Did I make you angry with that pirate game, sis?"

"I'll get on my knees and apologize. Would that make it better?"

She made as if to kneel.

But the next instant, she clutched her stomach and cried out in pain.

The wedding venue erupted into chaos.

Adrian turned and swam away without looking back.

I wept silently at the bottom of the sea.

I had been holding my breath too long. My lungs felt like they were going to explode.

Ice-cold seawater rushed into my mouth and nose, searing through every organ.

My vision blurred, fading at the edges.

In the haze, the surface of the sea shimmered with starlight, a kaleidoscope of colors.

Just like the fireworks at his and Lily's wedding.