Chapter 1 Falling Into The Sea

"Something feels itchy and uncomfortable. Help me."

Eliana Pierce felt as though her body was on fire. She wriggled, kissed the man's Adam's apple devoutly, and begged him to have sex with her.

Nobody would be able to refuse a beautiful woman like her. She was pretty, charming, and dissolute.

"You asked for it."

The man's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Captivated by her charms, he held her waist, lifted her up, and bent over to start fucking her.

"Ugh..." Eliana began moaning with pleasure.

From the sound of her voice, it was hard to tell whether she was in pain or was just sexually aroused.

Soon, her overwhelming desire compelled her to wrap her arms around the man's shoulder with reckless abandon. The man's swift, hard thrusts soon caused her to orgasm. Her body trembled as she lay flat on the bed.

She got so tired and wanted some rest. Before she closed her eyes, she saw an eye-catching scar on the man's sweaty chest.

......

The next morning, Eliana woke up, feeling like she had a hangover.

The moment she opened her eyes, her entire body felt sore, especially her lower body.

She rubbed her temples, trying to sober herself up.

'What on earth happened? Wasn't I drinking in Erica's room? Who was that man I slept with?' she asked inwardly.

Last night, Erica Duffy invited Eliana to a cruise party, and then...

Bang! The door was slammed open.

"Oh, my God! Eliana! Last night, you..." Astonishment was written all over Erica's face.

The man standing next to her, Asher Harrison, was even more shocked.

Panicking, Eliana covered her body using the blanket, but it wasn't enough to cover the hickeys all over her body.

There were bruises on her neck and arms, and the romantic ambiance of the room indicated that she had made love with a man last night.

"Asher, I didn't..." Eliana wanted to explain herself to her boyfriend.

"Eliana, you really did ask a gigolo to sleep with you! How could you do something like that? You cheated on Asher!"

Erica seemed so indignant. It sounded like she was the one who was cuckolded.

At this time, Eliana stared at her in disbelief.

"I didn't do such a thing! Erica, why are you lying?"

Within mere seconds, Eliana thought of everything that happened last night and connected the dots.

"What the hell...? I get it now. Asher! Erica set this whole thing up, I-"

"Shut up! You're nothing but a slut!" Asher roared, interrupting Eliana. His eyes glinted with rage, and his voice was laden with disgust.

"Eliana, you are nothing but a bitch. You're just like your mother! You both enjoy seducing men. If she hadn't done something so stupid, the Pierce Group might've never gone bankrupt. It's her fault that the Pierce Group ended up like this!"

"What are you talking about, Asher? What happened to my mother?"

Eliana's mind went blank as she sat frozen on the bed.

"Never show your face to me again!"

Having said that, Asher left in a huff. Once he was gone, Erica put on a cunning smile.

"Asher, wait for me!"

Eliana regained her composure upon realizing something. She then put on a bathrobe and followed him to the deck. She needed to talk to him.

"Asher, what did you mean by that? How did the Pierce Group go bankrupt? And tell me something. How did my parents die?"

Eliana grabbed Asher's shoulder, visibly apprehensive.

Guilt flashed through Asher's eyes, but it was soon replaced by anger.

"Fuck off! Didn't I just warn you never to show your face to me again?"

He tried to break free from Eliana's grip.

"Just tell me the truth and I'll leave you alone. Please... I need to know."

Eliana kept holding onto Asher as tears fell from her eyes.

She was oblivious to the fact that she was now standing next to the railing.

Beyond the railing and right below her was the boundless sea.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Now let me go!"

Asher had run out of patience. He ended up pushing her in a fit of rage.

Because of that, Eliana staggered backwards and fell overboard.

"Eliana!" Asher reached for her hand but failed to catch her.

"Eek!"

Soon, the turbulent sea engulfed her. Eliana didn't even have the chance to call for help.

Thereafter, the sleeping people on the cruise ship woke up one after another. But none of them knew that there was a woman who had fallen overboard, slowly dying.

......

Five years later, at the airport.

Eliana pushed the luggage cart and walked outside. Adrian Pierce put on a serious face and said, "Let me help you, Mommy."

She lowered her head and touched his soft hair. "What a considerate son I have!"

"What about me, Mommy?" Aileen Pierce, her daughter, who was sitting in the luggage cart, poked her head out. Her glistening eyes made her look so adorable.

"Well, you are considerate enough to increase the weight of our luggage," Adrian commented sarcastically.

Aileen stood in the luggage cart, glaring at her brother.

Eliana chuckled while watching her kids interact; her eyes were filled with affection.

Just then, her phone vibrated. After Eliana glanced at the message, the smile on her face disappeared.

It was from Jonathan Bowman. "Call me when you arrive. I've arranged a nanny and a car for you," the message read.

While her eyes were glued to the phone, Eliana couldn't help but think of the man's gentlemanly appearance.

She hesitated whether to call Jonathan or not.

Because she was too absorbed in her thoughts, she was oblivious to what was happening to her kids.

Aileen was holding her favorite toy, a round crystal bear and playing happily.

All of a sudden, a passerby touched Aileen's hand, causing the bear to fall to the floor. The airport was crowded, so when the poor bear fell, it got kicked around by the people.

"My bear!" Aileen exclaimed.

"Aileen, wait!" Adrian shouted.

Aileen went after her bear, and Adrian chased her.

Soon, the bear rolled to a man's feet.

"Finally caught you!"

Aileen picked up the bear with a smile and looked up.

The man in front of her was tall and well-built. He was wearing a pure black suit. His facial features were pleasing to look at, and he had deep eyes. His intimidating presence made passersby keep their distance from him, but it captivated Aileen.

The man lowered his head and looked into the little girl's eyes. Their eyes looked so similar.

Aileen's eyes lit up, and she wrapped her arms around the man's thigh.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed.