Chapter 3

The charity gala at Olivia's Malibu beach house was a spectacle.

Hundreds of wealthy guests, glittering lights, champagne flowing.

Senator Hayes was in his element, shaking hands, radiating power.

Ethan was relegated to parking duty again, then to serving drinks inside, dressed in a stiff uniform.

He watched Olivia, radiant in a silver gown, on Marcus's arm.

Marcus was preening, accepting congratulations on his recent promotion at the investment bank.

This was supposed to be his night.

He overheard snippets of conversation as he moved through the crowd.

"...such a tragedy about her mother. And that Miller boy, pure evil..."

"...Olivia's so strong, to move on like this..."

"...Marcus is perfect for her, so stable..."

Each word was a small, sharp stone.

He kept his face impassive.

Later, Marcus found him near the bar.

"Ethan. Just the man I wanted to see."

Marcus's eyes were bright, a little too bright. He'd been drinking.

"Enjoying the party?"

Ethan just looked at him.

"You know, I always liked Olivia," Marcus said, his voice dropping. "Even back in high school. When she was with you."

A vein throbbed in Marcus's temple.

"You had everything, Miller. Her, the talent, the easy confidence. And you pissed it all away. You destroyed her. You destroyed her family."

"Is there something you need, Marcus?" Ethan asked, his voice flat.

Marcus smiled, a slow, cruel curve of his lips.

He held up Olivia's left hand.

A massive sapphire engagement ring, a Hayes family heirloom, glittered on her finger.

"Beautiful, isn't it? It was meant for her future husband. Now, it's meant for *me*."

With a sudden, deliberate movement, Marcus slipped the ring off Olivia's finger.

He dangled it for a moment.

Then, he turned and flung it.

The sapphire arced through the air and landed with a soft plink in the middle of the unheated, bone-chilling infinity pool.

Gasps from nearby guests.

Olivia looked shocked, then her expression hardened as she looked at Ethan.

"Oh, clumsy me," Marcus said, feigning dismay. "That was Olivia's great-grandmother's ring. Irreplaceable."

He turned to Ethan. "You're good at fetching things, aren't you, Miller? Go get it."

The night air was cold. The pool water would be like ice.

Ethan was already feeling the chill in his bones from his illness.

"Marcus, don't be ridiculous," Olivia said, but there was no real force in her voice.

She looked at Ethan, her eyes daring him.

"Go on, Ethan," Marcus urged, his voice like silk. "Show us what you're made of."

Guests were watching, murmuring.

Ethan looked at the dark water. He looked at Olivia's cold face.

He thought of the Grand Canyon. The money.

He stripped off his valet jacket and shoes.

The cold hit him as he waded in. It stole his breath.

He submerged himself, the icy water shocking his system.

He searched the bottom, his hands numb, his lungs burning.

He came up for air, shivering violently.

"Can't find it, Miller?" Marcus taunted. "Maybe you're not as useful as we thought."

Olivia said nothing, just watched.

Ethan took a deep breath and went under again.

And again.

His body ached. The cold was deep inside him now.

Finally, his fingers brushed against something small and hard.

The ring.

He surfaced, gasping, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

He held it up.

Marcus took it from his trembling hand, a triumphant smirk on his face.

He slipped it back on Olivia's finger.

"See, darling? He's still good for something."

Ethan pulled himself out of the pool, water streaming from him, shivering so hard he could barely stand.

No one offered a towel. No one helped.

Olivia turned her back.

Later that night, after most guests had left, Ethan was cleaning up.

He saw smoke.

Coming from the guesthouse.

Olivia had retired there hours ago, complaining of a headache. He knew she took sleeping pills.

Faulty wiring, maybe. Or something else.

He didn't hesitate.

He ran towards the guesthouse.

Flames licked at the windows.

He kicked open the door. Smoke billowed out, thick and acrid.

"Olivia!"

He found her in the bedroom, unconscious on the floor.

He scooped her up, her body limp.

The smoke was choking him, his lungs screaming.

Flames were spreading fast.

He battled his way out, shielding her as best he could.

A beam crashed down behind them.

He stumbled out onto the lawn, gasping for air, just as Marcus ran up.

"Olivia!" Marcus screamed.

Ethan, his strength failing, handed her to Marcus.

"I... I found her," Ethan choked out, his back and arms searing with pain from burns.

Marcus took Olivia, his face a mask of concern for the arriving emergency services.

"I got her out!" Marcus yelled to the paramedics. "I saved her!"

Ethan, exhausted, burned, and heartsick, slipped away into the shadows before anyone could question him.

He couldn't let them see. He couldn't break his vow.