Chapter 9

The kidnapper laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Very." He shoved Cora away from the edge of the loading bay. "You' re free to go. We' re even, Valdez."

Keegan staggered toward Cora, his arms outstretched. But just as he reached her, the kidnapper' s smile turned venomous. With a final, brutal shove, he pushed Cora over the edge.

She screamed as she fell into the black water below.

Without a thought, without a sound, Keegan launched himself into the water after her. Their bodies disappeared beneath the churning surface.

The kidnapper and his men scrambled, escaping into the night just as the first wail of sirens grew closer.

Haven sat frozen in the taxi, her fingers unconsciously stroking the smooth screen of her phone. The red and blue lights of the arriving police cars washed over her face, garish and surreal.

She watched as rescue divers pulled them from the water. Keegan was unconscious, his body limp, but even then, his hand was tangled in Cora' s hair, an unbreakable grip. They were lifted onto stretchers, a tragic tableau of devotion.

The sight was a physical blow. It was the final, irrefutable proof. All his sacrifices, his pain, his blood-it was all for Cora.

Haven stayed in the taxi for a long time, watching the ambulance disappear, its sirens fading into the night. The driver finally cleared his throat.

"Where to, miss?"

She closed her eyes. The love she' d held for Keegan, a stubborn, tenacious vine, finally withered and died. It left behind only a barren emptiness.

"Take me to the mansion," she said. "I need to pick up my luggage. Then, the airport."

"Aren' t you going to the hospital?" the driver asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "That guy... he looked like he was in a bad way. Is he a friend of yours?"

Haven thought of all the years, of the shared bed and the silent breakfasts. She thought of the way he' d bled for Cora, the way he' d jumped into the dark water without hesitation.

"No," she said, her voice clear and empty. "He' s just an old classmate."

She was getting married in two days. She wasn't going to miss her own wedding for a man who would never, ever choose her.

Meanwhile, in a sterile hospital room, Keegan was slowly healing. The investigation was swift. The kidnappers were caught, the hard drive was recovered, and his company was safe. Everything was back to normal.

Except it wasn' t. A strange restlessness plagued him. He felt an unease he couldn't name, a persistent phantom limb of an ache. He kept checking his phone.

Haven hadn't called.

He tried to remember the last time they' d spoken. The day of the kidnapping. She had been there, in the living room, trying to tell him something. He' d brushed her off to race to Cora' s side.

She must have heard he was in the hospital. Why hadn't she come? The question gnawed at him. That was the source of his anxiety. Her absence.

He remembered the wedding invitation. She was supposed to attend a friend' s wedding. He felt a pang of guilt. He should have gone with her.

He decided to call her. He wanted to see her face, to let her see how hurt he was, to elicit the sympathy he had grown so accustomed to.

He tried a video call. It went unanswered.

He sent a text. `Are you busy?`

Her reply was almost instantaneous. `A little. What' s up?`

The casual, almost dismissive tone surprised him. He typed out a long message, explaining his injuries, his exhaustion. He deleted it. He didn't want to seem weak.

He sent a simple, `I miss you.`

Her reply came a moment later. `Turn on the TV.`

He was confused. `Why? Are you on TV?`

No reply.

An irrational panic seized him. His heart began to hammer against his ribs. He fumbled for the remote and turned on the television.

It was tuned to a local news channel, broadcasting a live event. A high-society wedding. The announcer' s voice boomed from the speakers.

"And here comes the bride, tech heiress Haven Parks, on the arm of her proud husband, Edwin Rice..."