I stood frozen at the stern of the yacht, the salty sea air blown through my hair as my eyes locked on Liam's hard face. Tears flowed down my cheeks, tracing every path of sorrow and fear as I searched for answers in Liam's eyes. But all I found was a cold, hard determination that made my blood stop flowing.
My phone buzzed. Liam's hand shot out, snatching the phone from my hand, he glanced at the screen, his gaze stayed on the name that flashed across it – " Detective Raymond".
Then, with a swift, merciless motion, he threw the phone into the sea.
"Why would you do that Liam?" I asked him but he didn't respond.
His voice cut through the silence,
"Now you're speaking with the detective, you were actually going to turn me over".
His words were cruel , showing the hardness in his eyes.
"Detective Raymond is just a friend and he wants to help," I explained to him.
"I'm sorry, Rachel, my love, but you've given me no choice." His voice cracked. "I have to do it. I love you, but I won't let you destroy everything I have built."
"Liam, listen to me; you have to surrender to the police and trust me, I'll…"
"Keep quiet"… he said harshly.
"You really think I'd let you walk out of here and then what? Report me to the police? No, no," he said, shaking his head. "You won't be doing that."
Fear clawed at my heart, its icy fingers wrapping around my soul. I felt trapped, like I was caught in a web of his making, with no way out.
As my eyes locked onto the object in his hand, my mind panicked and tried to piece together the reality.
I thought I knew the man standing before me, a man I have shared my life with, my fiance, but at that moment he was a stranger.
I had hoped to reach out to him, to guide him back to sanity, but before I could utter a word, Liam's arms wrapped around me.
"I'm so sorry for lying to you, I didn't mean to kill the man" Liam whispered, his voice low against my shoulder. "I truly know you want to help me, and I know how much you love me."
"Everything will be fine, yeah, everything will be fine. I'll be here for you." I assured him.
My initial instinct was to push him away, but something about his grip felt warm.
I hesitated, unsure what his intentions were. Was this a sign that he'd finally come to his senses and was willing to face the truth? I returned the hug.
"I'll stand by you, okay. We'll face it together." I encouraged him.
"Emily will soon wake, I need overboard her just like you are going to sleep forever; forgive me Rachel. He whispered to me, his grip tightened.
But before I could process what was happening, a sharp pain shot through my neck.
My hands went limp, my knees weakening beneath me. I gazed up at Liam, my vision blurring, and saw him holding a syringe. The rope he'd used to drag me across the floor seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Panic set in as he bound my wrists and ankles, securing me to a heavy object beside him. The weight of it was crushing, and before I could struggle, he heaved me into the water.
The icy liquid covered me, a suffocating shroud that dragged me down. As I sank, I couldn't struggle or move. My eyes were open, I felt the water entering every part of my body, the weight anchoring me to the depths, as Liam's face faded into the distance, a mask of indifference.