"I’m going to send that disgusting man, Vincent Hawthorne, to prison." Hazel Sinclair’s face twisted in loathing and disgust at the thought of him.
’Damn it. He’s made me suffer so much. He’ll get what’s coming to him.’
"Right."
The two of them stood in a secluded spot, chatting in the sea breeze. As the sky grew darker, the blue water, no longer touched by the sun, slowly turned black as well.
They got lost in conversation, finding common ground as two ordinary people on a cruise ship filled with the rich and powerful. They talked until footsteps echoed from behind them, growing closer and closer.
Sensing something was wrong, they turned to see Vincent Hawthorne walking toward them.
"What are you doing here? Or was that slap from earlier not enough for you?" Hazel Sinclair’s expression darkened as she confronted him.
At the mention of the slap, Vincent Hawthorne’s already foul expression grew even more sinister.
"You bitch. You actually dared to hit me in front of all those people," Vincent Hawthorne snarled, his fists clenched. The hatred in his eyes was plain to see.
"I have to teach you a lesson today." With that, he was in front of Hazel Sinclair, raising his hand to strike her.
But Hazel Sinclair wasn’t about to let him. Just as his hand came down, she shot her own out and caught his wrist.
Jill Kensington, standing nearby, rushed to help, shoving him hard.
"You bitch! Why didn’t that idiot Pearl Zane just kill you?"
"If she had killed you, Leon Sterling would have been devastated. He wouldn’t have had the time or energy to even think about fighting back. Then, I’d just have to pull a few strings and kill him too."
"The two of you, husband and wife, could have just disappeared from Veridia."
Jill Kensington was stunned by his words.
’So, in her past life, the man who got Hazel Sinclair killed was him. And he only did it to get revenge on Leon Sterling.’
"If you want revenge on Leon Sterling, why don’t you go after him directly? What’s the point of dragging an innocent person into this?" Jill Kensington was furious. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
Slapped again, Vincent Hawthorne grew even more enraged.
He was like a provoked hyena, all viciousness and no restraint.
He violently threw Jill Kensington aside, yanked his hand free, then lunged forward, grabbing Hazel Sinclair by the neck and slamming her against the railing.
Half of Hazel Sinclair’s body was now dangling over the open sea. She hung there, looking down.
A chill ran down her spine. ’No one ever told me the sea at night looks so terrifying, like a monster with its mouth wide open.’
Terrified, Hazel Sinclair grabbed onto the railing to keep herself from falling.
Meanwhile, the hand around her neck squeezed tighter. Hazel Sinclair found it increasingly difficult to breathe.
"If that idiot Pearl Zane won’t kill you, I will," Vincent Hawthorne snarled, his face a mask of pure malice.
Seeing this, Jill Kensington ignored her own pain and rushed over, pounding on Vincent Hawthorne’s back and screaming, "Let her go! She’s going to fall!"
But Vincent Hawthorne was beyond reason. All he wanted was for Hazel Sinclair to die!
"Host, you might as well give up. Even if you didn’t die at the hands of Pearl Zane, you’ll still die by the villain’s."
"No one can save you today."
The system chose that moment to chime in, its voice dripping with schadenfreude.
"You’ve experienced enough. Now, please die peacefully."
Hazel Sinclair was already growing dizzy from the lack of oxygen, her thoughts sluggish. And then the system had to pop up with this nonsense.
’Telling me to die peacefully?’
’Like hell I will.’ She looked at the scene before her. Jill Kensington was beside her, holding her hand to keep her from truly falling.
Her own feet weren’t idle, either; she kept kicking at Vincent Hawthorne whenever she could.
Hazel Sinclair traced a few characters in Jill Kensington’s palm, then met her gaze.
Jill Kensington looked back at her. Hazel Sinclair mouthed the words, "It’s okay. I won’t die."
"I’ve arranged everything."
Hazel Sinclair hadn’t originally intended to fake her death. But with Vincent Hawthorne suddenly trying to kill her, and after the system’s nauseating comments, she changed her mind.
’Life is infinitely precious. You don’t just die because someone tells you to.’
The system’s values struck her as utterly evil.
Jill Kensington froze. ’Is she going to jump? Fake her own death and just leave?’
"Hahaha, go to hell!" Vincent Hawthorne’s grip tightened, his face twisting into a savage grin.
Just as Liam Lancaster arrived, he saw the scene unfolding. He rushed forward, yanked Vincent Hawthorne away, and landed a heavy punch on his face. But without Vincent holding her up, Hazel Sinclair’s entire body tipped over the railing.
Jill Kensington lunged, grabbing her with both hands. "Hold on! I’ll pull you up!"
But Hazel Sinclair had no intention of being pulled up. ’After the stunt Vincent Hawthorne pulled today, he has to pay the price.’
’And my "death" will be the thing to escalate the situation to its peak. Vincent Hawthorne will definitely go to prison.’
’For the crime of premeditated murder, no less.’
"Don’t worry, we’ll see each other again soon," Hazel Sinclair said. "There’s a life preserver next to you, right? Hand it to me."
Jill Kensington pursed her lips but respected her choice.
Jill took the life preserver hanging nearby, shoved it into Hazel’s hands, and slowly let go.
After punching Vincent Hawthorne, Liam Lancaster rushed over to pull her up, but he was a step too late. Clutching the life preserver, Hazel Sinclair fell into the sea.
Liam Lancaster froze, stunned by the sight.
’She really fell in.’
Jill Kensington sank to her knees, gripping the railing as tears streamed down her face.
’Even though I know Hazel won’t die... out in this vast ocean, one small accident is all it would take. The chances of dying are still so high.’
’I just hope that fishing boat she called for can actually find her and pull her out in time.’
Having fallen into the sea, Hazel Sinclair immediately swam to the surface as fast as she could. Spotting the life preserver floating nearby, she quickly swam over and slipped it on.
The seawater was frigid, and she shivered uncontrollably.
Spotting her purse floating nearby, Hazel Sinclair quickly grabbed it. ’All my important things are in here. I can’t lose it.’
’Fishing boat, where are you? You said you were already out on the water!’
It was too dark all around her. A genuine panic began to set in for Hazel.
’Was this decision a little too reckless?’
’Damn it.’ At a time like this, she suddenly thought of Leon Sterling. ’I wonder if he’s still angry... The next time we meet, I swear I won’t lie to him again.’
After five minutes in the water, the fishing boat finally arrived.
They quickly hauled Hazel Sinclair out of the sea. Standing on the deck, she shivered violently as the wind hit her.
A woman rushed over with a clean, thick bath towel, wrapped it around her, and led her into the cabin.
"You must be freezing. Here, get changed," the woman said, handing her a set of clothes she had prepared.
"Thank you," Hazel Sinclair replied, taking the clothes.
’Everything is going according to plan. Good.’
But the system was not pleased.
"Why aren’t you dead?" the system demanded.