Chapter 359
Evelyn was seething. After all the trouble she’d gone through to drag him out, Ethan had the audacity to plunge right back in.
She shot to her feet, dusting off her jeans with sharp, irritated motions before spinning on her heel.
"Fine! Drown for all I care! Consider this my last act of mercy!"
Her thoughts raced. What kind of lunatic throws himself into an ice-cold lake? Is he trying to prove something? Or has he completely lost it?
Ethan’s jaw clenched.
The water rose, swallowing his vision, his breath, his senses whole.
The cold bit into his skin like needles, but he didn’t make a sound.
He refused to let Evelyn walk away like this.
If saving him was just her way of settling a debt—if she thought she could cut him off afterward—then he’d rather let the lake take him.
Evelyn had barely taken three steps when the unnatural silence behind her made her freeze.
The absence of splashing, of struggle, sent a jolt of dread down her spine.
She turned.
The water was still.
Too still.
Her breath hitched.
No. No, no, no—
Her feet moved before her mind could catch up.
Her pulse skyrocketed as she whirled around, sprinting back toward the lake’s edge.
“Ethan?”
Just a few feet away, Ethan’s coat bobbed on the water’s surface. A sharp, icy fear sliced through Evelyn as she lunged forward, fingers stretching desperately toward it.
“Ethan! Answer me!”
Her voice cracked.
“Please tell me he didn’t just—”
Her chest tightened. She hadn’t anticipated Ethan being this reckless.
Muttering under her breath, she yanked off her jacket, preparing to plunge into the frigid water once more.
Then—
A violent splash.
Ethan burst through the surface, choking, gasping, water spewing from his lips.
His face was blotched crimson from oxygen deprivation, his entire body shuddering. Without hesitation, Evelyn seized his arm and hauled him onto solid ground.
This time, exhaustion had hollowed him out.
Pale. Weak. Barely conscious.
His teeth chattered uncontrollably, his lips trembling too violently to form words.
Evelyn’s stomach dropped.
Hypothermia was setting in.
Gritting her teeth, she wrapped an arm around his waist. “We’re going inside. Now.”
Evelyn slipped Ethan's arm over her shoulders, supporting his unsteady steps toward the grand estate.
The howling winter wind only intensified his suffering, his body trembling uncontrollably against hers.
Without thinking, he pressed closer, seeking what little warmth she offered.
"Ethan, why would you do this to yourself?" Her voice was sharp with frustration. "You're gambling with your life just to prove a point. Do you honestly think it's worth it?"
His lips quivered as he whispered weakly, "This isn't about proving anything."
It wasn't pride.
It was desperation—a last, reckless attempt to rekindle even a flicker of emotion in Evelyn's heart.
Even if it was just sympathy, he would take it.
He couldn't accept that seven years of love could vanish so easily.
Evelyn had no clue of the storm raging inside him. She assumed it was sheer stubbornness, a childish refusal to admit defeat.
When they finally reached his room, she guided him inside and spoke softly, "Take a hot bath. Change into dry clothes."
Her duty done, she turned to leave. She had already given him more than he deserved.
The moment Evelyn turned to leave, an odd scent lingered in the air.
She paused, inhaling deeply. Her nose wrinkled.
Glancing back, her gaze locked with Ethan’s.
He was sprawled on the floor, drenched and trembling. A puddle of water had formed around him. His clothes clung to his body, half-buttoned, as if he’d tried—and failed—to dress himself. His legs, still numb from the cold, refused to cooperate.
Evelyn kept her distance, arms crossed. "I’ll fetch a servant to assist you."
Something about this entire situation felt off.
Her mind raced. Where is everyone? The fireworks can’t possibly have drawn the entire household outside.
Had there been even a single soul in the halls, she would’ve dumped Ethan on them without a second thought.
"I… don’t feel right," Ethan groaned, curling in on himself.
A strange heat pulsed through his veins.
After nearly freezing in the water, his body should’ve been shivering. Instead, fire licked at his skin. His muscles tensed. His breathing grew ragged.
This wasn’t normal.
Yes, he had feelings for Evelyn. But this? This was something else entirely.
Evelyn hesitated.
His pallor was alarming. Against her better judgment, she stepped closer and pressed two fingers to his wrist.
His pulse thundered beneath her touch.
Far too fast.
Far too hot.
Her stomach twisted.
Something is very wrong.