Chapter 7 - The Plunge
I screamed with a raw, agonizing sound that tore my throat apart.
I rushed to the edge of the boat, ready to throw myself into the freezing water to find her.
Alessandro grabbed me by the waist and hurled me backward onto the deck.
Without a single second of hesitation, he dove headfirst into the dark, churning river.
The cold rain continued to batter the empty boat as it drifted aimlessly in the current.
I hung over the railing, sobbing uncontrollably and screaming their names into the storm.
The black water revealed absolutely nothing.
Minutes passed, feeling like agonizing decades of pure torture.
I was completely alone in the darkness, mourning the two people who had just become my entire world.
Just as I prepared to jump in and end my own misery, the surface of the water broke with a violent splash.
Alessandro gasped for air, treading water with his one good arm.
In his other arm, he was holding Mia tightly against his chest.
I sobbed with sheer relief and reached down to pull them aboard.
Alessandro collapsed onto the deck, shivering violently from the freezing water and his severe blood loss.
Mia was coughing up water, but she was breathing and crying loudly.
I stripped off my dry sweater and wrapped it around my freezing child, holding her against my warm skin.
I crawled over to Alessandro and pulled his head into my lap, crying tears of profound gratitude.
He looked up at me and smiled weakly, whispering that he would never let anything happen to our family.
It was the first time he had referred to us as his family, and it mended a broken piece of my soul.
I kissed his cold forehead, praying that we could finally find a hospital and a safe place to hide.
Suddenly, the dark water around us was illuminated by a blinding, massive searchlight.
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A colossal luxury yacht cut through the waves, completely blocking our path forward.
Dozens of armed men stood on the deck, aiming high-powered rifles down at our small, helpless boat.
