My Great Escape Led Me to You novel Chapter 217

Through the water, she heard the startled cries of the people gathering on the shore.

Her body drifted downward, the world above shimmering and warping through the surface. She watched as a crowd raced toward the riverbank, their faces distorted by the rippling light. Yet, despite the chaos, she caught a clear glimpse of the man at the very front.

His expression was dark as a storm cloud, sharp and severe. His lips pressed into a thin, hard line, his features tight with urgency and restraint. And his eyes—black, piercing, hawk-like—searched the water with an intensity that made her heart shudder.

It was Andrew Lane.

Emily Blair’s mind moved sluggishly, thoughts swirling.

Was Andrew Lane this desperate… for her? Or for Isabella Austin?

Isabella was right beside her, thrashing in a panic, reaching toward the shore and crying out, “Help! Please, someone help me—!”

Emily’s mind grew hazy, everything blurring around the edges.

Suddenly, the scene seemed to fracture, melting into another memory.

Once, a lifetime ago, Andrew Lane had looked at her with the same wild worry. It was when she’d first tried to learn how to swim in the Lane family’s pool. Andrew’s parents had even hired her a swimming instructor—someone with a degree from some prestigious university, though she’d never really understood what that meant. She hadn’t noticed the condescension in the teacher’s eyes, either.

That afternoon, she’d been left alone by the water’s edge, clutching a float, the pool echoing empty around her. She had no idea what to do except cling to the ring and try to paddle along, inch by inch.

She didn’t know that if you stayed in the water too long, your legs could cramp. But they did. And when the pain hit, Emily trembled all over, her face going ghostly pale. Even her arms couldn’t hold onto the float anymore. Slowly, she slipped beneath the surface.

She kicked and flailed, but water rushed into her mouth and nose. She swallowed mouthful after mouthful of pool water, her stomach twisting, her legs shaking with agony.

She fought for what felt like forever, her strength draining, until she watched the water rise over her mouth, her nose, and the last of her breath seep away.

From somewhere above, she heard the frantic thud of footsteps.

And then, through the wavering blue, she saw Andrew Lane’s face—frantic, controlled, desperate.

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