Chapter 470
Richard struggled in the water, his desperation growing as he attempted to resurface. Just as he was about to break through the surface, a sharp pain shot up his leg, and he began to sink. Panic washed over him when he realized he had a cramp–a cramp that could incapacitate even a professional swimmer.
Richard’s face contorted with fear as he struggled against the pain and tried to call for help. However, the only response was a mouthful of water that further hindered his efforts.
Suddenly, an arm encircled his waist, and he looked up in astonishment to see Eric, determination in his eyes.
Eric rolled his eyes at Richard’s predicament and began swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, dragging Richard upwards.
Once they reached the surface, Eric threw a life buoy he had brought along to Richard before climbing back into the boat and helping Richard in.
“I came over and saw only your clothes and shoes here, Richard. Did you decide to die for love?”
“Thanks for saving me,” Richard expressed his gratitude, running his wet fingers through his hair and massaging the area where the cramp had struck. He was ready to jump back into the water.
However, Eric’s response was far from praise. “I didn’t save you. I was worried you were going to end your own life. Pearl would be devastated if you died,” he quipped, but his gaze swept their surroundings as if still searching for something. “Where’s Pearl? Where did you hide her?”
“I was looking for her. Something happened to her.”
Eric’s smile froze. “Stop playing around, Richard. What happened?”
Richard recounted the events with worry in his voice. “She jumped into the lake but then disappeared. I thought something was off so I jumped in, but I couldn’t find her.”
Eric stared at him coldly as his ch*st heaved, obviously furious. “You’re such a useless waste of space, Richard!”
“You kept following me around because you wanted to spend time with Pearl. You can trick everyone else, but not me. You have a crush on Pearl, right?”
Eric’s frustration erupted in a punch that left a red mark on Richard’s face. What’s the point of talking about this now? Tell me where Pearl is.”
11
Richard took a hit, but he didn’t plan to hold it against Eric. Instead, he stood up, rubbed his leg again, and took a deep breath. “I’m going back in.”
“Enough!” Eric pushed him down. “I’ll go.” He then jumped into the water.
After about ten minutes, Eric slowly swam back while holding Pearl.
Richard’s eyes filled with relief and gratitude. Pearl showed clear signs of choking on water and had lost consciousness.
Eric, ready to perform CPR, paused when he took a deep breath and coldly glared at Richard. “You’re her boyfriend, you should do this.”
Richard, caught off guard by Eric’s words, nodded and quickly initiated CPR. Pearl began coughing and expelling water, showing signs of recovery, but she remained unconscious.
“Pearl is a very good swimmer. This shouldn’t have happened,” Eric remarked, furrowing his brows.
Richard frowned because Eric was right. Pearl warmed up properly before
jumping into the lake, so she wouldn’t have had a cramp like he did. He looked down and saw a red mark around her ankle. He compared the size of the mark to his hand, and his eyes immediately looked cold.
“I’m going to kill the person who did this,” he said, his voice laced with both gentleness and vengeance.
Eric noticed the mark too, and his usual smile faded.
