Chapter 3 Sophie's eyes flickered with surprise at the sound of such a confident reply , her tone tinged with shyness as she spoke . " You know about Victor and me ? Does he ... mention me often ? " Lily recalled Emma's words about his deep love for Sophie , nodding slightly . " Yes . " Sophie's cheeks flushed deeper , joy sparkling in her eyes . " Victor was a year ahead of me - the genius heartthrob everyone had a crush on . Countless girls liked him , but he fell for me at first sight . He pursued me for so long before I finally agreed to try dating . Once together , he spoiled me endlessly : attending classes with me , studying in the library , blanketing the campus with roses for our anniversaries , sulking for days if someone confessed to me ... " " We dated four years . Everyone said I was his true love . He promised that he'd marry me after graduation . But I refused to be just a homemaker - I had dreams . So I rejected his proposal , broke up with him , and pursued studies abroad . All these years , I knew he never moved on . That's why I returned . " " When my plane landed in Washington , I was nervous . But the moment I saw him rushing through torrential rain to meet me and carry my luggage at the airport , I knew nothing had really changed . Lately , jet lag gave me a cold . He's been caring for me . I sense he wants to reconcile but hesitates . I thought he'd grown feelings for that girl . That's why I wanted to ask you . " 11 : 4400 Chapter 3 288 Vouchers Lily listened quietly . Strangely , she felt nothing - no pain , no regret . She only smiled . " I think if he cares about you that much , he'd never propose reconciliation casually . He's likely planning a surprise . " Sophie seemed reassured . As she waved goodbye , though , her phone slipped from her hand and fell into the pond . She instinctively bent to retrieve it , lost balance , and plunged into the pool . Witnessing the accident , Lily froze momentarily before wheeling her chair to seek help . But as she turned , Victor sprinted past , diving recklessly into the water to rescue Sophie After coughing up water and regaining breath , Sophie stabilized . Only then did Victor's frantic worry ease . Observing his every reaction , Lily moved to call a doctor - but his icy voice halted her . " You pushed Sophie in deliberately ? And now you're trying to slip away like nothing happened ? " Lily hadn't expected such an accusation . " She fell while retrieving her phone . I didn't push her or abandon her ... " Victor cut her off with a glacial stare . " Retrieving her phone ? I step away briefly , and she mysteriously drowns by the pool ? Who else could've caused this ? " 37.200 114403 Chapter 3 With that , he shoved Lily - wheelchair and all - into the pool , his tone arctic . 208 Vouchers " Lily , I tolerated your persistent advances for Emma's sake . But Sophie is my line . Since you don't know your place , you'll pay for what you've done . ! " He summoned bodyguards to surround the area , barring any rescue attempts . The icy pool water surged into Lily's nose and mouth , choking her unbearably . She struggled alone in the water , her leg wound reopening as blood gushed out , staining the pool crimson . Her strength gradually drained away . Shivering in agony , she slowly sank into the depths . In her fading consciousness , the last image burned into her mind was Victor holding Sophie , walking away without a single glance back . She didn't know how much time had passed when she opened her eyes to meet Emma's worried gaze . " I was only gone a few hours ! How did you fall in the pond ? " " The doctor said one minute later , you might never have woken up . You scared me to death . " Recalling what happened before blacking out , Lily fell silent . She wanted to explain everything to Emma , but stopped herself , remembering Victor was Emma's brother . 11.44 2 Chapter 3 She shook her head weakly , her voice frail and exhausted . " I'm fine . Don't worry . " " 288 Wouchers 11 444 Chapter 4