Crush on My Alpha Adoptive Uncle

After my secret crush was discovered, my adoptive uncle Kieran, who always loved me, completely became a different person. He no longer smiled at me, and he began to stay far away from me. I tried everything, even stripped naked and stood before him begging him to mark me. All I got in return was his words of rejection: disgusting. Three months later, he even brought my best friend Scarlett home and claimed her as his fiancée. Looking at the deep wariness in his eyes toward me, I suddenly smiled with relief. I agreed to my Alpha grandfather's tentative proposal for an arranged mating. But when I finally gave up him and mated to another Alpha, why did he beg me to come back? Chapter 1 After my secret crush was discovered, my adoptive uncle Kieran, who always loved me, completely became a different person. He even brought my best friend Scarlett home and claimed her as his fiancée. Looking at the deep wariness in his eyes toward me, I suddenly smiled with relief. I agreed to my Alpha grandfather's tentative proposal for an arranged mating. "Sure, an arranged mating sounds good. I haven't found my mate anyway." My calm words surprised everyone. Grandmother teased me curiously. "What’s wrong with you, little girl? Didn't our Aria always get angry whenever this topic came up?" Yes, before, whenever anyone mentioned dating or arranged matings, I'd storm off and cause a scene. But today, I agreed so calmly. Grandfather was obviously surprised, but more relieved. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out happily. "Our Aria has grown up! Kieran's having his mating ceremony next month, and now Aria has plans too. Double blessings from Moon Goddess!" I smiled, but my gaze drifted to the man I'd loved for over ten years. He didn't look up. Only after he finished peeling the shrimp in his hands did he say flatly. "Good for her. Aria's grown up." Then his gaze swept over from above, heavy and dark, landing on my face. Just one glance, emotionless, yet so heavy it made my chest feel tight. I lowered my eyes, avoiding that stare. The woman sitting on his other side laughed softly. "It's good that Aria can accept arranged mating. We can have our mating ceremonies together. It'll be even more fun." It was Scarlett, my former best friend. She spoke as if she were my future aunt-in-law. "What type does Aria like? I know quite a few great Alphas. I promise Aria will like them." Kieran didn't respond to her suggestion about joint ceremonies. He just turned to look at her, the corner of his mouth lifting in an extremely faint curve. He raised his hand to gently brush away the stray hair by her cheek, his eyes showing a kind of loving tenderness I'd never possessed. I gripped my hands tightly under the table, nails digging into my palms, desperately fighting back the burning heat rising to my eyes. "Someone from a good family will do. Grandfather's choice can't be wrong." The food on the table tasted like cardboard. Listening to Scarlett's sweet laughter across from me, I couldn't help but think of the past. Kieran was ten years older than me. After his parents died in the war, Grandfather adopted him as a son. So, I had to call him uncle. When I was five, in a border war, my parents both died in a rogue wolf attack. Seven days after my parents' funeral. I was clutching my worn rabbit toy, curled up inside a wardrobe. He removed the wardrobe door and pulled me out. The fifteen-year-old boy wrapped my frozen feet in his school jacket and carried me on his back to my parents' grave, limping all the way. He twisted his ankle while looking for me, but he told me it didn't hurt. How could it not hurt? His wolf hadn't awakened at that time. "Don’t be afraid, Aria." He tucked my cold little feet into his arms to warm them, his voice hoarse. "Uncle's here." From then on, he was incredibly gentle with me. He understood what it felt like to have no parents, and he granted my every wish. How does a teenage boy love someone? He'd wrap me in his coat and run red lights when I had a fever. In the emergency room, his pale face looked more like the patient than me. Just because I said one word about being scared, he flew back from European pack. When I opened my eyes again, I saw his gentle gaze. At that time, I fell hopelessly in love with this man. At eighteen, I didn’t find my mate after I shifted, so I decided to follow my heart. Encouraged by Scarlett, I gathered my courage, put on lace lingerie, and slipped into his bed. Even now, I still remember the shock and confusion on his face. He panicked and threw me, bedding and all, into the bathtub, turned on hot water to wash my tear-streaked face, then turned and left without looking back. For seven days I called him non-stop, finally getting only one text message. I am your uncle. When he came back, he'd become a different person. Cups I'd touched needed cleaning, sofas I'd sat on got new covers. Once, just picking up a file he'd dropped earned me a sharp rebuke. "Stay far away from me. Can't you understand?" To make me give up completely, he even brought Scarlett home three months ago and announced their engagement. I cried myself unconscious, demanding to know why. Why would he rather be with my best friend than accept me. Kieran's words chilled me to the bone. "To stop you from having those disgusting dreams." He was right. So now the dream was over. I decided not to love him anymore. Chapter 2 Finally making it through dinner, Grandfather said. "Kieran and Aria should stay here tonight. The rooms are all ready." Staying here meant I'd have to watch them inseparable all night, loving and sweet. I shot up from my chair, the legs scraping against the floor with a harsh screech. "Grandfather, I just remembered there's some urgent business at the pack I need to handle. I have to go back." Without waiting for their response, I practically fled. Not until the night wind hit my face did I realize it was raining outside. Heavy rain was pouring down. Just as I gripped the car door handle, Kieran's voice caught up with me. Through the sound of rushing rain, his voice carried a few notes of urgency. "Aria!" My heart jumped violently, and I turned around almost in panic. I despised myself even as my heart pounded uncontrollably. Through the rain mist, he stood on the estate steps holding a black umbrella. But his gaze didn't land on me at all. He looked at Scarlett beside him with concern and worry, his tone carrying indescribable anxiety. "Scarlett isn't feeling well. I need to take her to the healing center first." So it wasn't to keep me here. He came for the car. Scarlett let out a perfectly timed weak moan. "Kieran, I'm so dizzy." But her eyes glanced at me over his shoulder, her mouth curving in a triumphant smile. Kieran was already walking over. He reached out and pulled open the car door, rainwater streaming down the watch on his wrist. It was the one I'd given him for his twentieth birthday. Even though the face was cracked, he'd never thrown it away. He used to be so careful with that watch, let alone getting it rained on - he wouldn't even let it get wet washing his hands. Now he could let rainwater seep through the crack. My nose stung, and I turned away awkwardly. Before leaving, he pulled out his phone and tapped it a few times. "I transferred fifty thousand to you. Take a taxi yourself." But he'd forgotten - the estate was in the mountains. No taxis came here. Even if he remembered, he probably wouldn't care. He'd just tell me to shift into wolf form and run back myself. I watched the red taillights blur into a smudge in the rain curtain and smiled bitterly. Aria, you really are pathetically cheap. I turned and plunged into the overwhelming curtain of rain, the icy water instantly soaking me through. The fabric clung to my skin, cold enough to pierce my bones. The car I'd arrived in was still broken down three kilometers away on the mountain road. My phone screen flickered in my palm before dying completely. I could have gone back to borrow an umbrella, or even swallowed my pride and asked the butler for a car. But I didn't want to. I didn't even want to shift - I just wanted to walk the mountain road in human form. The rainwater hit my face, stinging. I suddenly remembered that summer when I was fifteen. The same stormy night, the same broken-down car. I'd just gotten my acceptance letter to the Royal Healer Academy, and I insisted Kieran take me to the mountaintop to watch the meteor shower. Halfway there, the car died. I was only fifteen then, wearing new canvas shoes, stomping my feet and refusing to step in the mud. He'd stopped and looked at me thoughtfully. Kieran was twenty-five then, had already established his own pack and was a powerful Alpha, yet he was still willing to play such childish games with me. "Let Uncle take you to see it." Then right there in the rain, he shifted. His clothes tore away as his body expanded and changed, dark fur sprouting as he transformed into a massive black wolf. The mountain path was dark, cicada songs scattered by the rain. I climbed onto his broad back, my fingers tangling in his thick fur. He moved steadily through the darkness, his powerful muscles rippling beneath me with each step. Even with me on his back, he had energy to spare, occasionally shaking slightly when I started to slide. You're heavier, his voice came through our mental link, warm with amusement. No more stealing my chocolate. I deliberately let rainwater drip from my hair onto his ears. Are you going to throw me off then? He suddenly crouched down as if to shake me off. In panic, I grabbed fistfuls of his fur, and I heard his rumbling laugh in my mind. Who would dare drop our Aria? Besides, if a certain little crybaby really started crying, I'd be the one hurting. My heart raced like a startled deer. I secretly leaned forward to press my face against his neck. It felt like all the stars in the sky had fallen into his dark eyes when he turned to look at me. Later I fell asleep on his back. When I woke up, I was in my own bed. Dawn light leaked through the curtain gaps, and he sat on the carpet beside my bed, arms folded as a pillow, sleeping deeply in his human form again. I reached out, my fingertips tracing the pale shape of his lips. The rain suddenly grew fiercer. I stumbled and caught myself against a roadside tree. The rough bark scraped across the wounds on my palm, making me gasp from the pain. Looking up through blurred, teary eyes, I realized this road wasn't even the way home. Unconsciously, I'd walked toward the apartment where the man who once carried me through endless nights used to live. Chapter 3 After my confession, Kieran never set foot in this cabin again. Afraid of triggering painful memories, I didn't dare stay here either. Three years later, I stepped inside once more. Just as I entered the foyer, I locked eyes with two figures in the living room. I was soaked through, water dripping from my hem and spreading dark stains across the carpet. My hair stuck messily to both sides of my face, looking as messy as a wet dog. In the center of the living room, Kieran's hand froze mid-air, gripping a glass of moonshine wine. He shot to his feet, knocking over the bottle of elderberry wine on the table. His Adam's apple bobbed once, his gaze falling on my soaked clothes. "How did you... end up like this?" Scarlett cried out, grabbing tissues to wipe the wine stains from her dress. When she looked up again, she wore an expression of helpless tolerance. "How did you get so drenched? Don't tell me you actually walked all the way back from the estate? Didn't we give you money for a taxi? Even if you wanted to make your uncle worry, you can't deliberately walk through the rain like this. What if you get sick?" "I know you're hurting inside, but how can you not take care of yourself? I remember you weren't like this before." The concern in Kieran's eyes instantly turned cold. "Aria, I thought you had at least some self-respect." The chandelier's glow cast soft edges around his silhouette. I looked at this man who once carried me on his shoulders to see the stars, my vision beginning to blur. "Sorry, I'll leave right now. But could I just..." My body temperature was burning through my clear thinking. I could barely whisper my request. "Borrow the bathroom for a quick hot shower? It'll be fast." He stared at me silently. Scarlett tugged on his arm with a drawn-out whine. "Come on, Kieran, don't be mad at a kid. Aria's still young." "She's a month older than you. You call that a kid?" The wine glass was set down hard on the table. Kieran grabbed his jacket from the sofa, and as he passed me, he brought a gust of cold air. "Lock the door when you leave." His voice brushed past my ear. "And clean up the floor." Outside, car headlights swept across the ceiling, bright as daylight for an instant before quickly returning to darkness. The moment hot water hit my body, I slid down to sit on the shower floor. How I stumbled and fell into the master bedroom bed afterward, I can't remember clearly. I only remember the instant I sank into the soft blanket, my nostrils filled with his scent. The high fever made time and space feel chaotic. In a daze, someone pried open my clenched palm and fed me a round herbal tablet. The moment the bitter moonshine herbs dissolved, I whimpered and bit down on that hand. A suppressed sigh brushed past my ear. "Little crybaby." That nickname made me break down in tears. How many years had it been since I heard it? So long it felt like a lifetime ago. I sobbed incoherently, chasing after the cup's edge. "Uncle, don't abandon me... I'll be good and listen..." The glass cup fell to the floor with a muffled thud. I sensed something. Opening my eyes, I saw nothing. Only half a glass of warm water sat quietly on the nightstand. I hadn't expected him to avoid me like I was venomous. I couldn't tell if my head hurt more or my heart. I just pulled the blanket over my head and let the tears fall. Chapter 4 When I woke up again, it was the next day. Looking at the familiar layout above my head, I felt dazed. After one last look around, I started calculating how much money he'd spent on me over the years. I had to admit, he'd truly done what an uncle should do, and even more. Every year on my birthday, there were expensive gifts and a substantial sum of money. Every month without fail, he transferred me two hundred thousand for spending money. All these bits and pieces added up to about eighty million. I quietly listed all the bags and jewelry Kieran had given me on secondhand markets. Selling those would take time, so I had to accept rock-bottom prices. These quickly brought in several hundred thousand. But I was still over ten million short of eighty million. After thinking it over, I contacted an old classmate to get an invitation to a maritime auction house. My mother had specialized in oil painting before her death, and one of her works had once sold for ten million. Perhaps I'd inherited her artistic talent - I'd been gifted since childhood. If I could sell a few pieces on the ship, I'd have enough money. The auction house readily agreed once they understood my intentions. I was looking down, checking the list of items I'd be auctioning, when a sweet voice suddenly rang out beside me. "Aria? It really is you. I thought it was just someone with the same name on the guest list." I looked up to see Scarlett walking over with her arm linked through Kieran's. Seeing me, she smiled helplessly. "Your uncle specifically chose a honeymoon route to avoid you. How did you still manage to track us down to international waters?" "I..." My throat tightened, forcing me to clear it. "I'm here to deliver auction items." Scarlett burst into laughter, her copper-painted nails tapping the auction catalog. "Oh come on, why be embarrassed with us? You've been following Kieran around like a little tail since childhood. Even if you really did follow us here, I'd understand." "Scarlett." Kieran suddenly interrupted her, but his gaze remained fixed on my face. "What auction items?" Before I could answer, Scarlett suddenly gasped and pulled out the last page of the catalog. "My God, you're selling 'Embers'? Isn't that the painting you worked on for three years?" She suddenly covered her mouth, glancing sideways at Kieran. This was the centerpiece of my flame series, created with his quitting smoking as inspiration. Every scorch mark on the canvas was secretly burned in while I watched him extinguish cigarettes in his study. "So desperate for money you're selling your life's work?" Kieran's voice betrayed no emotion, but his knuckles pressed white creases into the auction catalog. "Or has the pack not provided well enough for you?" The sound of ocean waves came muffled through the porthole. I lowered my eyelids. "I'm just clearing out some inappropriate old things." Scarlett glanced at me and laughed lightly. "You silly girl, how can you just throw everything into auction houses? In the end, won't Kieran still have to help you..." "Miss Scarlett," My voice turned cold. "I am talking with my uncle. Who are you to have the right to butt in?" The air suddenly froze. Kieran's eyes darkened, and he suddenly released Scarlett's hand. Before I could react, he actually dropped to one knee. A velvet ring box opened in his palm, a ten-carat blue diamond burning with fierce fire under the lights. "I was planning to wait until the evening banquet." His voice carried through the microphone across the entire venue. "But I suddenly think it would be better to have everyone here witness this." I watched helplessly as that diamond slipped onto Scarlett's ring finger, hearing Kieran ask in the gentlest tone I'd never heard him use. "Scarlett, will you marry me?" Amid the tsunami of cheers, I stepped back and caught my heel on my dress hem. Indescribable suffocation overwhelmed me. I barely managed to squeeze out a few syllables. "Congratulations, Uncle... Aunt." I fled to the corridor. The starry sky outside the porthole was beautiful, exactly like that night many years ago when he took me to see the meteor shower. Only now, the person who used to be beside me was beside another she-wolf. Chapter 5 By the time I'd composed myself and returned to the auction, bidding had already begun. I'd thought that with my skill level, a few paintings together might fetch a few hundred thousand if I was lucky. I sat in a corner of the back row, my heartbeat rising and falling with the hammer strikes. Because my paintings were presented on the platform one after another, prices climbing at a breathtaking pace. Far beyond my expectations. Until "Embers" was wheeled onto the stage. On the deep black canvas, only the burned marks intertwined with dark red paint, consuming all my unspeakable yearning. The moment the auctioneer announced the starting price, the lights in Kieran's private box lit up. Immediately after, the light panel in a VIP box diagonally across that had remained silent suddenly blazed to life. A silent tug-of-war began. Prices leaped upward at staggering increments. The entire venue's attention shifted between these two boxes, whispers rising like a tide. I saw Kieran's expression growing darker, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest. Whenever he was agitated, he'd unconsciously make this gesture. Each time he raised his bid, the intervals grew longer, as if weighing his options or suppressing his anger. Scarlett nestled against him, softly persuading him about something. But he seemed not to hear, staring intently at the painting with deeply furrowed brows. Scarlett's gaze swept toward me several times. Finally, she seemed unable to resist leaning closer. I barely made out her words from her lip movements. "Kieran, forget it. Aria treasures this painting most. Usually no one else can even touch it. How could she really bear to sell it? She's probably just being childish again, trying to get your attention." Kieran's expression softened slightly, but he gave her a warning glance. "It's not your business. Don't interfere." Scarlett immediately fell silent, a flash of embarrassment and jealous hatred crossing her beautiful face. Finally, when the price climbed to an unbelievable astronomical figure, Kieran fell silent for a moment and stopped bidding. Three hammer strikes. Sold. "Embers" went to the mysterious guest in that box. I sat frozen in place, overwhelmed by shock. Not until my phone buzzed and the bank notification showed a clear number did I hazily realize I'd actually sold a painting for an astronomical price. Just then, a waiter silently approached and handed me a folded note. "From the gentleman who just bought your artwork." He spoke quietly then turned and left. I took it in confusion and unfolded it. There was only one line of sharp, unfamiliar handwriting. [Too beautiful to burn. I'll keep it safe for you.] I felt strange and instinctively looked up. I couldn't find the mysterious person, but met Kieran's deep, dark eyes instead. His expression was terrible as he strode toward me. He didn't even give me a chance to speak before his ice-cold rebuke crashed down. "Aria, what do you think this place is? Is the auction hall your stage for games and jealous tantrums? Having someone plant fake bids to drive up prices - you'd actually stoop to such underhanded tactics!" My whole body trembled as I looked up at him in disbelief. His eyes were full of disgust and distrust toward me. Scarlett immediately stepped forward, gently grasping Kieran's arm. "Kieran, don't be angry. Aria's young, maybe she just want you to notice her more." Every word she spoke implied I'd use any means necessary to get his attention. Staff members and guests who hadn't yet left cast searching looks, whispers drilling into my ears. "No wonder. I thought that painting was just so-so." "So it was a planted bidder. I wondered how it got that price." "The pack's reputation is going to be ruined." Those stares and whispers were like countless fine needles, pricking me densely all over. I opened my mouth, but my throat felt strangled, unable to make any sound. Overwhelming grievance seized me, tears surging uncontrollably to my eyes. I fought desperately to hold them back, but he still became blurred in my vision. Once, just because someone had made a crude joke about me behind my back, he could bankrupt their pack business overnight, protecting me completely. Now, he personally placed the hat of fraud on my head in front of everyone - a label that could destroy all my professional prospects - letting others trample my dignity with the most malicious speculation. "No, Uncle, I didn't." My voice carried a choking tremor as I tried to explain. Just then, the cruise ship suddenly lurched violently. Unsteady on my feet, I cried out as my whole body pitched forward uncontrollably. Almost at the same instant, Kieran's arm shot out. But he precisely caught Scarlett, who was farther from him and had only stumbled slightly, holding her steadily in his arms. No one remembered to catch me. My side crashed hard into the silver candelabra on the table behind me. The silver instantly cut through my skin, leaving wounds that wouldn't heal, explosive pain that made my vision go black and nearly suffocated me. Tears finally burst forth, mixing heartbreak with physical agony, flooding down. I lay awkwardly against the cold table edge, watching him hold someone else tightly in his arms, not sparing me even a glance. Chapter 6 I didn't get a chance to explain. The sudden violent storm made the entire ship rock and sway. The captain announced that all passengers should return to their rooms. Watching Kieran disappear farther and farther away with the crowd, I closed my mouth weakly and smiled bitterly. Forget it. Back in my room, I curled up in the corner, listening to the chaos of the world outside, but feeling only deathly silence within. My phone screen lit up abruptly in the darkness with a chime - a picture message from Scarlett. My ice-cold fingertips tapped it open, and a new photo popped up. The background seemed to be the luxury suite on the ship's top deck. Kieran was wearing a bathrobe, his figure lazily leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, while she smiled sweetly at the camera. I bit my lip hard, the taste of blood spreading in my mouth. My chest felt like it had been struck by a blunt weapon, aching dully. Like a masochistic fool, my fingers scrolled upward uncontrollably, the screen's light illuminating my pale face. One after another, photo after photo - from the day they confirmed their relationship, these pictures hinting at their intimacy had never stopped coming. Looking at the occasional gentle expressions on his face that I'd never seen before, tears still rolled down pathetically. With trembling fingers, I typed out that question I'd asked countless times but never received an answer to. "Why?" We used to be so close. I told her all my girlish secrets. Why did she turn around and betray me? This time, she replied lightning fast, with a tone of triumphant satisfaction. "Why? Aria, do you still not understand? Because I'm jealous of you! I've been jealous of you since we were kids! Why do you get to take for granted all his attention and affection? Such a wonderful man - why should his eyes only see you, his thoughtless niece? Do you know how disgusting you look every time you throw tantrums relying on his indulgence? Coveting your own uncle - you're shameless beyond belief!" "I'm clearly the one more suited to stand beside him! But his gaze always followed you! Even in the deepest drawer of his study, he keeps your baby fangs from when you first shifted and your childish cub drawings! What gives you the right?" "But now it's good - he personally told me he finds you suffocating, that your feelings disgust him! He's mine now, completely and utterly mine! Aria, I'm warning you - give up that hopeless dream and stay away from my fiancé! Stop using that pitiful expression to get his attention - he'll only find it more annoying!" Each word fell on me like snowflakes, light and airy, but piling up until they caused an avalanche, completely destroying my rationality. Rage mixed with long-suppressed resentment, I furiously typed on my phone. "No matter how shameless I am, I can't compare to you! Stealing the person your best friend has secretly loved for so long - Scarlett, you're the most shameless and disgusting one!" After viciously hitting send, I blocked and deleted all her contact information. The world was finally quiet. I collapsed into the sofa, completely drained. A sleepless night. Just as I drowsily closed my eyes at dawn, violent knocking exploded like thunder. Chapter 7 I dragged my exhausted body to open the door. Kieran stood outside, his face dark enough to drip water, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night. He didn't even let me say a word before his ice-cold interrogation crashed down on me. "Aria, just how long are you going to keep acting out!" I looked at him blankly. He gave a cold laugh, shoving his phone screen almost into my face. "I thought you'd finally grown up, but you're still this vicious! If you can't have something, you have to destroy it, right? Using such filthy language to insult someone who's about to become your aunt?" On the screen were last night's text conversation records between Scarlett and me. But they'd been carefully edited and altered. My "why" had become vicious curses. And my words calling her out for stealing her friend's man had been spliced together with extremely crude insults and provocations. Her triumphant boasting and vicious slander had vanished without a trace. The entire conversation made it look like I was a madwoman who, out of jealousy, was harassing and attacking her - the woman about to become my aunt. Blood rushed to my head instantly, then drained away just as quickly. I opened my mouth, wanting to explain that it had been edited. I wanted to tell him those photos she sent were fake. I wanted to ask if he really didn't trust my character at all. But looking into those ice-cold eyes that held no trust whatsoever, all the words stuck in my throat, shattering into glass shards that cut painfully. The string in my chest that had been stretched too long finally snapped with an audible break. Fine. I suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of relief. So this was what complete despair felt like. I slowly raised my head, no longer looking at the carefully orchestrated lies on his phone screen. Instead, I looked directly into his furious eyes, even curving my lips slightly, my voice so calm it sounded foreign even to myself. "Uncle, I'm sorry." "I lost my composure and offended Aunt. Please convey my apologies to her." I saw a flash of confusion in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected me to give in so easily. But that confusion lasted only an instant before being covered by even deeper coldness. He coldly put away his phone, as if even looking at me one more second would contaminate him. "Remember your place. Don't test my patience again." The door slammed shut in my face, the wind it stirred hitting my face like ice. I finally sank down slowly, hugging myself, but I couldn't shed a single tear anymore. Chapter 8 The storm at sea came without warning. The intercom repeatedly broadcast emergency announcements, requiring all passengers to immediately return to their cabins and lock their doors. I felt strangely relieved - at least I wouldn't have to face Kieran and Scarlett anymore. Taking advantage of the weak signal still available, I quickly transferred all three million from the auction and connected to Butler's phone. "After we dock, please give this card to Uncle. Tell him it's thanks for all these years of raising me. It's not much, just a token of my gratitude." There was a moment of silence on the other end before Butler's worried voice came through. "Miss, what's this about?" "I'm fine." I interrupted him, trying to make my tone lighter. "After we dock, I won't be going back. I'll go directly to meet the Alpha that Grandfather arranged for me." Before I could finish speaking, the ship suddenly tilted violently to one side. The lights overhead flickered frantically, things crashed to the floor, and screams could be heard even outside my door. My heart tightened as I shouted into the phone. "Something's wrong with the ship! I need to find Uncle first!" I pulled open the door to find the hallway in complete chaos. People were crying and screaming everywhere. In this moment, all grudges and emotions were cast aside. Fear left me with only one thought. Find Kieran! I just wanted to hear his voice, just wanted him to come get me. I pushed against the panicked crowd, struggling toward his suite. People kept bumping into me, shoving me around. I tripped over something on the floor, a sharp pain shooting through my ankle as I crashed heavily onto the cold, slippery deck. Affected by the silver injury just now, I couldn't shift or heal myself. I tried to stand, but my right ankle couldn't bear any weight. Just then, the ship let out a teeth-grinding sound of fracturing metal. Countless gallons of icy seawater came rushing up from the lower decks. "The ship is sinking!" I sat paralyzed in the freezing water, shaking all over. Crying, I pulled out my phone and dialed that number I knew by heart with trembling fingers. It rang only once before being answered. "Uncle! Uncle, save me!" I sobbed incoherently. "The ship is sinking! My foot is sprained and I can't move! Where are you? Please come find me..." There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then came Scarlett's voice, laced with malicious laughter. "Aria, you really are like a ghost that won't leave. Why can I always hear your voice no matter what? What, sprained your foot? Can't move? Then don't move. Drowning or getting crushed - pick one." All the blood in my body froze. Her voice grew more amused, filled with undisguised satisfaction. "Perfect, saves me the trouble of getting rid of you later. About to die and you still call to make trouble? Let me tell you, Kieran is helping me find life jackets right now. He doesn't have time for unlucky trash like you!" "Please, just give him the phone, please..." I begged desperately. The seawater had reached my ankles, so cold my teeth were chattering. "Go die." She spoke those words lightly, then hung up. I called back frantically, only to hear the cold automated message that the phone was turned off. Once, twice... I could only hear the busy signal. He really didn't want me anymore. Even my last hope of survival was cut off by someone else with his permission. Overwhelming despair and cold instantly swallowed me. The seawater kept rising, already past my waist. The bone-piercing cold and the agony in my ankle nearly made me lose consciousness. All around was an apocalyptic scene, and I was abandoned at the center of this despair. Just as my consciousness began to blur, a steady male voice cut through the chaos above my head. "Miss, do you need help?" Through blurred, tearful eyes, I looked up to see a tall figure standing before me against the chaotic light and shadow. I couldn't make out his features, only saw a strong hand extended toward me. Tears fell even more violently as I grasped at this final lifeline, nodding through my sobs. "Yes, please help me." He bent down, carefully avoiding my injured ankle, and lifted me steadily in his powerful arms. Through the chaotic crowd and rising seawater, he quickly made his way toward the deck where the lifeboats were stationed. As he settled me in a relatively safe position on the lifeboat, I instinctively looked back. At the other end of the chaotic deck, I immediately spotted that familiar figure. Kieran was protecting Scarlett, anxiously searching for an escape route. His jacket remained conspicuous even in the gray gloom. Once, that figure had been my entire sense of security. But now, my heart felt only deathly calm. In the pouring rain, I turned my head away without any lingering attachment.