A Journey from Bitterness to Truth (Matilda and Yvan) novel Chapter 309

The wind howled past Matilda's ears, and in the next breath, she was met by the gaping maw of the ocean, swallowing her frail body whole—

Falling into the sea from a cruise ship in such cold weather, the water was bone-chillingly cold, enveloping Matilda entirely, squeezing her. Accidentally, water rushed up her nose.

Pain and the sensation of suffocation hit her, and Matilda struggled fiercely, faintly hearing someone shouting her name from above. But her strength was waning, and although she tried to swim upwards, she kept sinking.

Just then, a figure darted into the water with the speed of an arrow, piercing the dark ocean, racing towards her. With a fierce grab, they pulled her up towards the surface—

Matilda choked on several mouthfuls of salty sea water, making her head spin. As she burst from the surface, she threw her head back, coughing violently.

Beside her, someone was floating, slapping her back and asking, “You alright?”

Still coughing as if her lungs would burst, Matilda and Adrian were both soaked, shivering in the icy grip of the water, “My leg… I think it’s cramping…”

“You must be freezing. Let’s get you up,” Adrian said, wiping his face with his hand, water droplets sliding down his sharp chin back into the sea.

His pale face looked ghostly against the night sky, but his eyes were as deep as the ocean itself. Matilda thought she saw liquid moving from one end of his pupil to the other, a strangely captivating sight. His wet blond hair clung to his forehead, and Adrian brushed it back, gasping for air, “Good to hear you’re okay.”

Above them, the horizon blended with the night sky into a single line, pierced only by a dimly lit lighthouse. As they floated, someone shouted from the ship, “Tell me where you are!”

“You… you…” Adrian sneezed, “Nine o’clock from you!”

A lifeboat was lowered towards them, and Adrian slapped the water to signal their location, then looked back at Matilda, “Can you swim?”

Pointing to herself, Matilda said, “I’ve got basic survival skills, not exactly a damsel in distress here.”

Adrian rolled his eyes, “Got all excited to play the hero, and it turns out you can swim.”