Marcus rubbed his forehead in exasperation. “But you can’t just shove her overboard. That’s attempted murder?
“I did what I did, and I’ll take the fall,” Delilah snapped impulsively.
“Like hell you’ll take the fall!” Marcus swore, then heard approaching footsteps. He grabbed Delilah and pulled her away just as the newcomer rounded the corner.
“Wait, wasn’t someone arguing here a second ago?” The man scratched his head in confusion. He was about to leave when he spotted something odd int the water.
Startled, he yelled, “Man overboard. Somebody help! Help!”
On the top deck, Franco watched Theodore bantering easily with foreign businessmen, his gaze warm with pride–rightly so, since Theodore had been an archetypal perfect child in others‘ eyes his entire life.
When Theodore lost his sight in a car crash two years back, Franco had been heartbroken. Now seeing him rebound and marry, Franco felt genuine joy
Just then, a lifeguard burst through the hall doors, staggering toward them.
Franco frowned. ‘Who has the nerve to barge in now?‘ he wondered.
Noticing his look, his bodyguard intercepted the lifeguard. “Halt! What’s your business here?”
The lifeguard, soaking wet as if freshly pulled from the sea, looked past them to Theodore at the far end of the dining table. “I… I need to see Mr. Russell Mrs. Russell…”
At the mention of “Mrs. Russell,” Franco cut in, “What about her?”
Gasping for air, the lifeguard blurted, “She’s in the water!”
Franco shot a glance at Theodore who was deep in a make–or–break discussion with clients and oblivious to the commotion. He turned to Randy seated beside him. “I’ll go check on the situation. Stay here and keep things, steady.”
Randy nodded, seizing the chance to flatter. “Mr. Jean, with you taking charge, Theodore will surely appreciate it when he finds out.”
“Right.” Franco shared the thought. ‘After all, as the mayor, if I personally check on Eliana, Theodore couldn’t possibly hold it against me later, could he?‘ he thought.
With that logic, Franco felt justified in sneaking off without telling Theodore, following the lifeguard who led the way.
As they walked, the lifeguard said, “Mr. Jean, the second I pulled Mrs. Russell from the water, I carried her to her cabin. Her friend’s inside with her now.”
“Good work,” Franco said, rapping on the door.
Moments later, Megan opened it. “Who are you?”
The lifeguard quickly introduced him, “This is the mayor, Mr. Jean. He came specifically to check on Mrs. Russell.”
Megan frowned. “Where’s Mr. Russell?”
Franco felt a prick of embarrassment. ‘Do really have so little clout in the public eye?‘ he wondered.
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Chapter 237
Still, he said amiably, “Theodore’s tied up with something urgent, so I’m here with his regards.”
“What could possibly be more important than his own wife?” Megan muttered, then stepped aside. “Come in.”
Franco entered guiltily to find Eliana wrapped in a quilt, clutching a mug of hot water but still shivering.
As a father of daughters, he softened his tone at the sight. “How are you feeling?”
Eliana lifted her lashes, looking faint. “Mr. Jean? What brings you here?”
Her gaze deepened his awkwardness, so he changed the subject quickly. “How on earth did you end up in the water?”
Seeing Eliana in no state to answer, Megan cut in, “Someone shoved her from behind. If she couldn’t swim, she’d be at the bottom of the ocean by now!”
Franco had assumed she’d fallen in by accident while fooling around. “Did you get a look at who pushed you?”
Eliana sneezed and shook her head.
“Mr. Jean, she just said someone shoved her from behind.” Megan, never one to mince words, blurted out, “As the mayor, you’ve got to get justice for Ellie! That’s practically attempted murder.”
Franco nodded solemnly. As the organizer of the cruise party, he felt responsible for everyone aboard. “Think hard, did you miss any details?”
Rubbing her nose, Eliana recalled with a sniffle. “Right after I was pushed in, a wave slammed into me. I choked on seawater and had to focus on staying alive. Someone spotted me and called the lifeguard. I don’t remember anything else.”
After a beat, she added, “Oh, right, a waiter led me there.”
“Has anyone on this ship had it out for you?” Franco asked.
Eliana’s mind flickered to someone, but speaking without proof meant taking liability.
“I got it,” Megan chimed in. “I heard a woman named Delilah challenged Ellie to a piano showdown and lost. Maybe she got back at her out of
bitterness?”
“Delilah?” Franco’s mind flashed to the outdoor pool when Delilah had tried to hug Theodore, only to be brushed off, and Theodore had kissed Eliana in front of everyone. ‘Maybe she was the culprit,’ he thought.
Franco turned to Eliana. “Let’s go confront her right now.”
But the second Eliana stood up, her legs buckled, and she nearly crashed to the floor.
Megan eased her back onto the bed. “Mr. Jean, she can’t go. Ellie just cheated death. Delilah should come to her.”
“I wanted to catch Delilah off guard,” Franco explained, trying to sound reasonable.
But given what Eliana had just endured, it was a wonder she wasn’t in pieces.
Megan added, “Besides, if Delilah really pushed her, shouldn’t Mr. Russell deal with this? It’s his love drama, after all.”
Meanwhile, after sealing the deal with foreign business partners, Theodore turned to find Franco missing. Frowning, he scanned the room.
Randy stepped forward, eager to score points “Mr. Russell, you have Mr. Jean’s complete trust. He went to check on your wife himself so as not to interrupt your meeting.”
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