Mark stopped ebfore the mansion, glancing up at the doors with a look that was scannign hte srrpounding. "You work here?" he asked. Sara nodded.
"Okay see you at one fortyfive." he said looking down at his watch as if estimatign the time it took him to driveher here was fiftene minuites. "WHy?" Sshe asked.
"I will pick you up. That way none of us will wait for the other." he said as a matter of fact tone. Sara watche dhim speak in such a confient vocie thsat she didnt think much of it. "Okay adn thank you again. I will surely make it up to you." She was honestly gald he drove here here beczsue she did initally stress a little over the faxt that she had to go to Blue'e trainign anf then back and shehated apalnining thins so now sh edidn thaevt o think of anythigna nd she simply had ot act liek a sheep and let soemoen else do the thinking.
"Okay bye." Mark's attitute completly shifted for the nice guy once againa nd he now was once again that uptight youngster who had sever moodswings, Sara nodded an dgot of fthe car. Her drove away and she looked at he rwatch and she was jus ton time. "I like this gu." she nodded in approvla. and then eaded insdie.
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"Okay!! You're doing it!! Yes!!"Sara's voice rang out with pure excitement. After nearly two hours of gentle coaxing, patient drills, and a few teary-eyed hesitations, Blue was finally floating—her small body steady and calm on the surface of the pool.
Sara leaned closer with a bright smile."Are you happy?"
Blue's eyes sparkled with triumph. "I know how to swim!" she squealed, flapping her arms wildly in the water. But the sudden excitement tipped her balance, and she slipped under with a little gasp.
Without hesitation, Sara reached out, catching her and pulling her back up to safety. She stood Blue upright on the pool's edge, brushing water from her eyes.
"No sudden movements, okay? Gotta stay calm like a jellyfish," Sara said softly, giving her a reassuring look. Blue nodded, a little wide-eyed but still beaming.
Then came the part that twisted Sara's chest a little.
"Mama will be so happy when she finds out I learned how to swim!" Blue announced proudly, almost bouncing in place.
Sara blinked. Her smile froze for a split second.
"Of course, she'll be happy," she said quickly, brushing back a lock of wet hair from Blue's forehead. "But let's tell her you've learned to float for now, okay? That's the first big step. Next, we'll work on breathing practice, and then real strokes. We're almost there."
Blue's smile fell.
"So… I don't know how to swim?" Her voice turned small. "I wanted Mama to know I could swim like her… as fast as possible. Now I have to wait more?"
She looked up, lip quivering, her fingers squeezing around the edge of her towel.
Sara knelt down, heart aching at the sight of her crushed expression."Hey—hey, no. You can tell her you've learned how to float. That's huge. But we'll surprise her later with the rest. You're doing amazing, Blue. You're just being too hard on yourself."
But Blue's chin trembled again. "I wanted Mama to like me more…" she whispered. "She swims so well. If I swam like her, maybe she'd like me more."
Sara froze, stunned into silence. Those little words felt like a punch to the chest.
Gently, she reached up and cupped Blue's cheek, brushing away the beads of water still clinging to her skin. Her thumb moved softly across the tiny girl's face—half to comfort her, half to steady her own racing heart.
"No, sweetheart. That's not true." Sara's voice was soft but firm. "Your mother already likes you. She loves you. I'm sure she'll be incredibly proud of how far you've come. And how brave you are." She gave her a reassuring smile."You're special just the way you are—even if you weren't the fastest swimmer in the world. But the fact that you're trying, and you're already floating on your own?" Sara leaned forward, pressing their foreheads gently together. "That's amazing. And she's going to be so happy."
Blue's breathing hitched, but she gave a tiny nod. Her hands still trembled slightly, but her eyes glowed again—this time with something softer than excitement.
"Okay," she whispered.
"Okay," Sara repeated with a smile, tucking a damp strand of hair behind Blue's ear."Now... you ready for round two, little jellyfish?"
Blue giggled through her sniffles."Jellyfish don't have bones!"
"Exactly. So let's be floppy and floaty and fabulous." Sara winked and stood, holding out her hand.
Blue took it without hesitation.
Behind the wide glass pane that overlooked the pool, Augustine stood motionless—arms crossed tightly over his chest, his expression unreadable but unmistakably stern. His sharp eyes tracked every movement in the water, flicking between the little girl who giggled and flailed and the woman who patiently held her afloat like she was cradling a secret.
He had been standing there for almost an hour. Watching. Waiting. Unblinking.
The cold air of the observation deck didn't bother him. What bothered him was what he saw through the glass—Sara. The way she smiled at Blue. The way she gently stroked the child's cheek, her expression softening as she leaned her forehead against the girl's for a brief moment of warmth.
Augustine's jaw ticked.
"What is with that unnecessary display of affection?" he muttered, his voice clipped with irritation. "Is she not here just to teach?" His eyes sharpened as Sara's smile returned, only seconds after it had slipped.
Jay, standing stiffly beside him, bit the inside of his cheek. He'd been listening to Augustine's growing list of complaints for the past hour—about Sara's tone, about her methods, even about how slowly Blue was progressing. Now this. A sigh nearly escaped his lips.
He rolled his eyes discreetly, his own spine starting to feel like it was fusing into one long, aching rod from standing so straight and still for so long. And all for what? To monitor a swimming lesson? Did he not have anything better to do? Like manage a company?
aching bone from staying so still. His legs tingled with the fatigue of disuse, and sweat itched under his collar—but he didn't dare fidget. Not with Augustine so intently focused beside him.
Still, Jay cleared his throat cautiously."Mister Core, I think… you should leave them be." His voice was quiet, deferential."Miss Sara is more than capable. She's a professional swimmer, after all."
Augustine didn't move at first. Then, with a slow turn of his head, his eyes narrowed."She's a professional swimmer?"His voice was low, like an edge sliding against steel.
Jay shifted uncomfortably."She used to be. Retired some time ago, from what I've gathered."
A pause. A long one. Augustine's jaw tensed. His eyes returned to the glass, where Sara crouched beside Blue, guiding her hand to the water with the sort of gentle precision that made something knot in his stomach.
"Why did she retire?"The words came clipped and cold.
Jay blinked."I—I'm not sure."
Augustine didn't even look at him."Find out."The command was hissed more than spoken—sharp enough to make Jay flinch. (Sigh)"Yes, sir." Augustine was trying to find a fault with her.
"If you're done, your father would like to see you," Jay said, his voice low but edged with relief.
"Hmm..." Augustine nodded absently, then turned away from the glass, finally breaking his hour-long vigil. Jay let out a sigh as he watched him walk off. Thank God. He needed to do something about that damn window—if Augustine kept watching Sara and Blue like that, he'd be stuck there forever.
In the office down the hall, Vladimir was hunched over a thick folder, reading through financial documents with sharp intensity. His glasses perched low on the bridge of his nose, unmoving. The door burst open without so much as a knock. His brows lifted in the slightest show of irritation—until Augustine strode in.
"You called?" Augustine said flatly, his voice a bitter monotone.
"Greetings to you as well," Vladimir replied dryly, voice soaked in sarcasm.
"I don't have time for stupid pleasantries. Get to the point." Augustine pulled the chair back with a scrape and dropped into it, legs crossed, his posture regal yet cold, as if he ruled the room by sheer presence alone. Vladimir quietly set the file down.
"I've noticed a sudden drain in company income. Care to explain why?" His voice was calm, but edged with warning.
Augustine didn't flinch. Not even a blink.
"I've been filling it back tenfold, but clearly, you haven't noticed that, Father." His voice cut like steel.
"Answer me, Augustine." Vladimir's patience thinned. "Are you funding Charles's sinking excuse of a business despite knowing it's doomed?"
"Why ask when you already know the answer?"
"Because it's costing us a fortune," he hissed. "You never fail to disappoint me."
Augustine's lip curled into a bitter smile.
"I don't fail?" He leaned forward, his tone turning venomous. "Do you remember how hard I resisted this marriage six years ago? Or do you want me to remind you of that particular circus you orchestrated? You're the one who sealed this partnership with Charles by forcing Sofia into my life. You signed the contract. I'm just letting you reap what you sowed."
There was a glint in Augustine's eyes now—vengeful, relentless. Not the kind of fire that warmed, but one that sought to burn everything in its path. Even if he turned to ash with it.
Vladimir shifted uncomfortably, swallowing down his unease.
"It was a favorable deal at the time," he muttered.
"And now it's a failure. But you get to deal with its aftermath. That's the cost of your choices. A failed merger at your end... and a ruined life at mine." Augustine's voice cracked like glass.
"Find a way to fix this," Vladimir snapped, avoiding his son's accusations entirely. "I don't want another cent going into Charles's account."
Augustine leaned back in his chair, a wicked calm overtaking him.
"Fine. Stop the funding. But be ready to lose Blue in the process. They'll drag us through hell for custody, and make sure it stains everything. You may not care, but I do. Because unlike you, I'm not producing another heir. This fake family game?" He stood, eyes cold and dead. **"I'm done playing."
Vladimir's face stiffened. For a moment, regret flickered in his aging eyes—he had built a brilliant businessman, yes. But he had raised a hollow man. A mirror image of himself. Ruthless. Unforgiving. Ice in human skin.
Augustine's heel slammed into the floor, a thunderous thud echoing in the room. Without another word, he turned sharply on his heel and left, the door slamming shut behind him with bone-rattling force.