Chapter 1: The Woman Beneath the Water
"Daddy! Mommy is under the pool!""
The words shattered the perfect evening.
I was on one knee beside the infinity pool of my mansion, holding an open red velvet ring box toward the woman I intended to marry. Two dozen guests stood beneath the golden terrace lights, champagne glasses raised, waiting for Vanessa Cole to say yes.
Then my six-year-old daughter came running across the marble patio.
Her pink shoes slipped against the wet stone. Her blonde curls bounced wildly as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Daddy! Mommy is down there!""
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
For eleven months, Vanessa had been my girlfriend. For three months, she had lived in my house, worn expensive jewelry I bought her, and slept in the bedroom that once belonged to my wife.
Elena.
The woman I had buried in my heart fourteen months earlier.
The woman everyone believed had drowned in a boating accident.
I slowly stood.
"Sweetheart, what did you say?""
Ava pointed toward the deepest part of the swimming pool.
"I saw Mommy! She's looking at me!""
A nervous laugh escaped one of the guests.
Vanessa immediately approached her.
"Ava, honey, that's enough.""
"No!"" Ava screamed.
"You're lying!""
Vanessa crouched and grabbed both of my daughter's shoulders.
"Listen to me carefully. You know better than to make up stories like this.""
Ava flinched.
I stepped forward.
"Vanessa. Take your hands off my daughter.""
She released Ava and straightened her champagne-colored dress.
"Marcus, she's upset. Children imagine things. We shouldn't encourage—"
"She said she saw her mother.""
"Your wife is dead.""
The answer came too quickly.
I stared at Vanessa.
Elena's body had never been recovered. After months of searching, the authorities had declared her presumed dead. I had hired private investigators, divers, and even contacted international search organizations.
Eventually, everyone told me to stop looking.
Everyone except Ava.
Every night, she asked when Mommy was coming home.
Every birthday, she saved a piece of cake for her.
And now she was standing in front of me, shaking and pointing at the water.
"Where did you see her?"" I asked.
Ava grabbed my hand.
"At the bottom. There's a black door. I saw Mommy's face through it.""
Vanessa stepped between us.
"Marcus, please. Don't do this.""
"Don't do what?""
"Don't let her ruin tonight with another imaginary story.""
I looked at her.
"Then you won't mind showing me what she's talking about.""
Her eyes darted toward the pool.
For one brief second, her carefully arranged expression cracked.
"There's nothing there," she whispered.
"Then prove it.""
"Marcus, this is ridiculous.""
I took a step toward the water.
Vanessa grabbed my wrist.
"Don't.""
I looked down at her fingers.
"Let go.""
"You have no idea what's down there.""
The terrace fell silent.
I slowly turned my head.
"What did you just say?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"I mean, it's deep. You could hurt yourself.""
I pulled my arm free.
Then I looked at Ava.
"Are you absolutely sure, sweetheart?""
She nodded.
"I saw Mommy's hand. She was hitting the glass.""
That was enough.
I threw off my jacket, kicked away my shoes, and jumped.
The water swallowed me.
Coldness slammed against my chest. I opened my eyes beneath the surface, searching the illuminated tiles.
At first, there was nothing.
Then I noticed a rectangular shape at the deepest end.
A metal hatch.
It was almost invisible beneath the blue tiles, with a thick black rubber seal around its edges and a heavy handle in the center.
I swam toward it.
My fingers brushed the metal.
There were scratches around the handle, deep scratches, as if someone had repeatedly tried to force it open.
I pulled.
Nothing.
I repositioned my hands and tried again.
The metal shifted slightly.
A cloud of bubbles escaped from one edge.
My heart began pounding.
There was space underneath.
Something was down there.
I surfaced, dragged in a breath, and immediately dove again.
This time, I pulled with everything I had.
The hatch lifted just enough to create a narrow opening.
Something white floated past my face.
A ribbon.
I recognized it instantly.
Elena had worn that exact white ribbon around her wrist on the morning she disappeared.
My lungs burned.
I pulled again.
The opening widened.
Beneath it was a narrow concrete chamber, almost completely dark.
Then something moved.
A pale hand appeared beneath the opening.
I reached toward it.
Three metallic knocks echoed from below.
I nearly swallowed water.
Someone was alive.
I kicked toward the surface and emerged gasping.
Vanessa stood beside the pool controls.
"Marcus! Get out!""
I grabbed the edge.
"What is underneath this pool?""
"Nothing!""
"There's a hatch!""
Her face went white.
"You shouldn't have opened it!""
I froze.
She had just admitted she knew it existed.
I climbed out of the water.
Ava stood behind one of the guests, clutching a tablecloth.
"Daddy," she whispered.
I turned.
"Mommy knocked three times.""
Before I could answer, Vanessa lunged toward the pool control panel.
I caught her wrist.
"Don't touch that.""
"Let me go!""
"What does that switch do?""
"Nothing!""
"Then why are you trying to reach it?""
She struggled against my grip.
"Marcus, you need to get away from this pool!""
A strange sound came from beneath the water.
A muffled voice.
"Marcus...""
My entire body went still.
I knew that voice.
I had heard it in my dreams for fourteen months.
"Elena?""
A second voice followed.
Weaker.
"Please... don't let her...""
Then the underwater lights suddenly went dark.
The entire pool turned black.
And Vanessa whispered something that made my blood freeze.
"She's not supposed to be awake.""
I released her wrist.
"What?""
Vanessa backed away.
For the first time since I had met her, she looked completely terrified.
Then Ava pointed at the water.
"Daddy, Mommy is holding something.""
A small object floated to the surface.
A silver wedding ring.
Elena's wedding ring.
I picked it up with trembling fingers.
Inside were two engraved words.
Find Ava.
I turned toward my daughter.
But before I could ask what it meant, a loud metallic bang came from beneath the pool.
The hatch was moving.
May you like
From the inside.
And someone was trying to get out.
