Chapter 335

The snow had ceased in Wintervale, but the docks remained slick with icy moisture.

Isabella and Sebastian stood on the weathered planks, where a sleek yacht bobbed in the frigid water. A shadowy figure in black tossed Harrison's unconscious form onto the polished deck.

Sebastian's gaze darted between Harrison and Isabella. "Why bring her here? What did you do?"

Isabella's delicate brows knitted together. "Since when do you question me?" Her voice turned razor-sharp. "I see it now—you're changing. Your loyalty is slipping toward her."

"That's absurd," Sebastian countered instantly.

"Tell me," Isabella demanded, clutching her wool coat tighter, "do you still believe Nathaniel and I belong together?"

Sebastian nodded without hesitation. He'd always admired Isabella, convinced she was Nathaniel's perfect match. "Absolutely."

"Then prove it." Her eyes gleamed with icy determination. "You've despised Harrison for years, haven't you? She's helpless now. Take the yacht out and dump her in the ocean. Ensure she never resurfaces."

Sebastian went rigid. He'd assumed Isabella's earlier threats were empty, but her deadly seriousness chilled him more than the winter air.

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Isabella..."

"You're betraying me too?" Her breath hitched. She pressed a trembling hand to her chest, struggling for air. "First Nathaniel, now you—that scheming witch has poisoned you both! I can't—"

A ragged gasp cut her off.

"Isabella?" Sebastian reached for her, concern flashing across his face.

"My heart—Sebastian, please!" Her plea cracked with desperation. "Will you help me or not?"

Sebastian hesitated, then gave a stiff nod. "Fine. I'll do it."

He boarded the yacht, which soon vanished into the steel-gray horizon.

On the dock, Isabella's lips curled in triumph. She'd known Sebastian would obey.

As the yacht cut through the choppy waves, Sebastian stared down at Harrison's motionless form. Her porcelain features looked ethereal in the pale light.

He'd always resented her. This should be easy.

His hands hovered over her slender frame—then froze. An unfamiliar resistance coiled in his chest. He couldn't do it.

Back onshore, Isabella watched the water, anticipation thrumming through her veins. This was her masterstroke—with Sebastian as her accomplice, she'd own him completely.

Her phone shattered the silence.

Sebastian's voice crackled through the line, uneasy. "We can't. This is murder."

"What?" Isabella's nails bit into her palms. He'd failed her?

"Think about Nathaniel's reaction when he finds out. I'm bringing her back." The call died abruptly.

Isabella's face twisted with rage. Sebastian had defied her. Harrison would return.

The black-clad man beside her shifted. "Your orders?"

Isabella's smile turned venomous. "If Sebastian's loyalties lie with her now, they can drown together."

She withdrew a remote, pressing a button with manicured precision. A three-minute countdown flickered to life on the screen.

Useless pawns deserved to be eliminated.