Chapter 1: The Voice Beneath the Water
“Marcus…”
The voice came again.
Weak. Ragged. Almost swallowed by the water.
But unmistakable.
My knees nearly gave out.
“Elena?””
I leaned over the edge of the pool, staring into the dark opening beneath the metal hatch. The guests behind me had gone completely silent. Somewhere on the terrace, a champagne glass slipped from someone's hand and shattered against the marble.
Then I heard it again.
“Marcus… please…”
It was my wife's voice.
Fourteen months ago, I had stood on a beach surrounded by police officers while a detective explained that Elena's boat had been found drifting near the rocks. There had been no body. No blood. No evidence of a struggle.
Just her wedding ring floating near the steering wheel.
I had refused to believe she was gone until the investigators showed me the official report.
Now her voice was coming from underneath my swimming pool.
“Get me a flashlight!”” I shouted.
One of my security guards, Daniel, immediately ran toward the house.
Vanessa grabbed my arm.
“Marcus, stop!””
I turned so sharply that she stumbled backward.
“Did you hear that?””
“It's an echo. Someone is playing a recording.””
“An echo doesn't say my name.””
Her lips trembled.
“You're not thinking clearly.””
“Then explain the hatch.””
“I don't know anything about a hatch!””
I pointed toward the dark rectangular opening.
“You knew exactly what was down there. You told me not to open it before you even saw what I found.””
Vanessa looked toward the guests.
“Someone needs to take Ava inside.””
“No!”” Ava screamed.
She was standing near the outdoor sofa, her small hands gripping its cushions.
“Daddy, don't let her take me!””
I immediately stepped between them.
Vanessa's expression changed.
For eleven months, she had perfected the role of the loving woman who wanted to help me raise my daughter. She had bought Ava expensive dresses, arranged birthday parties, and told everyone how much she adored her.
But now, for the first time, I saw something underneath that carefully constructed smile.
Hatred.
Not ordinary irritation.
Something much colder.
“Marcus,” she said quietly, “you're making a terrible mistake.””
Daniel returned carrying a powerful flashlight and a rescue rope.
“Sir, what's happening?””
“There's someone underneath the pool. Call the fire department. Get the emergency rescue team here immediately.””
Daniel stared at the open hatch.
“Someone?””
“My wife.””
His face went pale.
“Your… wife?””
I ignored his confusion and tied the rope around my waist.
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Don't you dare go down there.””
Daniel looked between us.
“Sir, should I stop him?””
“No,” I answered.
“Help me.””
Vanessa suddenly screamed.
“THERE'S NOBODY DOWN THERE!””
Everyone froze.
I looked directly at her.
“Then why are you so afraid?””
She didn't answer.
I handed Daniel the flashlight and lowered myself into the water.
The cold swallowed my body.
This time, I didn't waste a second.
I reached the hatch, pulled its heavy handle, and forced it upward. The metal groaned against its hinges. The opening widened enough for a person to squeeze through.
Beyond it was a narrow concrete passage.
Water rushed through the opening, and the beam from Daniel's flashlight revealed something that made my stomach turn.
There were footprints.
Fresh footprints.
On the concrete steps leading downward.
Someone had been walking there recently.
I pushed my head through the opening.
“Elena!””
A faint knock answered me.
Three times.
I remembered those knocks.
When Elena was pregnant with Ava, we had invented a little game. If one of us was upstairs and the other was downstairs, we would knock three times on the wall.
It meant, I'm here. I love you.
My wife had never forgotten that little habit.
I pulled myself into the passage.
“Marcus!”” Daniel shouted from above.
“Wait for the rescue team!””
“I can't wait!””
The passage was barely wide enough for my shoulders. A metal ladder descended along one wall, disappearing into darkness.
I climbed down.
The smell hit me first.
Damp concrete. Rust. Stale air.
And something else.
Antiseptic.
At the bottom was a small room with a heavy steel door. A yellow electrical light flickered above it.
I reached for the handle.
Locked.
“ELENA!””
A faint movement came from behind the door.
Then a woman's voice whispered:
“Don't let her see you.””
My heart stopped.
“Who?””
A long silence followed.
Then she answered.
“Vanessa.””
I gripped the handle.
“What has she done to you?””
“Marcus… listen carefully.””
Her breathing sounded painful.
“She's not the woman you think she is.””
I pulled at the handle again.
“Tell me what happened. I'm getting you out.””
“No. You have to find…”
A metallic click sounded behind me.
I turned.
At the top of the passage, someone had closed the hatch.
The light disappeared.
Then I heard the unmistakable sound of a heavy locking mechanism sliding into place.
“DANIEL!”” I shouted.
No answer.
I pounded against the steel door.
“OPEN THIS DOOR!””
From the other side, Elena began crying.
“Marcus, she's here.””
I turned toward the passage.
A shadow appeared at the top of the ladder.
Then Vanessa's voice floated down.
“You should have accepted that your wife was dead.””
I stared upward.
“Open the hatch!””
She gave a small, almost sad laugh.
“I tried to make this easy for you.””
“WHAT DID YOU DO TO ELENA?””
Her footsteps moved away.
Then another voice spoke.
Not Vanessa's.
A man's.
“Should we leave him down there too?””
Vanessa answered calmly.
“No. Marcus is still useful.””
My blood turned to ice.
Because I suddenly understood something far worse than my wife being alive.
May you like
This hadn't been an accident.
And the woman I had planned to marry had known about Elena all along.
