He Saved His First Love, I Ruined His Firm

My research vessel was caught in a storm in the deep sea, and fourteen crew members were in danger of losing their lives at any moment. At the critical moment, I requested that Julian Lawson, the tycoon of maritime rescue operations, send a rescue helicopter to save us. Julian looked at the weather map, his voice frighteningly calm. "The wind speed has exceeded the safety limit today. The rescue cost is too high. It doesn't make commercial sense. Use the lifeboat to save yourselves first." I gripped the radio, trembling in the pouring rain. But the next second, I heard him order the rescue team, "Turn Rescue Ship No. 1 around and escort Nina's private yacht back to port. She has a heart condition. We can't afford any mistakes." Nina Sullivan was his first love, who had just returned to the country. All these years, she had always told everyone that she had a serious heart condition, that she couldn't handle any scares or intense stimulation. But I never imagined that while the people truly trapped in danger were still waiting for rescue in the middle of the storm, he had already sent the last remaining rescue resources to her side. I looked at the weakening signal on the radar and wiped the rain from my face. Julian was still lecturing me over the radio. "As a team leader, you need to learn how to stay calm. Don't panic every time you encounter rough seas." I completely shut off the locator in my hand, took off my wedding ring, and threw it into the storm-ravaged ocean. This time, I would save myself. ***** The waves slammed wildly against the lifeboat, and the hull was already close to falling apart. I gripped the wheel with all my strength. Beside me, the old captain lay half-conscious in the pooling water, his lips frozen purple. The locator had gone completely black. Only the public channel on the radio was still giving off static. Then Julian's gentle voice came through again. But he was not speaking to me. "Nina, don't be afraid. The helicopter is already hovering above you. My ship will be there soon too. With me here, nothing will happen to you." I instinctively waited for one second. I thought he would remember that I was still on the public channel too. Here with me, there were still fourteen crew members waiting for him to save their lives. But he did not. The freezing seawater poured into my mouth and nose, and my stomach churned violently. The next second, a huge wave crashed down hard, completely overturning the lifeboat. I was thrown into the pitch-black sea, and a tearing pain suddenly ripped through my lower abdomen. Warm blood flowed down the inside of my thighs and quickly dissolved into the bone-chilling seawater. That was the secret I had originally planned to tell Julian after returning tonight. That was the child we had been waiting for for three years. Now, because of his decision to redirect the last rescue force, this child was slipping away from me. I did not cry. The seawater was too cold. Even if tears had fallen, they would have been swallowed by the storm at once. I bit the tip of my tongue and forced myself to stay conscious. I tied myself to a broken piece of floating board, then held on to the unconscious old captain and inched closer to the wreckage. Near dawn, a sand carrier found us. When I was pulled onto the deck, I had already soaked in the sea for an entire night, my face frighteningly pale. The captain recognized me, and his expression changed drastically. He immediately grabbed the satellite phone, wanting to contact that mysterious family. I pressed down on his hand, my voice hoarse beyond recognition. "Don't tell Julian. Contact the headquarters of the Deep Blue family. Tell them I'm back." That was a name Julian could never reach in this lifetime. Before I lost consciousness, I thought back to the past three years. Julian had once said that he wanted to rely on his own efforts to give me a future. Because of those words, I hid my real identity and quietly delivered my family's resources into his hands, little by little. After his business succeeded, he had once held me, his eyes red, and said, "Marina, you are the only person I can rely on. I will never abandon you." How ridiculous. The moment Nina returned to the country, he threw me into the deep sea. Since that was the case, my love for him should be buried in this deep sea too. Meanwhile, the villa at the Lawson residence was brightly lit. Julian personally helped Nina down. Nina's face was pale as she collapsed into his arms, both hands clinging tightly to him. "Julian, don't worry about me anymore. Go find Marina first. If you do this, she'll be angry." Julian lowered his head and pulled her shawl tighter around her, his voice so soft it was as if he feared frightening her. "She has always been strong. She'll be fine." The assistant walked forward with an ugly expression. "Mr. Lawson, Mrs. Lawson's research vessel has been without signal for an entire night." Julian frowned slightly, but his tone was helpless. "She's just trying to force me to give in this way. Leave her alone for two days. Once her anger passes, she'll naturally come back." Just then, the satellite phone in the assistant's hand suddenly rang. He listened for a few seconds, and his face gradually turned pale. "Mr. Lawson." Julian looked up impatiently. The assistant's voice trembled. "News came from the Maritime Bureau. The sea area where Mrs. Lawson had the accident has already been sealed off by the Deep Blue family." Julian's movements stopped. "The Deep Blue family?" That was a name no one in Europe's deep-sea industry could avoid. Over the years, the Lawson Group had been able to obtain several high-value routes only because it had indirectly connected to the Deep Blue family's authorization system. He frowned. "What are they doing there?" The assistant swallowed. "They said they came to take their sole heir home." Julian's eyes changed slightly. Their sole heir? Nina immediately noticed his hesitation and pretended to be surprised as she said, "Julian, could they be talking about Marina? If she's the heir of the Deep Blue family, why has she never told you?" A trace of mockery flashed through Julian's eyes. "How could she possibly be the heir of the Deep Blue family? We've been married for three years, and I've never heard her mention having any family." Exactly. If Marina really had that kind of identity, how could she have let people treat her with contempt for three years? He gave a cold laugh. "Marina, just to get my attention, you really dare to put on any kind of act."