"No, Daddy!" Lily sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks as she ran over to Marcus, grabbing his blue jacket sleeve. "She's down under the round door at the bottom! She moved her hand! She’s trying to get out!"
Sophia’s face drained of all color in a fraction of a second. The joyful, emotional expression she had been wearing melted away, replaced by a look of sharp, visceral terror. Her eyes darted from the little girl to the deep end of the pool, her hands clutching her throat.
Marcus stood up slowly, setting the velvet ring box down on a nearby side table. He looked from his daughter to Sophia.
"Sophia..." Marcus said, his voice dropping its romantic warmth and becoming low and intense. "What is she talking about?"
"She's... she's just a child, Marcus!" Sophia stammered, her voice high-pitched and hysterical. "She has an overactive imagination! You know she gets confused about her mother!"
"Daddy, I saw her!" Lily shrieked, hiding behind Marcus’s leg. "The lady in the beige dress pushed the big stone cover!"