Marcus looked at Sophia's eyes—and saw not confusion, but pure, unadulterated panic.
"What are you hiding from me?" Marcus demanded, his chest heaving under his tailored blue suit jacket.
Without waiting for an answer, Marcus ripped off his blue suit jacket and threw it onto the marble tile.
"Marcus, don't go down there!" Sophia screamed, stepping forward to grab his arm, her eyes wide with desperate plea. "Don't look! Please!"
Marcus shoved her hand aside, walked to the edge of the deep end, took a deep breath, and dove headfirst into the crystal-clear water.
Act II: Beneath the Blue Surface
Chapter 3: The Submerged Hatch
The world went silent as the cool pool water enveloped Marcus. Air bubbles surged past his face as he kicked hard, descending straight down into the ten-foot deep end of the luxury pool.
Through the shimmering water, Marcus opened his eyes, swimming toward the floor tiles.
At the very bottom of the deep end, set into the custom mosaic tiles, was a heavy, rusted