Vicky finally heard Tyler clearly, and her expression darkened.
âJust hold on a little longer!â she said, her voice filled with determination. âIâll save you!â
Tylerâs gaze was calm, even in this life-or-death moment. His eyes showed no hint of emotion. âI canât
hold on for much
longer,â he calmly replied.
Vicky was aware that Tyler had been shot in the arm and knew he could not endure for much longer.
âJust a little longer.â Vickyâs fingers tightened on the rope, and her knuckles turned white with the effort.
âJust a little
longer!â
Suddenly, the speedboat lurched, causing Vickyâs body to sway dangerously over the edge. She almost
fell into the sea
but managed to steady herself in time.
Lowering her head to focus on pulling Tyler up, she saw Tylerâs gaze fixed on her. In his eyes, she saw
a mixture of
longing, reluctance to let go, and an intense, indelible affection.
With a voice tinged with emotions, he said, âI never intended to let you go.â
Indeed, he had not intended to let her leave, not even for a moment. There had not been a moment
that he regretted that.
Vicky extended her hand toward him, saying, âStop talking! Just grab my hand!â
She secured herself to the boat using the rope, hoping Tyler could use it to help him climb up. All she
thought of was Tyler
and to save him.
Tyler continued bitterly, âIâve even chosen our burial plot. I was waiting to seek revenge before we could
die together, but
you got pregnant.â
Vicky realized what he was getting at, and her eyelashes fluttered.
Tyler looked at her with eyes that shimmered with a hint of nostalgia, sorrow, and intense love. âBack
then, youâd rather
have me undergo hypnosis than continue to be with me. Thatâs when I realized I had no way of keeping
you by my side
forever.
âI understood you had your reasons, but those reasons made me feel insecure. Even though you were
doing it for my own
good, I couldnât accept it. You thrived without me, and it made me believe that if I stayed away for a
while longer, youâd
erase me from your mind completely. Since you couldnât love me, I decided to make you hate me
instead.â
He left no room for regret. He knew that even if Vicky stayed with him, it would be due to his threats
and coercion. He had
threatened her with Harveyâs life, forcing her to sign an unequal agreement.
How could one expect to receive genuine love through lies and manipulation? He knew it was
impossible right from the
beginning.
His relationship with Vicky was bound to be doomed. Avoiding past hurts might work for a while, but
whenever conflicts
emerged, their underlying problems would resurface.
Tylerâs lack of trust and sense of insecurity toward Vicky led him to crave control. If she resisted being
with him, he would
threaten and force her into staying. She would resent him for his despicable ways and try to escape.
Thus began another
cycle.
He did not want to live in constant fear of her leaving him at any moment, so he decided to end it once
and for all.
However, he did not anticipate her pregnancy.
He had thought about deepening their bond with a child; it was an idea that formed in his head many
years ago. However,
they lost their child in the end, and their relationship became even more strained.
Vicky suffered physically due to the miscarriage, making it almost impossible for her to conceive again.
It would be a lie to
say Tyler did not regret it.