Chapter 1

My son went missing on the beach.

As a rescue worker, my husband immediately took his team in the opposite direction.

Sensing something was wrong, I hurried forward, desperate to guide them the right way.

But my husband shoved me aside.

He snapped, "I'm the professional here. Can you stop interfering? You really think our son would be as reckless as you, running into dangerous places?"

It wasn't until he carried back a boy and his first crush threw herself into his arms that I finally realized why he insisted on going that way. He had gone to save her son.

My own son was only found a day later, washed ashore by the tide, barely recognizable.

I stared at my swollen boy, tears burning my eyes, crazily pounding my husband, demanding why he didn't save our son.

With no one around, they pushed me into the freezing seawater.

"If you care so much about that doomed kid, why don't you join him?" he said.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment my husband deliberately led the rescue team the wrong way.

*****

"There are sandcastles over there. That's where my son loves to play. Come on, everyone, follow me." Those familiar words snapped me out of my daze.

I opened my eyes and saw Kevin Cole leading his team, hurrying off in the wrong direction.

In my previous life, he was just as convinced that Zick would head that way.

But Zick never liked those sandcastles Kevin always talked about; he would never go that way, not in a million years.

I cried out, running ahead of the team, tears streaming down my face as I pleaded with him to check the other direction.

But Kevin shoved me aside, cold as ice. "I'm the professional here. Just stop interfering, will you? Trust me, I know Zick better than anyone. There's no way I'm wrong about this.

"Zick's missing right now. If something goes wrong because you slow us down, can you live with that? I'm his dad. You think I don't want to save him?"

All those questions left me stunned, helpless, as I watched him lead the team the wrong way.

Sure, they found a kid, but it wasn't my son, Zick.

Kevin came back, cradling the son of Bella Nash, his first crush, in his arms.

Meanwhile, Zick was just a short way off in the opposite direction, swallowed up by the tide, too weak even to cry for help.

It wasn't until the next day that his little body was found, washed ashore, swollen, very pale, and so disfigured by the seawater that I could hardly recognize him.

Now that I'd been given another chance, I swore I'd find Zick no matter what and never let him suffer the agony of death again.

Having lost all hope in Kevin, I rushed over to the rescue team leader, Gavin Wilde, stumbling as I went. "That's where Zick was last seen. Please, you have to look over there."

Kevin heard me and clamped down on my wrist, his grip like iron.

Kevin cut in, "Mr. Wilde, she gets all hysterical and starts spouting nonsense when she's upset. Just ignore her."

"I already checked over there. There's nobody. No kid would ever go that way," he added.

Then he dragged me aside, snapping, "Are you done making a scene yet? If you'd been watching him, Zick wouldn't be missing. Every second you waste just puts him in more danger. Do you even understand that?"

I yanked my hand free, shouting at him, "Who's the one causing all this drama? I told you Zick was last seen over there. Why won't you listen? All I care about is saving Zick. Why are you getting in my way?"

Kevin shoved me back hard, glaring at me. "Alice, what the hell do you want from me?"

"No way Zick would ever run off to some empty spot. There aren't even any footprints. How could he be over there?" Kevin snapped.

"Even if you never cared about Zick, that doesn't mean you get to keep stalling and risking his life." I was so mad that I slapped Kevin hard across the face, my palm stinging bright red.

"Shut up," I snapped.

Before he could react, I stumbled over to Gavin, ignoring the jagged rocks as I stood right in front of him, bare feet.

I was crying my heart out, begging, "Please, save my son. He's just a little kid. He hasn't even gotten to see what life's about. He's right over there. Please, send someone to save him. Hurry."

As I pleaded, I bowed again and again, desperate for him to listen.

Kevin rushed over to pull me away, but Gavin stuck out his hand and blocked him.

"Wait a second," Gavin said, his tone sharp. "So you just ignored the other side, just because you felt like it?"

Kevin's face froze, and he stood there, looking awkward and embarrassed.

No matter what kind of relationship Kevin had with the missing kid, making a rescue decision based purely on personal judgment was a clear violation of the rules.

Kevin hurried to justify himself. "It's not just my personal opinion; I really did check that area, and there weren't any footprints at all."

Trying to spot and recognize footprints on a beach was just plain ridiculous.

Gavin gave him a frosty glare, then ordered the team to split up and search the whole area from every direction.

"Mr. Wilde, the tide's pulling out over there. If we head in now, we might get stuck and never make it back," Kevin shouted. "We can't put our team in danger just on the off chance."

"If Zick ever found out someone died trying to save him, he'd never forgive himself," Kevin insisted.

Watching Kevin act all righteous, making excuses for himself, I wished I could toss him into the ocean and let him rot there for a whole day and night, see if he could handle the same hell Zick went through.

Even now, he was still trying to steal away the help I'd fought so hard to get.

Scumbags like him didn't even deserve to be called a father.

Gavin's brow furrowed deeply. "You said it yourself. It's a possibility. But if we don't go, we're just giving up on a life. As rescue workers, we must never forget our duty.

"Today, it's your kid who's missing. I get it. You're desperate, and maybe you got a little carried away. So here's the plan. You head over there, and I'll handle things on this side."

Kevin nodded without a second thought. "Okay."

When I watched him walk off without even pausing, my heart filled with bitter disappointment.

If it were Bella's kid out there in the water, Kevin would never be this cold.