Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 236: Rescue

Chapter 236: Rescue

Viviana was pushed back by the waves and she floated away. The yacht was moving away at a fast pace. The sound of gunshots was from far away.

Viviana was not worried about getting left out. She didn’t think that Leander would leave her in the middle of the ocean.

But she was worried for him. He might not have been very vocal about it, but she had a feeling that he was not very comfortable in the sea. And with the trouble ahead, she worried if he could handle himself.

She didn’t know if he was seasick. She wanted to ask him but he changed the topic. She thought it might be a pride thing where he doesn’t want to let her know that he gets seasick as if she wouldn’t understand.

She saw Leander jumping into the sea. The yacht had stopped and drifted away in the waves as he turned off the engine. She thought it was his plan.

But the sound of the gunshots was coming from very far away. She didn’t know why he jumped into the sea.

She waited for him to swim to her but she sensed something wrong in the way he acted. He looked like he was taking in the seawater.

Is he hurt?

Viviana’s heart skipped a beat and she swam to him in a hurry. As she got closer, she could see that he was drowning.

"Melanie!"

He screamed at the top of his lungs before he sank. Viviana’s adrenaline kicked in. She didn’t think if he was pulling her leg or anything else.

She took in a deep breath and swam into the sea.

He was sinking. Bubbles were coming out of his nose and mouth. She couldn’t see blood anywhere around him. She didn’t know if he had fainted because of a wound and if these areas are frequented by sharks.

She wrapped him under his armpits. First thing, she gave him some of her air to stop him from taking in water and started swimming to the surface.

It was not much of a struggle for her. She is good at swimming and he weighed nothing in the water.

"Leander!" she called out for him while keeping his head above the surface of the water. "Leander! Leo!" she called his name. He coughed and spit some water and started breathing. He was still not of full conscience.

She saw their yacht and swam to it with him in tow. But swimming on the surface was hard as she had to keep him above the surface and make sure that he was breathing.

But she endured.

Crying out his name, she swam as fast as she could. Thankfully, he gained a little conscience as they reached the yacht and climbed on it himself.

He plopped on the deck and she lay beside him panting while staring at the sky. She only then remembered the sound of gunshots. It had died down.

After composing herself, she turned to the side. Leander was still coughing and she got up to help him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

At that time, she heard some speedboats approaching him. She got alerted. She tried to look to that side, but Leander pulled her.

"Phone..." he said with his hoarse voice. "Cockpit..."

She crawled to the cockpit and got his phone. On her way back, she covered herself with Leander’s shirt. She didn’t want to be in danger while she was just in her bikini.

She saw the boats approaching them. And one of those figures looked familiar.

Steve!

"They are your men?" she asked passing the phone to him.

Leander nodded and pulled her close to his chest.

He dialed someone. Viviana figured that he might be calling Steve. "I’m fine. Retreat." Leander ended the call. His hoarse voice still held the authority of a king.

Viviana heard the speedboats turning and leaving almost immediately. She sighed in relief.

"What happened?" she asked.

Leander waved his hand gesturing her to stay quiet for some time. He then held her close. He was shivering.

"I’ll bring your shirt," she said.

He responded by hugging her closer.

Viviana rested her head on his chest. "You scared me there," she sighed. "Why did you even jump in the water if you don’t know swimming?"

She couldn’t see him hurt anywhere. That only leaves one other possibility.

The lion cannot swim! Touché!

He could have told her that.

"Oww," she winced as his hold got tighter. "Stop it! I can’t breathe if you squeeze me like that."

He did let loose.

"You cannot swim?" she asked as it was hard for her to believe it. "How did you even save me from the river?"

She saw him jumping down the bride. And Katerina confirmed that it was Leander who saved her.

"Is there selective swimming? Like freshwater fish and saltwater fish? Are you a freshwater swimmer and can’t swim in salt water~ Ahhh!"

She screamed as he pinched her waist. She pushed him away and glared at him. "What?" she shouted. "It hurt!"

Leander scoffed and turned his face. His cheeks were red. She didn’t think it was because of him almost drowning.

Is he embarrassed?

"It’s okay if you got scared of the sea and panicked. It’s not that uncommon as you..."

She stopped as he glared at her. He looked like he would jump again into the sea if she continued talking. She did not have the physical capability to rescue him again and she shut her mouth.

He doesn’t have to get this shy about it though. A lot of people get scared of the sea. Swimming in a pool is not the same as swimming in the sea where the currents are an entirely different game.

"Stay here. I’ll bring you something to..."

She tried to get up but he pulled her down. She slipped on the water and fell on her butt. It hurt.

"What?" she didn’t fail to show her displeasure. She shouted at him.

"I saved~" he coughed a little.

She felt bad for him and rubbed his chest.

"I saved you," he said. His voice was still hoarse. "...if anyone asks..."

Viviana glared at him. "Is this the most important thing right now?" she asked. "Ant that’s it? No "Thank you lovely wife for saving this husband’s life risking everything" or anything?" she shrugged.

A lot happened and all this stupid guy is worrying about is his pride? She could not believe it.

Urgh!

Leander nodded shamelessly. "Yes."

Viviana let out a deep sigh. She didn’t even know what to say to him. She scoffed and turned her face. She decided to be angry at him for the rest of the day. Leander’s coughing stopped and he breathed normally.

After some time of staying mad at her husband, she got bored and her curiosity got the best of her.

"What were those gunshot noises?" she asked. "There was a fight?"

His men were there. So, something must have happened.

"Palatini," Leander said with disgust on his face. "He needed to take at least one life from my side to prove himself after the humiliation he suffered at my birthday party."

Viviana hugged her legs and sank her chin on her knees. She didn’t want to ask him if his side lose a life.

What if he answered yes? What will she do then?

She is married to a mafia. And it is normal for him to treat the men under him as chess pieces. And his men knew that their life is for their boss’ to take any time he pleases, and they still stay with him.

But this is against everything she stands for. She stood in a dilemma once again.

But she found that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find hate in her heart for the man looking at her with those dark eyes.

"You saved me," he said. "You were like a fairy... a sea fairy... a mermaid!" he said finally finding the word he was looking for to describe her.

Viviana smiled. "Were you that out of it to see a tail in the place of my legs?" she asked.

If she was being honest, she was flattered by his words. But her back still hurt after he made her fall. She didn’t want to let him know that he has touched her heart once again.

"Why did you save me?" he asked.

"What?" Viviana raised her brows. The cheeky smile on her face reduced.

"You could have..." he let out a deep breath and reached for her face. He knows why she saved him. "Never mind, Melanie..."

She scooted closer to him. She didn’t know what he was thinking right then. But when he called her by her given name, she felt like she has met the purpose she was born in this world.

"Why did you jump if you don’t know how to swim?" she asked. She pressed his hands to her cheeks to feel his warmth on her. "You scared me when you... I almost thought I would never reach the yacht carrying you..."

She choked with all the emotions.

Leander pulled her to him and kissed her.

Why...?

She asks this question a lot of times. And each time he gets more and more clarity. He still doesn’t have the full picture now.

But he knows one thing.

"I followed you, silly... I’ll follow you wherever you go!"