When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 284: Cold Waters, Warm Memories

Chapter 284: Cold Waters, Warm Memories

Zinnia gripped the steering wheel tightly as she relayed the details to Timmy over the phone. Her voice was steady, though her heart raced with adrenaline. "It’s a black SUV, unmarked plates. They’ve taken Samuel and are heading farther out of the city. Timmy, I don’t think they’re going anywhere safe. They’re avoiding the main roads."

"Ma’am Zinnia, do not lose sight of them. I’ll notify the authorities immediately," Timmy replied, his voice sharp with urgency.

"I won’t. Just hurry, Timmy," she said, her eyes fixed on the car ahead. She ended the call and pressed her foot harder on the gas pedal to keep pace.

Suddenly, the SUV she was following sped up, swerving recklessly down the empty road. Zinnia cursed under her breath, her heart hammering. "No, you don’t," she muttered, pushing her car to its limits to catch up.

For several tense minutes, she chased the car through the winding, darkened outskirts, her headlights slicing through the darkness. She barely had time to register her phone ringing again. She quickly answered, her voice sharp, "Timmy, what is it?"

"The police have closed the roads around the area," Timmy informed her quickly. "They’re moving in now to block the car. If it’s Frank, they won’t let him get far."

Relief and fear mingled in her chest. "Thank God. But Timmy, they’re heading toward the lake," she said, her voice rising as she caught a glimpse of the SUV in the distance.

"Stay back, Ma’am Zinnia. The police will handle it," Timmy warned, but she barely heard him.

Before the call could end, Zinnia’s eyes widened in horror. The SUV screeched to a stop near the lake, and from the distance, she saw them open the door and drag Samuel out.

"No..." she whispered, her breath catching in her throat. Then, as if in slow motion, she watched them throw Samuel into the dark, cold water.

"No!" she screamed, her voice breaking as she slammed her foot on the accelerator.

---

The SUV took off, but before it could get far, flashing red and blue lights appeared from the other side of the road. Police cars blocked the vehicle’s path, surrounding it and forcing the occupants out. Zinnia barely registered the commotion as her entire focus remained on the lake.

She skidded to a stop near the shoreline, threw open her car door, and ran toward the water. The icy wind bit at her skin, but she didn’t care.

"Samuel!" she shouted, her voice trembling with panic.

Behind her, Timmy arrived just in time to see her dart toward the edge. He rolled down his window and yelled, "Ma’am Zinnia, no!"

But it was too late. Zinnia didn’t hesitate as she dove into the freezing water, her heart pounding wildly. The cold struck her like a thousand needles, but she forced herself to move deeper, her eyes scanning the murky depths for any sign of Samuel.

---

Samuel had just woken up moments before they dragged him out of the car. His head throbbed, and his vision was blurry. He struggled weakly against their grip, confusion clouding his mind.

"What—what’s going on?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.

But before he could get his bearings, they flung him into the lake. The shock of the freezing water stole his breath, and panic set in. His arms flailed as he struggled to keep himself afloat, but his aquaphobia gripped him with an iron fist.

"No... no, not the water," he gasped, his chest tightening. His body freezing as he began to sink.

As he sank deeper, his mind suddenly flooded with something else: flashes of his past.

Zinnia. Her laugh, her bright eyes, the warmth of her smile. He saw the moment he first met her, introducing himself as James. He remembered their time abroad, the small moments they shared, the love that had grown between them. Memories he had forgotten, locked away in the recesses of his mind, now came rushing back like a tidal wave.

"Zinnia..." he whispered, the last of his breath escaping as his lungs burned.

Darkness began to close in. Just as he was about to succumb to the cold and the weight of the water, a familiar figure appeared above him, her arms reaching out.

Zinnia.

---

Zinnia felt her fingers brush against something solid, and she grasped Samuel’s arm with all her strength while kicking hard to drag them both to the surface.

Her lungs burned as they broke through the water, and she gasped for air. Samuel was limp in her grasp, but she held him tightly, refusing to let go.

"Hold on, Sam. Stay with me," she murmured, her voice shaking.

Dragging him to the shore felt like an eternity, but she finally managed to get him onto the wet grass. By the time she collapsed beside him, her entire body was trembling with exhaustion.

"Sam, wake up," she pleaded, shaking him gently. "Please, wake up."

A group of paramedics rushed over, having been alerted by the police. They took over, checking Samuel’s pulse and beginning CPR. Zinnia knelt beside him, her soaked clothes clinging to her skin as she watched helplessly.

"Sam," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Please... please stay with me."

The paramedics worked quickly, and after what felt like an eternity, one of them turned to her and said, "He’s breathing. We need to get him to the hospital immediately."

Zinnia let out a shaky breath of relief as they loaded Samuel onto the stretcher. She climbed into the ambulance with him, refusing to leave his side.

As the sirens wailed and the ambulance sped toward the hospital, she held his hand tightly, her voice soft but determined. "Sam... Sam, stay with me. You’re going to be okay. I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever."

The ambulance pulled into the hospital driveway, its sirens fading into the distance. The paramedics quickly unloaded Samuel, wheeling him into the emergency room with practiced efficiency. Zinnia followed, her soaked clothes clinging to her skin as she hurried after them, her heart pounding in her chest.