Chapter 12

I grabbed her hand. "Kristina, over the past year or so, I've been running away. I've been avoiding your calls, afraid of your jests. I know I'm not ready to make any promises."

"But I, William, am a man. Give me some time; I will strive to improve myself. At the very least, I need to have the financial ability to take care of you and Lily. I don't want to be seen as a failure."

"Okay, I'll listen to you," Kristina said, nodding gently. Somehow, we found ourselves locked in a passionate kiss once again.

Her lips were magical.

After the kiss, Kristina held me close. "Don't make me wait too long. A woman over thirty ages faster every day."

"I will try my best," I promised, a strange sense of responsibility welling up within me. Kristina was not a woman of loose morals. Her life was simple, either working or taking care of her daughter. I had never heard of her having a relationship with any man.

Honestly, I was lucky to have her favor.

That night, we talked a lot, but most of the time it was me talking and Kristina listening.

She was like a nurturing older sister, gently stroking my hair, my cheeks, and occasionally tucking the little girl in. The feeling of being held by her was incredibly comforting.

When I woke up the next day, I was greeted by two beauties. Kristina stirred awake, catching me staring at her. She flicked my forehead. "What are you thinking about so early in the morning?"

But soon, she caught on and laughed helplessly. "I really can't do anything with you."

She then reached into her bag and pulled out a change of clothes, proceeding to undress right in front of me.

"Still shy?" Kristina teased, glancing at me as she slowly removed her outerwear. Her stunning figure was revealed, leaving me utterly spellbound.

She was truly beautiful, truly sexy.

Had I really spent the night with such a beauty?

How could I have slept? I was worse than a beast.

Reflecting on our heartfelt conversation from the night before, I chastised myself for being a fool.

I had thought of myself as a rational man.

Seeing me staring at her, Kristina tapped my forehead gently. "What are you looking at? You slept next to this last night!"

Her voice, falling into my ears, was like an invitation: "You come on, come on..."

Early morning was indeed when desire was at its peak, and I felt like I was about to explode.

I swallowed hard. "Kristina, my bra feels a bit tight. Can you help me adjust it? It's so uncomfortable this way."

Kristina's soft voice broke my trance. She turned around, revealing her bare back.

I was instantly stunned.

My hand reached out, trembling, my heart pounding.

I felt like a virgin in that moment.

"Are you done yet?" she asked.

"Just a bit longer, it'll be done soon!" I managed to croak out, hoping time would slow down.

It took more than twenty seconds before I managed to fasten it.

When Kristina turned around, her eyes were full of emotion.

My throat moved, and I couldn't help but lean in, but just as I was about to, the little girl woke up. "Mom... Dad..."

Hearing her voice, Kristina quickly pushed me away and got dressed.

I was slightly disappointed. If only the little girl had woken up a few minutes later, even one minute would have been good!

After breakfast, it was time for leisure activities.

Many families were sitting in small boats by the shore, rowing towards the center of the lake.

"Lily, sit tight!" Kristina called out, applying sunscreen to the little girl. After she was done, she walked over to me. "Your hands are dirty. I'll help you."

She squatted down, carefully applying the sunscreen to my face, neck, and arms.

Her proximity made her breath tickle my face, carrying a pleasant fragrance.

"Wife, you're so beautiful!" I couldn't help but praise. We were playing the roles of husband and wife, so during the day in front of others, we addressed each other as such.

"You're just sweet-talking!" she retorted.

"Do you not know whether I'm sweet-talking or not?"

"Don't say such things in front of the child!" she scolded, but I could see the amusement in her eyes.

This woman was really good to me, and I should treat her sincerely. Appropriate jokes can deepen the feelings between us, but overly blunt flirting would make me feel like I'm desecrating her.

She was like a delicate flower in my heart, a softness deep within.

"Daddy, let's go boating too!" Lily pleaded.

I was about to agree when a 'plop' sound echoed from the water not far away, as if someone had thrown a big stone into the water.

A child's cry followed, "Ah, someone please save my aunt, my aunt has fallen into the water!" In the blink of an eye, everyone was on their feet. I followed the commotion to see a child crying out from a small boat!

A splash echoed across the water as a man on the shore took a daring leap into the lake. The teachers and the principal, startled by the sudden uproar, rushed over to the scene.

"Everyone, let's move away from the shore!" some parents urged, swiftly guiding their children to safety. The depth of Green Lake was a known terror, plunging nearly fifty meters at its deepest point, and even the shoreline was a daunting two to three meters deep.

The child's cries pierced the air, a desperate plea to the water, "Auntie, come up quickly, Auntie..." It was a heart-wrenching sound. Despite the crowd of parents, only the man who had initially jumped in dared to brave the water.

A voice from the crowd shouted, "Quick, go get a lifeguard!"

"But it's too late," another countered. "It would take at least three minutes to get there from here. Round trip would be six to seven minutes. She won't be able to hold on!"

The woman in the water was growing farther from the boat with each frantic stroke. Panic often leads to thrashing when one falls into water. The man who had attempted to save her was not a strong swimmer; after about ten meters, his pace began to falter.

"Oh no, she's sinking!" a voice from the crowd announced, escalating the tension. The scene was chaotic, with some of the younger children breaking into fearful tears.