When Nathaniel Nathan reached for Vera Xavier's arm, he wanted to pull her away but ultimately drew his hand back. A life was on the line, after all. No matter how unhappy he felt, he could only endure it. His expression, however, turned impossibly grim, and a chilling aura radiated from him.
He stood to the side, counting how many rescue breaths Vera Xavier gave the girl. 'I'll kiss her back that exact number of times later!' he resolved.
Vera Xavier, her mind completely consumed with saving the girl, didn't notice Nathaniel Nathan at all. At long last, the girl began to breathe again. She spat out a mouthful of water and started coughing violently.
The surrounding crowd let out a collective sigh of relief. The girl had been saved.
Just then, a middle-aged woman ran over in a panic, shouting frantically, "Lana! Lana, are you all right?"
Seeing the girl on the ground, she threw her arms around her. "I heard you fell into the river! You scared me to death!"
