Chapter 1

The water rose fast in the garage. The emergency exit was locked, and my phone was down to its last few percent. I climbed onto the car roof.

The phone switched itself off after he hung up, leaving me alone. Desperate, I screamed, "Somebody! Help me!"

I waved like a maniac at the security camera, hoping someone would notice.

No one did.

The floodwaters kept rising, covering me until I was fully submerged.

Panic and pain tore through me as I gripped my necklace, hanging on until everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes, I was floating by the ceiling, watching. From somewhere outside, I heard a shout, "Is anyone there?"

"Miss Tayler!"

Mr. Jordan, the property manager, waded in with a few others. At the emergency exit, he stopped cold.

"Who locked this door?" he asked.

"No idea. It's always open... and that's not even our lock!"

I hovered above them, watching Mr. Jordan's face go pale. A chill washed over me.

Someone wanted me dead.

"Find her！"

"Miss Tayler! "

"Miss Tayler!"

Did they even know I was trapped in there?

I drifted along, watching. This complex was brand new—they'd warned me about the rain, told me to move my car. Last year's flood had totaled a bunch of cars, so as soon as I got the heads-up, I rushed down. But the water was already up to my calves.

I headed to the parking garage, thinking I'd just move my car out. But then this huge surge of water came flooding in, pushing me toward the emergency exit. The door slammed shut from the wind and wouldn't budge, no matter how hard I shoved.

Now it made sense: someone had locked it on purpose. Someone wanted me dead. But who?

I followed the rescue team outside and spotted several workers in bright orange gear. My eyes searched the crowd for Wade.

He was a team leader for the city's rescue squad, usually stationed nearby for emergencies.

But today, of all days, he'd taken his whole team somewhere else.

The ambulance arrived, and when they heard I was trapped, they quickly organized the rescue. The garage was over ten feet deep in water, thick with sticky mud. Mr. Jordan and his crew waded in, struggling with every step.

No one even knew where my body was.

Then Wade finally showed up, trailing his team. Mandy Beech was right behind him.

"Wade, do you think she's hurt? It's all my fault—I delayed the rescue," Mandy murmured, her voice shaky.

"She'll be fine," Wade said, brushing it off. "She always makes a fuss, and there's been a stay-home warning all day. She wouldn't be stupid enough to come out in this weather."

As he spoke, his commanding officer, Connor Smith, stormed over, eyes blazing. "You were stationed closest to the scene and showed up thirty minutes late—where were you?"

"It's my fault," Mandy cut in, sounding regretful as she hovered behind Wade. "My cat ran up a tree, and Wade helped me get her down."

Connor's face hardened. "Wade Deek! There's been a fatality. Whatever your excuse, you're facing serious disciplinary action."

Wade went pale. He hadn't thought anyone would be out in weather like this, much less trapped in a flooded garage.