In desperation, I looked toward Max and shouted with all the strength I had left, “Max! Pull me up! She can’t hold on much longer!”
Max gently released the woman in his arms and looked down at me. His eyes paused on my bleeding arm and bare fingers, and he frowned slightly. His voice came out calm, almost distant.
“There’s water below. From this height, you won’t die. Wait for the rescue team.”
That was the last thing I heard before I fell. The client’s strength gave out completely, and her hand slipped away.
The freezing lake hit me like a wall, and for a moment, everything went black. Dirty water filled my lungs and burned my chest, but even that pain wasn’t as unbearable as his words.
When they finally pulled me out, the doctor said I had swallowed too much water, my lungs were badly infected, and I needed urgent treatment.
But the person who came to sign the papers wasn’t Max; it was his assistant.
He looked at my pale face and said in a scolding tone, “Madam, do you realize that because of your impulsive behavior, President Kennedy almost missed his international conference tonight?”