I surfaced gasping, my dress clinging to me, as applause rippled across the terrace. My father stood at the edge of the fountain, smiling like a man who had won. Water ran down my face. I climbed out slowly, pushed back my hair, and looked straight at him. ‘Don’t forget this moment,’ I said, so calmly that the clapping faltered. My mother’s smile finally cracked.

Then the music cut out. Through the open terrace doors came the low rumble of engines, three black SUVs gliding up to the hotel entrance. Security men in dark suits stepped out and scanned the crowd. A tall man in a charcoal coat followed, his eyes searching until they found me, dripping beside the fountain. The color drained from my sister’s face as he started walking toward us.