The storm outside wasn’t just a heavy downpour anymore; it had devolved into an absolute assault on the mainland. Sheets of grey water slammed against the massive glass windows of my master suite, the glass rattling with a low, menacing vibration every time the wind tore through the surrounding tree canopies. It was a brutal night, the kind that made the walls of the mansion feel less like a sanctuary and more like a beautifully gilded cage.
I couldn't sit still. I paced the length of my floor, the silk of my trousers whispering against the polished hardwood, my jaw clenched so tightly my teeth ached. Every single instinct inside my chest was screaming, pulling me toward the window, pulling my eyes toward the black horizon where the island sat shrouded in the tempest.
I wanted to call he
