Eye One rose and opened the door.
A gust of wind swept in—clean, wild, and laced with salt. It kissed my cheeks and lifted strands of my hair.
Kenji unlatched my seatbelt with one hand, never letting go of the other. His gaze flicked down to my lips, and then back to my eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” I said, but the word felt too small for what was happening inside me.
He undid his seat belt.
Then, together we rose to our feet and headed to the door.
He helped me down like a gentleman from another century, palm bracing my lower back, fingertips grazing the curve of my waist. His touch was careful and romantic.
The cool wind was stronger on the landing pad. It tangled in my hair and tugged at the hem of my cape. Salt hung faint in the air.
We stood at the top of a narrow marble path, flanked by torches burning blue and gold.
The island loomed, surrounding us with the sound of crashing waves against the shoreline and the gentle rustle of trees.
As Kenji guided me forward, I didn’t see much at first—just the sharp glint of marble steps, a black waterfall cascading inthe distance, trees that looked too symmetrical to be wild, and silhouettes of armed men along the edge of a cliff.
But even in the dark, I couldfeelthe grandeur of this place.
Kenji’s voice broke the spell. “This island belonged to my mother.”
I turned toward him.
“She kept this place a secret from my father. Somehow, she managed to hold onto it her entire life without my brother Jobon or I knowing.”
“How did she get this island?”
“It was passed down to her through her bloodline. A gift. . .or maybe a burden. I don’t know. She never spoke of it.” He paused. “But I think it was her dream island. A place she always imagined escaping to when my father or life became too much for her to handle.”
“I’m still shocked she was able to hide a whole island from him.”
“Me too. Hiding something from the Fox is a great feat. That alone makes her a legend.” There was something in his tone—a boyish awe beneath the stoic surface. A son still lovingly adoring a ghost. “I learned about this place after she died.”
“How did you find out?”
He chuckled to himself. “My grandmother’s sister visited me late one night.”
My brows lifted.
“I was away in Singapore for business and asleep in my hotel.”
The wind curled around us.
He stepped closer to shield me from it. “Much to my Roar’s annoyance, my grandaunt and her men appeared without warning and demanded to see me. He had to wake me up. When I walked into the suite’s living room, she handed me a box wrapped in crimson cloth.”
“What did she say?”
“She told me she had waited years to be sure. That it wasn’t Jobon, and it definitely wasn’t my father. She said my mother had begged her—just once—to keep the island deed safe, and to give it to whichever of her sons came to her in a dream.”
“So your grandaunt dreamed of you?”
Kenji gave the smallest nod. “Apparently, a week before that night, she saw me in a white suit standing on a cliff holding a lighter. Behind me, the world was burning. But my face was calm.”
Goosebumps broke out along my skin.
