The days on the island had taken on a strange, almost sacred rhythm. Mornings were quiet soft light filtering through the floor to ceiling windows, the distant sound of waves, and Daddy’s steady breathing beside me. I would wake up before him sometimes, lying still with my hand on my growing belly, feeling the baby move. Each kick was both a comfort and a chain, anchoring me deeper into this life I had chosen.
Today was no different.
I slipped out of bed carefully, the new rose-gold collar cool against my skin. I walked to the balcony in my silk robe, the fabric whispering against my legs. The ocean stretched endlessly before me, beautiful and merciless. No boats. No rescue. No escape. Only the horizon and the man sleeping behind me.
This is what surrender looks like.
Daddy found me t
