Chapter 22

Jasmine learned to be obedient on the 27th day of being held captive. She stopped fighting, stopped refusing food, and even smiled at Caesar once in a while. At first, Caesar was cautious, but slowly he began to believe she might have truly accepted her fate. "What do you want to eat today?" he asked one morning, standing by the bed while adjusting his tie. Jasmine sat propped against the headboard, her long hair spilling over her shoulders, her voice calm. "Whatever you make." Caesar's fingers paused, surprise flickering in his eyes before he smiled. "Alright." He turned and headed for the kitchen, his usually rigid posture finally relaxing. The moment he disappeared through the door, Jasmine threw back the covers and pulled out a tiny computer she'd hidden under the mattress, a device she'd stolen from Caesar's study the week before. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, entering lines of code. She quietly hacked into the island's security system and sent out an encrypted dist