Chapter 33

Cecilia I rose early, the sky outside still painted in soft shades of gray-blue. Amara remained asleep, her breathing slow and shallow beneath the sheets. My stomach growled—sharp and insistent. I hadn't eaten since that single bite of cake on the yacht. By three a.m., I'd been wide awake, hunger gnawing like a restless beast. After a quiet meal in the near-empty hotel restaurant, I found myself wandering. The hotel grounds opened into a sprawling tropical garden, wild and carefully curated all at once. Palm fronds swayed high above, casting shifting shadows across the mossy stone path. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, green leaves, and something sweeter—like jasmine after rain. I stepped beneath the canopy of trees, the morning breeze tugging at the hem of my dress. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in fractured gold, warming my skin in patches. For a moment, I closed my eyes. No voices. No commands. No eyes watching me like I was something to be claimed. Just wind,