Dawn broke slowly over the sea, spilling gold across the deck.
The yacht glided through the quiet waters like a creature half asleep, heavy with secrets.
Naiara had been awake for a while, staring at the ceiling as the hum of the engine vibrated softly beneath her.
Next to her, Damian sat with his back against the headboard, eyes fixed on the horizon through the half-open window.
He looked carved out of stone, strong and lost at the same time.
There was a shadow in his gaze that hadn't been there before, a weight that even silence couldn't hide.
She stirred under the sheets and whispered, still drowsy, "How long have you been awake?"
He turned his head, voice low and rough. "Long enough. Watching you sleep… makes me forget everything else for a second."
A faint smile crossed her lips.
"You don't forget easily, Leo. That's your problem."
He almost flinched at the name.
It burned on his skin, but he didn't correct her. Not now. Not after everything they'd been through.
"There's something I need to tell you," he said quietly.
Her expression tensed. "What is it?"
He stood and walked to the window, the reflection of the sea flickering across his face. When he finally spoke, his voice was strained. "I found out the truth. About your father. And about the man I worked for."
She straightened, unease spreading through her. "What truth?"
Damian exhaled hard, the words cutting out of him.
"Your father sold you, Naiara. Not figuratively, literally. He made a deal with his business partner. And that man, the one who hired me, betrayed him. He took you not to protect you but to sell you again, for even more money."
The world tilted.
For a moment, she could only stare at him, her lips parting soundlessly.
"No… that's impossible. My father… he wouldn't…"
"He would," Damian said softly. "And he did.
When I took this job, I thought it was a protection mission. I thought I was saving you from someone else. I didn't know you were the one everyone wanted."
Naiara shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes.
Her voice trembled. "So I'm nothing more than an asset to him. A transaction."
Damian stepped closer and took her wrists gently.
"Don't say that. You're not like them. And you're not in their hands anymore. Not while I'm still breathing."
She looked up at him through tears. "What are you going to do?"
"Stop them," he said. "When we reach the island, I'll play along, make them think I'm following the plan. But as soon as I get the chance, I'll take you and disappear. There's a hidden part of the island they don't use. Old fishermen's caves. We'll hide there until it's safe, then take one of their boats and escape."
"And if they find us?" she whispered.
"They won't." His eyes locked on hers. "Because I won't let them. You have no idea what I'm capable of when it comes to protecting you."
Something inside her cracked open: fear, disbelief, and a warmth she couldn't name.
"I believe you," she said softly.
Her voice trembled, but her eyes didn't waver.
She reached out and placed her hand over his chest. "You already saved me once. I know you'll do it again."
Damian closed his eyes, the sound of her voice tightening around his heart.
"I don't deserve your trust," he murmured, "but I'll fight to keep it."
"Then don't leave me," she whispered. "No matter what happens."
He smiled faintly, the kind of smile that hid too much pain.
"I couldn't, even if I tried."
Their lips met: slowly, tenderly, like two survivors clinging to a moment of peace in the middle of chaos.
His hands slid into her hair, her fingers curled against his skin.
The kiss deepened, and the air around them thickened with something unspoken: desire, maybe, or desperation.
When they finally pulled apart, they stayed close, foreheads touching, breath mingling.
"What about after?" she asked softly. "After all of this?"
He brushed a strand of wet hair from her face.
"After, there'll be no more orders, no more lies. Just you and me… if you still want that."
Naiara's voice was barely a whisper. "I already do."
He pulled her into his arms.
Outside, the sea kept moving: vast, endless, and unknowable.
Each wave carried them closer to the island… and closer to a truth that neither of them was ready to face.