The dawn over the archipelago was a bruised purple, the sky bleeding into the sea in a way that I would have found beautiful if I weren't so terrified. The brass key Adrian had given me was clutched in my palm, its jagged edges biting into my skin—a physical anchor in a world that was shifting beneath my feet.
Adrian stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, fully dressed in a tailored charcoal suit that made him look like the formidable CEO again, yet the way he stared at the horizon was different. The predatory edge had been replaced by a quiet, somber resolve. He had promised to go to the mainland. He had promised to tell the truth.
"The boat is ready," he said, his voice echoing in the minimalist room. "The legal team is waiting at the harbor in Jakarta. Julian is already being transpor
