The transition from the mountain air to the humid, salt-slicked atmosphere of the private island was a fever dream of luxury and dread. We had arrived under the cover of a moonless sky, the black helicopter descending onto a white sand pad like a predatory insect. Now, as the sun rose over the horizon, I stood on the terrace of the "Azure Vault"—a sprawling villa of glass and bleached stone that hung precariously over the coral reefs.
The ocean was beautiful, a shimmering expanse of turquoise that felt like an invitation to drown. But I knew better. The water was patrolled by Vance security drones, and the reef was a natural barricade of jagged limestone.
"It’s breathtaking, isn't it?"
Adrian’s voice was right behind me. He had changed into a white linen shirt, unbuttoned to reveal the
