Page 86 of Knot a Thief

Why did my slick gush and my perfume emit as I sat between them?

Everything is changing. I’ve been here for less than one week, and I desperately need to escape this island. Escape from them.

I don’t think the omega in me will last for nine months.

I sigh as I look out at the vast expanse of the Mediterranean Sea. It stretches out before me, a canvas of blues and greens that goes on forever. My eyes follow the path of sunlight that travels to Ibiza.

I can just make out the hazy silhouette of the island, a reminder of the world beyond this gilded cage.

I need to escape.

My eyes scan the horizon, searching for passing boats or signs of life beyond the island. A wild thought crosses my mind—what if I just started swimming?

Would some kind fisherman or carefree sailor spot me, a desperate woman fighting against the waves? Or would I simply vanish into the sea, another forgotten soul swallowed by its depths?

A shiver runs down my spine as darker possibilities intrude.

What if no one sees me?

Could I really make it all the way to Ibiza?

More likely, my journey will end abruptly, my body battered by the unforgiving hull of a passing yacht?

I shake my head, trying to dispel these morbid thoughts.

Glancing at my watch, I see it’s 7:30 am. A pang of longing hits me as I realize Lily will finish her breakfast soon.

Despite everything, I can’t help but hope to see her smiling face today.

Silas’ words echo in my mind, constant and haunting. “After everything. You owe me that much”

The weight of guilt settles heavy on my chest. If I’m truly the reason her mother left this world, I feel I owe Lily everything? Or at least, something.

With a heavy heart, I turn back towards the house, my steps slow and heavy.

Once inside my bedroom, I sink onto the edge of my bed, the plush mattress a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me.

Leaving this island will be easy, but leaving Lily behind will be excruciating. Just the thought threatens to overwhelm me. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I can already feel the phantom pain of her absence. She’ll leave a void in my life. She’s the child I never thought I wanted. But deep down, past the ache and the guilt, I know the truth: she’s not mine. She never was, and she never can be.

Don’t do this to yourself. Be strong, Ava.

My hand drops to my belly.

My thoughts drift to Seb, waiting for me in a world that seems impossibly far away.

Would he want to bring this baby up with me?

Or would he prefer I hand the baby over to Max?

My gorgeous beta wants a family.

Seb’s face, once so clear in my mind, now seems hazy and distant. But he’s the one I need. That and my freedom. Not this shiny cage disguised as a beautiful island.

My eyes fall on the picture-perfect blue sea beyond my bedroom, but it’s my hearing that heightens as the rotors of a helicopter get louder and closer.

Tears stream down my face as I rush to the window.

“Oh my God,” I whisper as I watch my chance of freedom, a black helicopter, getting closer. “It’s the food delivery.”

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