Chapter 4 - The Island CageThe fog off the coast of Maine was so thick it swallowed the lighthouse beams, turning the ocean into a vast, gray abyss.
I navigated my private boat through the jagged rocks of Blackwood Island, a secluded piece of land owned privately by the Rhodes family for over a century. It was an island with no cell service, no public ferry access, and only one grand Victorian estate sitting on the cliffs like a gothic prison.
My investigator had found the flight plan and the boat logs. Winston Rhodes had moved Naomi and Bella here under the guise of "protection," but I knew the truth. They were hostages. A leverage tool to ensure I signed the voting shares over to Camille.
I killed the boat’s engine, letting the hull glide silently against the wooden dock of the island.
I scrambled up the wet stone steps, my hands slipping on the moss, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm. The Victorian house loomed ahead, its windows dark except for a single yellow light burning on the second floor.
I didn't knock. I pushed the heavy oak door open, my hand gripping a heavy flashlight I had brought from the boat.
The foyer was cold, smelling of damp wood and salt. "Naomi!" I called out, my voice echoing up the grand staircase. "Naomi! Bella!"
"Elliot?"
A small, frightened voice came from the top of the stairs.
I looked up. Naomi stood there, wearing a heavy wool blanket over her shoulders, her face pale and her eyes wide with terror. Behind her, holding her hand, was Bella, rubbing her eyes and clutching her stuffed elephant.
"Elliot, how did you find us?" Naomi cried, running down the stairs. I met her halfway, throwing my arms around her. She trembled violently in my embrace, her head burying into my neck. "Winston's men... they came to my school. They told me you had signed the papers to take Bella away. They said they were protecting us from your family's lawyers."
"It was a lie," I whispered fiercely, kissing her temple, my eyes stinging. "It was all a lie to make me sign my shares over to Camille. I would never take Bella from you, Naomi. Never."
I looked down at Bella, who was staring up at me with her bright, sleepy eyes. I knelt before her, just like I had at the airport.
"Hi, Bella," I said softly, my voice breaking.
She looked at me for a long second, then let go of Naomi's hand. She took two steps forward and pressed her stuffed elephant against my chest. "Ellie," she murmured, a tiny smile forming on her lips. "Man came back."
I pulled her into my arms, holding her tiny, warm body against my chest as a sob finally tore out of my throat. She was my daughter. She was my blood, my heart, and the only real thing I had ever produced in my empty, gilded life.
"We have to leave, Elliot," Naomi said, pulling on my sleeve, her eyes darting toward the dark windows. "Winston’s security guards... they patrol the dock every two hours. They’ll be back soon."
"We're leaving now," I said, standing up with Bella in my arms.
But as we turned toward the front door, the grand chandelier in the foyer suddenly snapped on, blinding us with its brilliant, crystal light.
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Camille stood in the doorway, flanked by two large security guards in black suits. She held a silver pen and the marriage amendment contract in her hand.
"How romantic," Camille said, her voice dripping with a cruel, mocking amusement. "The tragic prince saving his peasant family. But unfortunately, Elliot, this island belongs to my father. And you've just committed criminal trespass."
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