Chapter 10

She's holding a tray of food and smiling at me. Her hair is red and curly, and her eyes are a soft brown color. She's bigger than me, probably at least five inches taller, with an athletic build. She's dressed very casually, in a pair of jean shorts and a white tank top, with flip-flops on her feet.

I think about attacking her. She's a woman, and I have a small chance of winning against her in a fight. I have no chance against Julian.

Her smile widens, as though she's reading my mind. "Please don't jump me," she says, and I can hear the amusement in her voice. "It's quite pointless, I promise. I know you want to escape, but there is really nowhere to go. We're on a private island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean."

The sinking feeling in my stomach worsens. "Whose private island?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

"Why, Julian's, of course."

"Who is he? Who are you people?" My voice is relatively steady as I speak to her. She doesn't make me nervous the way Julian does.

She puts down the tray. "You'll learn everything in due time. I'm here to take care of you and the property. My name is Beth, by the way."

I take a deep breath. "Why am I here, Beth?"

"You're here because Julian wants you."

"And you don't see anything wrong with that?" I can hear the hysterical edge in my tone. I don't understand how this woman is going along with that madman, how she's acting like this is normal.

She shrugs. "Julian does whatever he wants. It's not for me to judge."

"Why not?"

"Because I owe him my life," she says seriously and walks out of the room.

* * *

I eat the food Beth brought me. It's pretty good actually, even though it's not traditional breakfast food. There is grilled fish in some kind of mushroom sauce and roasted potatoes with a side of green salad. For dessert, there's some cut-up mango. Local fruit, I'm guessing

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