CHAPTER SEVEN: A LOVE WRITTEN IN BLOOD

The sun kissed the ocean as Leon's private jet landed on an island so breathtaking, it felt like stepping into a dream.

Palm trees swayed in the breeze, and the scent of salt and fresh flowers filled the air.

"Do you like it?" Leon asked, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I smiled, my heart swelling. "It's beautiful."

For the first time in a long time, I felt free.

No deaths.

No fear.

Just me and the man I loved.

But freedom was an illusion.

Because even in paradise, shadows lurked.

Leon spared no expense.

A private villa. Candlelit dinners. Moonlit walks on the shore.

Every night, we made love under the stars, and I convinced myself that this was real.

That this was love.

But something was off.

Leon was too careful.

Too precise.

One evening, he guided me to a secluded spot near the cliffs.

"Give me your hand," he whispered.

Without hesitation, I placed my palm in his.

He smiled. And then…

He pressed my hand against something cold and metallic.

A knife.

My heart skipped. "What are you doing?" I laughed nervously.

"Just trust me," he murmured, pressing my fingers tighter.

I did.

I trusted him.

And that trust was about to destroy me.

I laughed softly, feeling a rush of warmth as Leon guided my fingers along the cool blade.

"Why are we doing this?" I asked playfully.

Leon smiled, his gaze deep and unreadable. "Just making memories, my love."

I didn't question it.

I should have.

But I was too lost in him.

In the way his fingers traced my palm.

In the way his lips brushed against my forehead.

I never noticed how carefully he placed my fingerprints on the handle before slipping the knife away.

The next morning, the island was alive with beauty.

Leon had planned another surprise.

"A private cruise," he said. "Just you, me, and a few other guests."

I was thrilled.

The yacht was grand, luxurious, and everything felt perfect.

But by the time the sun set, whispers spread among the crew.

One of the guests was missing.

I barely noticed at first, too caught up in Leon's arms, too enchanted by his kisses.

Until the whispers turned into shouts.

"She never came back to her room."

"We need to search the waters."

Fear prickled down my spine, but Leon pulled me close, his voice calm.

"Don't worry," he murmured against my ear. "These things happen."

His words should have reassured me.

But why did they send a shiver down my spine.?

The yacht remained in chaos, but Leon never let me feel it.

He held me close, whispered sweet reassurances, and shielded me from the frantic voices of the crew.

"People disappear all the time," he murmured, stroking my hair as I rested against his chest. "Maybe she just got lost on the island."

I wanted to believe him.

So I did.

The next day, the missing guest was still nowhere to be found.

The crew whispered of a police investigation, but Leon's influence was powerful.

Before the search could go too deep, he arranged for us to leave.

"It's best we go home," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "You don't need to be around all this stress."

And just like that, we left the island.

I never thought to question why Leon seemed so unaffected.

Why he never looked worried.

Why, when I took his hand on the plane, I swore I felt his pulse remain perfectly steady.

As soon as we arrived back at the mansion, I felt relief.

Familiar walls. Familiar comfort.

Leon poured me a glass of wine and pulled me onto his lap.

"You trust me, don't you?" he whispered, his lips brushing against my skin.

"Of course," I breathed.

He smiled.

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

I didn't know that by the time I finished my wine—

The police would be on their way.

And they wouldn't be looking for Elena.

They would be looking for me.