Chapter 3:

First Night Suite Claiming

I barely slept in that stupid tiny cabin. Captain Kai’s words kept echoing sleep naked and I did, just to spite him, or maybe to obey him. I couldn’t decide which. By morning a polite steward knocked, saying my belongings were being moved to the Presidential Suite on the top deck. No arguments. No paperwork. Just Kai’s authority making everything happen.

When I stepped inside the suite, my jaw dropped. Floor to ceiling windows wrapped around the living area, opening onto a massive private balcony with a hot tub and loungers overlooking endless turquoise ocean. The bed was enormous, dressed in crisp white linens....