People who have already read the book further ahead will know who this unknown pov is of- don't comment any spoilers as I'm adding this later on as a prologue 😅

Three weeks before the vacation

Unknown POV

Running away turned out to be easier than I had anticipated.
Evading the hundreds of guards patrolling the property was no small feat, but with the right knowledge and connections, it was manageable.

The element of surprise was on my side. Nobody expected me to take such drastic action, which played in my favor.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

While everyone scrambled to catch the pigeons, ducks, and chickens that had been mysteriously let loose on the grounds, I saw my chance.

I threw my backpack out the window and, as long as I was far away before the CCTV caught my escape, it didn’t matter.

I pulled a mask over my face and adjusted the hood of my hoodie. Moving cautiously, I descended the rarely used back staircase. The setting sun cast long shadows over the mansion as I slipped out the back door, grabbing my bag for the journey ahead.

A few guards patrolled the perimeter, but my partner in crime had already set up the necessary distractions. As the guards pressed their earpieces closer to hear the latest false reports and hurried towards the house, the wall became momentarily unguarded.

By the time they realized the rumors were false and their devices had been tampered with, I would be long gone.

I grabbed a low-hanging tree branch, hoisted myself over the wall, and balanced on the ledge. With one final glance at the sprawling property, I jumped down on the other side, landing smoothly as if I’d done this many times before.

It seemed all those lessons had paid off.

My only ally was waiting in an old, black van at the end of the street. I sprinted to the vehicle, flung open the passenger door, and plopped down with a thud. “Quick, quick!”

The driver, without a glance, revved the engine. “The things I do for you,” he said, his familiar accent ringing in my ears as the van sped away.

A few hours later, we reached our destination. The driver pulled over and sighed, “I miss driving my Porsche.” He would likely abandon this rusty van now that the job was done. We couldn’t use our own cars; it would make tracing our location too easy.

“Thanks, man. I couldn’t have done this without you.” I slapped him on the arm, grateful for his assistance.

“ The speedboat will take you to the island. I’ve drawn a map of the way to the bungalow, you’ll find it easily.” His deep voice was steady as he handed me a new phone meant for emergencies only. My own device was left far behind.

“I’ve warned the salesman to keep quiet. He’s reliable, so don’t worry. But no one else will know your location.”

“You’re seriously the best, Dami boy! I’ll return the favor in the future.” I extended my fist for a bump.

Damyan’s narrow cat eyes glinted with mischief as he grinned. Our fists collided in a quick, brotherly bump.

The wild ocean raged in the background and a single speedboat floated by the dock, waiting for me.

“Well, mate, you’re on your own now. To avoid suspicion, I’m catching the first flight to Tokyo. I plan to lay low on vacation for a while. If people ask, they'll know I have been visiting family in Japan since the last few days. "

I must admit it was a wise decision considering he'll definitely be among the top list of suspects on who could have aided me.

“Great. Do check up on my family after a while, though. I wouldn’t have done this if-” I trailed off, unsure.

“Just focus on what you need to do and leave the rest to me. I'll come back in a week and pretend to look for you.” he smirked, assuring me one last time before we parted ways.

Me towards the unknown island and him towards the airport.

At that time, I thought the days ahead would be painfully lonely. But I trudged ahead with a personal mission to prove myself to a certain someone. A lot of people's future depended on my decision.

But little did I know that during the coming days , my world would collide with a feisty, book loving girl whose presence would have me reevaluating my whole plan.

☠️

I thought I should add this to make the beginning more interesting.

Or should I just let the first chapter take it's course and put this part later on ?

Also, please vote for a cover !

1,2,3 or 4 ?