I stepped into the cabin and was instantly overwhelmed.
Not only were there three fully stocked refrigerators, but the entire island was under surveillance. There was even a weather monitoring system.
Jaren had gone to great lengths to ensure I would never escape.
And I trusted him so foolishly.
Clutching my injured leg, I pounded the ground in anguish.
The very hand I had clung to in my darkest moment turned out to be the one that had pushed me into hell.
Just then, the weather monitoring system on the large screen flashed a red warning.
As a geography major, I recognized it immediately.
A tsunami was coming in a week.
This was my chance.
I altered the system’s data, erasing all warning signals.
I would use this tsunami to escape—once and for all.
Jaren returned, pretending he had been out hunting.
Ignoring the pain in my leg, I took a shortcut and arrived back at the cave before him.
He gently kissed me awake.
Stretching lazily, I turned to see him holding out his hand.
In his palm was a small rabbit.
"Reese, this is to keep you company. Do you like it?"
Suppressing the wave of disgust rising within me, I forced myself to smile.
Rabbits were Suzzette’s favorite animal. She loved them so much that even mentioning spicy rabbit heads at home was forbidden. Otherwise, she would cry and wail, accusing me of being cruel and bullying her.
As a result, I had been punished—banned from eating at the dinner table for three nights.
Jaren placed the rabbit in my arms. “From now on, when I go hunting, it will keep you company.”
I barely managed to curl my lips into a smile.
My gaze shifted to the pile of meat he had placed on the ground. Casually, I asked, “What kind of meat is that?”
Jaren answered nonchalantly, “Dog.”
I nearly threw up.
We had eaten that same meat two days ago.
Rage flared in my heart.
He was doing this on purpose.
I had told him before—my best friend growing up had been a dog.
"Why would you eat—" I clenched my teeth, stopping myself mid-sentence.
Jaren replied matter-of-factly, “There’s no food. We eat whatever we can to survive.”
He wasn’t hunting at all. He was just torturing me!
There were so many options, yet he deliberately chose the one that would hurt me the most.
Fine. If he wanted to act, I would play along.
That night, I clung to Jaren, whispering sweet words, offering soft touches.
He was lost in desire when I suddenly brought up the idea of building a boat to leave the island.
Instantly, he shoved me away.
Tears welled in my eyes. “You don’t want to go home with me? Don’t you want to see my parents?”
He wiped my tears hastily. “...That’s not it. Fine, I’ll help you.”
The next day, he brought several wooden planks to the entrance of the cave, claiming he would build a boat.
But before dawn, he came to me with a regretful expression.
"The planks were chewed up by wild beasts. They’re useless now."
I threw myself into his arms, sobbing pitifully.
Jaren held me, gently patting my back, comforting me for a long time.
What he didn’t know was that I never cared about the planks. What I truly wanted was the ropes he used to tie them together.
And while he continued his charade of “hunting,” I had already begun secretly rehabilitating my injured leg.
He had no idea.
As usual, he brought me a steaming bowl of herbal medicine.
I stared at it, lost in thought.
Jaren had told me these herbs were difficult to find. Once, he had almost fallen off a cliff while gathering them.
"Drink it all," he urged. "So you can heal faster."
"Reese, once you're better, I’ll take you to see the scenery."
This so-called wild man—who usually spoke so few words—had suddenly become fluent in sweet talk.
All to keep me from learning the truth.
All to continue his lies for Suzzette.
