Chapter 1

I went diving with my boyfriend during vacation. Underwater, his classmate Keira yanked off my mask.

After barely making it back to shore alive, I immediately called the police and had her arrested.

My boyfriend watched everything I did and nodded silently. "Keira really needed to be taught a lesson."

But a year later on the same date, I was kidnapped and taken to a deserted island. Slaps rained down on my face.

"You love tattling to the police, don't you? Go ahead, report me! You owe me this! You owe me!" The voice was familiar yet crazed—it was Keira, my boyfriend's classmate who had just been released from prison.

My face burned with stinging pain, but my boyfriend beside me remained unmoved. He even handed Keira a glass of hot water.

"Don't be scared. Once Keira vents her anger, it'll be fine. We owe her this."

But he didn't know—I was pregnant.

And if my phone lost signal for more than 18 hours, it would automatically send my satellite location to my three brothers.

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Tears welled in my eyes as I looked at Zachary with desperate hope. "Save me, please."

The usually proud me was begging him. It moved Zachary, but after glancing at Keira and looking back at me, his eyes held only apology.

"I..." I'm carrying our child—but before I could finish, he cut me off.

"Miranda, we owe Keira this." Zachary kissed away the tears at the corners of my eyes, gently blowing on my reddened, swollen face.

"Don't worry, Keira knows her limits."

On the other side, watching Zachary kiss me only enraged Keira further.

She grabbed the rope binding me and dragged me to the shore, kicking at the back of my knees. But my pride as a Holmes daughter wouldn't let me kneel.

"Let me go!" I kept shouting, but it was useless—this was an isolated island.

"Shout all you want! I'm taking you diving. You love diving, don't you?" She grabbed my hair and yanked hard. My scalp screamed with pain.

"If you hadn't gone diving, how would I have 'accidentally' removed your mask? It's all your fault!"

So it was about last year's diving incident. But that was clearly deliberate—how could a woman in her twenties do that by accident?

I twisted my body, struggling violently, which only made her pull my hair harder.

"Stop moving!" Keira suddenly shoved my head underwater for dozens of seconds.

Watching me choke and struggle, she revealed a maniacal smile.

"I just love Zachary, that's all. He rejected me, so I wanted to punish you a little. Why did you have to be so aggressive? Why did you have me arrested? What's wrong with loving someone?"

At this, Keira's rage peaked, and she kicked me in the stomach. That one kick nearly caused a miscarriage.

The intense pain made me cry out: "Help... save my baby!"

Keira panicked too.

Just then, footsteps sounded from the nearby bushes.

It was Zachary, returning with the medical kit.

Seeing me lying on the ground screaming, his pupils constricted. He slid to his knees beside me, trembling hands lifting me up.

"Zachary, she's pregnant? I think I kicked her and she's bleeding. Do you feel sorry for her?" Keira ran to Zachary's side, watching him anxiously.

Zachary's face looked terrible.

Seeing this, Keira broke down crying. "What about me? What about the harm I suffered in prison? You knew I liked you!"

Zachary struggled to tear his gaze from me, releasing his hold and laying me back down.

He turned and embraced Keira, patting her soothingly. "I know, Keira, I know. But I only love Miranda."

He sighed again, his eyes overflowing with heartache as he looked at me.

"This... this is what we owe you."

Zachary retrieved surgical tools from the medical kit that he always carried. In the dusty air, he walked toward me step by step.

I wanted to push him away, but I had no strength left. I could only watch helplessly as Zachary's hands moved.

The anesthesia was administered. I lost consciousness. Zachary, is this what you meant by protecting me?

When I woke again, I felt the connection with my child severed. I screamed in anguish: "What gives you the right? That was my child! What right did you have to decide his life or death alone?"

Just two days ago, I'd ordered so many cute baby clothes online, imagining my baby calling me "Mommy."

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