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Desmond and the other staff had placed bets on Jasper finding out, yet the poor schmuck hadn’t until it was too late. Not even when Soleil became pregnant.

He had struck up a friendship with one of the fishermen who would bring fresh food daily to Sherguevil Island from Clindale. The fisherman had been unaware of his son sneaking children from their island onto Sherguevil. The small band of pickpockets would fleece Gabriel’s guests then sneak back onto the boat without being caught by his fisherman friend. Mateo was a good-looking boy who would take a cut of kid’s thefts. To do it over again, Desmond would have told his friend what was going on behind his back, but he had stayed out of it.

During one of his breaks, he had been sent to shore for supplies, and he had seen one of the children whom Mateo had brought to the island singing in the marketplace.

Her features differed from the other native children in the crowd. Watching her, he realized she was with Mateo. Curious, he had taken Mateo to the side and questioned him on whom the child belonged to. When Mateo had told him that she was the child of the teacher and the water engineer on their island, he had warned Mateo that he shouldn’t be bringing the child to the island. He had promised not to, and Desmond had taken him at his word.

Giving the child one last look, he had returned to the ship, knowing the child was no more Jasper’s than his. If he could figure it out, it was only a matter of time before Gabriel would.

He had heard whispers about the owner of the island, and he didn’t want Mateo or Gyi drawn into the confrontation he could see was brewing.

In Queens City, he had seen too many lives destroyed by infidelities when King had opened the strip bar. They never ended well and usually ended in bloodshed.

Returning to the boat, Desmond had put the child out of his mind when he had heard that Aanya and Ivan had gotten in a fight while he was gone. He had been the one tasked with taking Aanya’s meals or fulfilling her requests when she wanted something from the kitchen. Often, she would strike up conversations with him, asking him about some of the islands they visited. Gradually, she had begun confiding in him. Infuriated with her husband, he had drawn out those conversations, trying to get her to notice him as someone other than the friend she took him for. In his make-believe world, Aanya would realize she was in love with him and run away with him.

Grimacing at himself now, he still couldn’t understand how foolish and unrealistic he had been. Aanya had never, by word or action, given any signs of feelings for him, other than being a confidant.

The loud arguments between Aanya and Ivan coming from their suite had the crew concerned yet unable to interfere for fear of losing their job, or worse. Desmond had been saving every dime he earned, preparing to sweep Aanya away as soon as she gave the word. Every day grew more and more tense until the crew was jumping at every movement Ivan made to keep him happy.

Staring out at the darkened streets he had claimed as his empire, Desmond could only shake his head at what an idiot he had been. In every way, he had never stood a chance with the beautiful woman. He had been much younger, unsophisticated, and with no future ahead of him, yet he had still believed that once Aanya was away from Ivan, she would miraculously return his feelings. In hindsight, he had prepared for every eventuality, even using some of the money he had been saving for Aanya and his escape to purchase false documentation.

The person he had bought his fake identity from had given one based on a real person who had died overseas. With every member of the deceased man’s family dead, except for the father who had lost his wealth, Bernard Benson lived on Sherguevil Island as a waiter. Desmond had met him during one of the many trips to the market. Not above selling his dead son’s identity, he had also managed to get one for Aanya.

As the fights between Aanya and Ivan escalated, Desmond was in a constant state of wariness for her. Ivan had a maniacal temper when raised. Two members of the crew had gone missing when Ivan had used them to transport him to the island. Some assumed they had taken the opportunity to run off, while others, like him, had assumed the worst.

On edge, he had silently made the preparations to sneak off the boat. Going so far as to steal the spare key to the boat that transported Ivan to the island.