The gala erupted into chaos—the sharp crack of cannon fire shattered the delicate illusion of celebration. Smoke curled through the grand hall, and panic spread like wildfire.

Amid the turmoil, Ivan was swept up by an unexpected force. Till, the notorious pirate, gripped her firmly, dragging her toward the balcony with a fierce urgency. The ropes bit into Ivan’s wrists, but her glare burned hotter than any chain.

Not a ransom. Bait. The words echoed in her mind, twisting the knot in her chest.

Till didn’t want coin or favors. She wanted Ivan because the princess held the secret map to her father’s hidden fleet — the very fleet that had betrayed and destroyed Till’s crew years ago.

As they swung over the palace gardens, the cold wind tore through her damp hair, but Ivan’s voice remained steady, sharp as a blade. “You think stealing me will break my will?”

Her eyes searched Till’s—fierce, wild, dangerous—and beneath the defiance, a flicker of something else stirred: reluctant fascination. Why risk so much for her? What did this pirate truly want?

Ivan tightened her grip on the rope, every muscle coiled like a spring. She wasn’t just a prize to be taken—she was a storm waiting to be unleashed.