Chapter 20

• Their escape plan, hatched in the hushed intimacy of the Seabrook cottage, felt audacious, almost reckless. Leaving Julian, a man who controlled every aspect of Cleo's life, was akin to walking through a minefield blindfolded. Yet, the sheer desperation fueled their resolve. The quiet town, initially perceived as a sanctuary, now felt like a cage, their seclusion only amplifying the threat Julian posed. They needed help, an external force to tip the scales in their favor.
• Their first unexpected ally arrived in the form of a weathered fisherman named Silas. He’d seen Cleo and Rowan walking along the beach, their hushed conversations and tense body language hinting at something more than a casual holiday. Silas, a man who valued privacy and understood the unspoken language of hardship, noticed the subtle signs of fear etched onto Cleo's face. He'd lived in Seabrook his entire life, a silent observer of the town's hidden dramas. He’d seen his share of heartache and knew, instinctively, that these two were running from something dangerous.
• Their first interaction was tentative. Silas, a man of few words, simply offered them fresh-caught fish, a silent gesture of goodwill. He observed them from a distance, his keen eyes assessing their vulnerabilities and their resolve. It took several days of careful observation before he decided to approach them directly. One evening, as they sat by the fire in their cottage, the aroma of woodsmoke mingling with the salty air, he knocked softly on their door.