Alyssa's pale green eyes locked onto Raven's cat-like blue ones without flinching. The harbor wind whipped her platinum blonde hair across her face, but she didn't brush it away. Water still dripped from Raven's soaked clothes, marking time like a metronome on the deck between them.
"Yes."
The word came out clear and unwavering, carrying the weight of a decision that would reshape everything. This wasn't the spoiled Navy princess who'd demanded respect in restaurants or thrown tantrums over sleeping arrangements. This was someone who'd watched her father's tyranny crumble and chosen to walk away from everything she'd ever known.
Raven's expression softened, just slightly. Her fingers stopped wringing water from her hair, and for the first time since climbing aboard, she looked genuinely surprised.
"You don't even know what you're agreeing to," she said, though her voice had lost its sharp edge.
