Chapter 319

Once Carville was out of sight, Hannah leaned in to speak with Vincent. She lowered her voice and quickly shared her observations about the suspicious chemical barrels she had seen while moving supplies.

Suddenly, the quiet was shattered by rough,mocking laughter.

A group of six burly men swaggered over, the smell of sweat and cheap booze hanging around them. All their attention locked on Hannah.

The one in front, teeth stained yellow, grinned wide. "Hey there, pretty thing. Why not join us for some fun?"

"Yeah, come on, sweetheart. We'll show you a good time tonight," another chimed in, his words thick with sleaze.

"Look at that slim waist... Bet it feels even better up close."

Hannah's expression hardened instantly-not out of fear, but from a sharp, rising anger at their crudeness.

The energy around Vincent shifted, growing colder and far more dangerous as he moved in front of Hannah to shield her."You really want to start something?" His voice was low, every word edged with a promise of violence.

The leader swallowed nervously at the look in Vincent's eyes,but his confidence returned with his crew at his back. He sneered sharply, "Guys, take him down! Then we'll have our fun with his woman right in front of him-that's what I call excitement!"

With a howl, the group surged forward. Vincent's movements blurred-he darted between the first two,grabbing one attacker by the wrist and wrenching it until a sickening crack echoed, followed by a scream of pain.

His right leg swept out in a precise arc, catching another thug square in the ribs and sending him crashing to the ground.

Not a single motion wasted, Vincent dropped two opponents in mere seconds.

Hannah stood right behind him, not flinching, not losing her focus. She kept her eyes open, assessing every move. As Vincent dispatched the first pair, a man tried to exploit the chaos,swinging a heavy club at Vincent's exposed back.

"Look out!" Hannah yelled, her voice slicing through the chaos.

She dropped low, grabbed a bag of laundry powder from the pile, and hurled it straight at the attacker with all the force she could muster.

Whoosh! White powder burst in every direction, clouding the entire workshop in a thick, chalky haze.

"Move!" she shouted, grabbing Vincent's arm as he stumbled backward from the momentum of his last strike.

Vincent caught on immediately, reversing his grip to hold her wrist.

The two of them tore through the swirling dust, racing for a quiet corner out of sight.

"Don't let them escape!"

"Go after them! Don't let them get away!"

Shouts and coughing trailed them, angry voices echoing through the smoke.

While they ran, Vincent spoke in short bursts, his breathing While they ran, Vincent spoke in short bursts, his breathing quick but his words sharp. "These aren't just random thugs, see how steady they are? Their moves are practiced. They're trained, almost like soldiers. I think they were testing my skills."

A jolt of fear ran through Hannah. Why would anyone be testing Vincent's strength?

At that moment, a sharp voice rang out, hoarse and hurried."This way! Quickly! Follow me!" The sound came from somewhere behind a pile of old, rust-stained oil barrels.

It was Carville. He appeared, hunched over and waving them toward him, anxiety plain on his face. "There's a hidden door this way. It leads outside. They won't catch you-quickly,before they come!"

Hannah's brow furrowed. "Why are you helping us?"

Carville let out a heavy sigh. "Those men have done the same thing to my daughter. I can't stand by anymore."

Vincent and Hannah locked eyes, reading the same question in each other's gaze, and then made a split-second decision to trust Carville.

They slipped through a hidden iron door that Carville revealed behind the barrels.

A narrow passage stretched beyond the threshold, thick with the musty scent of mold and rust. Dimn light barely lit their way.

Carville hurried ahead, glancing back to urge them along."Keep moving! You're safe here!"

Vincent gripped Hannah's hand firmly, his eyes scanning every shadow as they moved.

After running for several dozen meters, the passage abruptly widened. What greeted them next made their eyes widen in disbelief.

There was no exit-only an underground prison.

Rows of steel bars carved the space into dozens of cages.Inside each cage, a woman huddled. Ages varied wildly,from teenagers to women in their thirties or forties. Every one of them wore tattered clothes, their faces blank and eyes lifeless.

A gasp escaped Hannah, ice creeping up her spine as she realized what they'd found.

Vincent spun, ready to pull her back the way they'd come.

But in that instant, a powerful force ripped them apart.

Clang! A deafening crash rang out as metal slammed down overhead. A heavy cage dropped from above, landing with perfect precision to trap Hannah inside.

The lock snapped shut with a sharp, mechanical click.

Fury burned in Vincent's eyes as he dove toward the bars, his hands gripping the cold steel. But he was already too late.

Carville straightened, no longer hunched, his lips curling into a cold,menacing smile.

Shaking her head at Vincent, Hannah faced Carville squarely."You led us here on purpose. What are you really after?"