Chapter 534

Bryant came rushing in with news he had just intercepted, his tone urgent as he addressed Hannah, "Ms.Scott, Erica is planning to flee the country because she can't repay her massive debts! At exactly 2 p.m.,she'll be at Dock 3 in Dorbarrow, waiting for a private vessel!"

The words sent Hannah into a cold wave of panic. She couldn't let Erica escape. If she disappeared across the border, equipped with a fresh identity and safely transferred assets, every shred of evidence they had tied her to commercial sabotage and illegal operations would collapse in court. Justice would vanish with her.

Hannah's first instinct was to call the police. She did. Yet, the moment unfolded exactly as she feared-the surveillance recording was too vague, too poorly sourced to justify an official intervention. Legally, Erica could spin the whole situation as a routine trip for business or even a vacation.

Hannah pressed the options in her mind, weighing consequences, searching for any alternative. Her conclusion was stark. If Erica was to be stopped, she had to be the one to do it.

Hannah composed a quick message to Vincent, who was on a business trip, explaining the situation before gearing up for action.

For protection, she gathered the five bodyguards Vincent had placed under her care. Together,they left swiftly for the port at Dorbarrow.

Meanwhile, inside her room at the Jones family estate, Erica was performing with chilling precision. She had discovered the listening device hidden in the painting frame-the one planted by Hannah-and now staged a flawless act for Hannah. She had played the part of someone desperate and preparing to flee in panic.

Erica calculated the timing carefully, confident that Hannah would have heard the message and would take action.

With a cold smile, Erica switched off the listening device, cutting off the transmission From another encrypted phone, she dialed Scorpio. "Scorpio, get your men. Move to Dock 3 in Dorbarrow and prepare to take Hannah Scott alive."

Scorpio's voice carried hesitation. "You're certain she'll show? Is the intel solid? I don't want to drag my crew on a useless chase."

Erica snapped with an edge of fury, "Brixton didn't send you to question my command. You're here to follow orders.Do what I said."

For a brief moment, Scorpio paused, his voice tinged with practical worry. "I don't wvant my team to go through all this effort just to end up empty-handed, wasting precious time."

Erica's lips curled into a confident grin as she toyed with the tiny listening device between her fingers, her demeanor radiating certainty. "Don't worry. It won't be a pointless trip. This time, I'm pretty sure we'll make it. Stay out of sight and wait for my cue then."

At Dorbarrow's Dock 3, the air was thick with the briny tang of the ocean breeze.

Erica arrived well ahead of schedule, clutching a compact suitcase and feigning nervous anticipation for a vessel, though her sharp gaze repeatedly darted toward the dock's entrance.

Soon,a convoy of sleek black vehicles roared into view, screeching to a halt nearby.

Hannah emerged, flanked by five highly skilled security operatives. The group swiftly fanned out, encircling Erica, who appeared alone and vulnerable.

Hidden in the darkness, Scorpio and his crew froze in shock at the sight of Hannah.

How could this woman bear such an uncanny resemblance to Erica?

Erica, putting on a display of outrage and disbelief, confronted Hannah. "Hannah, what's the meaning of this? Why are you boxing me in with all these people?"

Hannah's stare was cold and unyielding,her voice resolute."Isn't it clear? You're not slipping away today,Erica." A flicker of genuine surprise crossed Erica's face, her eyes narrowing subtly. "When did you figure it out?"She was alluding to her true identity as Erica.

Hannah's lps twisted into a scornful smirk. "We've known since you tried to strike a deal with my staff after plagiarizing my company's game."

Erica hadn't anticipated that Hannah's suspicions went back that far."SO1it started that early... You've been playing me all along, making me look like a fool?"

"Making you look like a fool?" Hannah's gaze was piercing."We were gathering evidence by the book to send you, the mastermind behind all those schemes and shady operations, to prison!"

"Prison?" Erica let out a mocking laugh, her expression morphing into one of eerie triumph. "Hannah, do you honestly believe I'd let you have that opportunity? The one trapped here today is you!"

Abruptly, she raised her voice, calling out to the seemingly deserted dock, "What are you waiting for? Show yourselves!"

Before her words could fully fade, the muffled cracks of silenced gunfire pierced the air.

In a heartbeat, before they could respond, the five expertly trained guards Hannah had brought collapsed,their blood pooling across the dock's surface.

The attack was sudden and ruthless.

Hannah's stomach dropped. She realized too late that she'd walked intoa meticulously crafted trap. The so-called "escape" was nothing but a lure to draw her here.

Desperate, she spun toward the nearest car, hoping to flee.

But a figure emerged from the shadows, striking her neck with a brutal blow.

A wave of pain and vertigo overwhelmed Hannah. Her vision darkened, and she crumpled to the ground,unconscious.