Chapter 535

Hannah stirred with effort, uncertain how long she had been out, only to realize she was in an unfamiliar place. Her wrists were bound behind her, a black cloth covered her eyes, and a gag pressed against her mouth.

She steadied her thoughts, straining to interpret the noises nearby.

Erica's tone, dripping with eager praise and desperate to impress, echoed close by, filled with excitement.

"Mr. Ward, see! This is Hannah, the woman Vincent treasures most! I delivered her to you."

Brixton's voice came evenly, laced with faint amusement. "Oh? So..." He halted, his gaze flicking between Hannah and Erica. "You went to such extremes merely to impersonate her and approach Vincent?"

His words hit a sore spot, and her voice turned awkward and flustered."Yes."

Brixton scoffed. "Idiot. You endured all that torment to alter your face, yet still failed to capture a single man? How pathetic."

Erica attempted to defend herself. "Mr. Ward, Vincent is too shrewd and guarded..."

"Enough!" Brixton snapped sharply, cutting her off. "I have no patience for excuses. I only care about results. Now that you've brought her here, do you need me to teach you what to do next?"

Erica answered with deference, "Understood! I'll send a message to Vincent right away, demanding a ransom!"

She understood perfectly that Brixton's identity had to remain in the shadows, while she took the forefront for extortion.

Brixton, content, gave a slight nod and lazily waved her away with faint irritation, signaling she should leave.

However, Erica lingered and then hesitantly said,"Mr.Ward..."

Brixton's voice turned icy."What now?" The atmosphere thickened, pressing heavily on the room.

Summoning her nerve, Erica carefully ventured, "Regarding the remaining factories, may I continue overseeing them? I swear this time, I'll..."

Before she could finish, Brixton advanced a few steps, drawing a small knife and pressing it against her neck. "Are you questioning my authority?"

Erica's tone quivered with fright. "I wouldn't dare, Mr. Ward! I only want to make up for my errors and help you run the operation well."

Brixton snorted, withdrawing the blade. "Focus on handling this ransom first. Then we'll revisit this talk,understood?"

"Understood!" Erica replied like someone spared from doom, retreating in haste.

Afterwad, Scorpio came forward with an inquiry, pointing at Hannah. "Mr. Ward, what shall we do with this woman?"

Brixton's voice turned lax again, carrying its lazy cadence. "Keep her apart from other captives of ours and place a pair of sharp guards over her. Ensure she remains unharmed before her man pays up, but don't let her grow too comfortable."

"Yes!" Scorpio answered.

Hannah assessed her perilous predicament. It seemed this"Mr. Ward" was the real power behind the scenes, while Erica was merely a disposable underling. Their reason for abducting her was obvious. They aimed to squeeze ransom from Vincent. Yet, was it truly only about money?

Feigning unconsciousness, Hannah offered no resistance as two figures heaved her up roughly. They dragged her away before flinging her into another place.

Once the heavy iron door shut and locked, silence wrapped around her.

Realizing she was briefly safe, Hannah strained to sit upright. She found herself tied again to a cold pillar,though this time, her arms weren't bound behind her. The rope was harshly fastened, yet her wrists could shift just enough for her fingers to brush against the blindfold's edge.

With grueling effort, Hannah scraped away the cloth and swiftly scanned the area. Only one exit existed-the door.

She attempted to pull free, but the knotting was skillfully done, making brute force worthless.

Compelling herself to remain composed, Hannah scoured every corner for some object she might use. But there was nothing.

Her eyes returned to the cord restraining her hands. She observed that though it was firm, it seemed tied with a slipknot. Maybe the abductors, thinking she was unconscious, grew careless and didn't bother with a dead knot.

Hope flared inside her. She bent forward, sinking her teeth into the rope's end, chewing and tugging with painstaking patience.

The ordeal was agonizing, her jaw aching from the coarse fiber, but she persevered.

She had no idea how long it took, but at last, she felt the knot give way.

Yet,she didn't instantly free herself. She realized the key was forcing the captors to open the door from the outside.

Collecting her breath, Hannah yelled, "Hey, I need the restroom. I really have to go. Open up the door!"

Irritated voices barked from beyond. "Shut it! Stay quiet!"

Hannah raised her volume. "I'm serious. I need to go. Open it now!"

The guards, fed up with the racket, muttered curses under their breath.

Moments later, Hannah caught the jingle of keys sliding into the lock.