Chapter 547

The cruise ship drifted endlessly across the waters,directionless and silent.

Within the cabin, Hannah stirred from her deep sleep, startled to find Brixton's face hovering inches away.

A jolt of panic coursed through her as she recoiled, her body colliding harshly with the icy surface of the cabin wall. Her voice trembled as she demanded, "What are you doing?"

Brixton rose with deliberate ease, studying the alarm in her expression. A faintly mocking tone laced his words."You sleep so soundly that it's almost charming-another moment and you might have drooled."

Her hand instinctively brushed the edge of her lips, relieved to discover them dry, realizing she'd been teased. Annoyance flared, and she shot him a sharp glare. "What else can a hostage do except sleep? Shouldn't a wounded man like you be in bed instead of creeping around watching others? Tell me,who's more abnormal here?"

Instead of offense, Brixton found her defiance amusing. A low laugh rumbled from his throat. "Interesting... I'll take it as a compliment on my resilience."

Suddenly,Hannah's stomach betrayed her, the loud growl echoing in the still air and reminding her of the hunger gnawing at her insides. She asked evenly,′′|a hostage allowed to eat?"

Weakness pressed heavily on her frame-she truly felt she might collapse from starvation.

Brixton lifted a brow, clearly savoring her forced composure,

Brixton lifted a brow, clearly savoring her forced composure,his voice deliberately taunting. "And what if I refuse?"

Rolling her eyes, she abandoned resistance and turned her back on him, sinking once more onto the bunk. "Then I won't eat. I'll just rest until I regain my strength. We can talk after-or never.It's up to you."

Her reaction seemed to delight him further. A chuckle escaped."Alright. Get up and come along."

Hannah rose and trailed him out of the cabin.

Night had swallowed the sky by the time they emerged on deck.

But the moment she stepped outside, the pungent scent of blood struck her senses, twisting her stomach.

Her gaze darted toward the crew, who scrubbed furiously with hoses and stiff brushes, their spray a grotesque mixture of seawater and human blood.

Not far off, Scorpio barked orders, overseeing two men as they strung up a corpse against the mast.

The sight froze her blood. Her body revolted, and she stumbled to the railing, retching violently. With nothing in her stomach, only bitter bile escaped.

Pale and trembling, she turned to Brixton's impassive figure."What's happening? Why is there a dead body hanging here?"

Brixton turned his head, observing her stricken face, lips curling into a cruel smile. "Why? You mean you truly don't know?"

Her brows knitted tightly. "What is it I should know?"

His words were casual, almost conversational. "While you slept we uncovered a traitor. The purge got messy-blood spilled,lives lost."

He tilted his head, a smirk tugging at his mouth. "You're fortunate. Had you wandered out, you might have been mistaken for the enemy and cut down. You could say I saved you once again."

Her thoughts snapped together in clarity. So that was why he had commented on her peaceful slumber earlier.He hadn't merely been idly watching her-he had been eliminating disloyalty. Even during her rest, Brixton had enforced his dominance with ruthless efficiency.

Brixton's eyes shifted toward the dangling body, his lips curving upward. "See that? "That's the price for betrayal."

Hannah forced her gaze away, seething inwardly. This monster treated life as if it were nothing.

Desperate to escape the scene, she muttered, "Could we...Could we eat now?"

Lingering any longer, she feared she would faint from revulsion.

Brixton arched a brow at her reply. "After all that, you still want food?"

Her lips curved in a stiff smile, her tone hollow. "Here, death can strike at any moment. I'd rather face it on a full stomach."

His quiet laugh betrayed amusement, his eyes gleaming with interest. "You carry a curious sort of optimism."

Inside, Hannah felt the bitter twist of irony. If she lost that optimism, madness would claim her. Over and over,she reminded herself of one truth: she still had value. Brixton required her alive for negotiations with Vincent. That was the thread keeping her from being discarded and wiped out.

Luckily, after the purge confirmed her harmlessness-or perhaps from Brixton's belief she couldn't escape-her movements weren't heavily restricted. Within days, she mapped

movements weren't heavily restricted. Within days, she mapped much of the ship's modest structure.

Unwilling to tolerate the greasy, tasteless meals from the cook,Hannah had begun borrowing the galley to prepare her own food.

Unexpectedly,Brixton and Scorpio occasionally ate her food as well.Scorpio mostly consumed her food as a food taster for Brixton.

One evening over a shared meal, Brixton gazed at Hannah and asked idly, "So, do you often cook for Vincent?"