Chapter 550

Brixton followed, leisurely watching her disheveled state, even reaching out to pat her back.

Hannah recoiled instantly, as if his hand carried venom,dodging his touch and wiping her mouth roughly with her sleeve.

Brixton showed no irritation; instead, he smiled and gestured toward a large suite on the third deck. "This will be your room.Well? Much better than the cramped little cabin you had before,isn't it?"

Hannah ignored his comment about the room. Lifting her chin,her eyes sharp and unwavering, she asked, "I want to leave.When will you let me go?"

Everything around her-casinos, organ trafficking, human trading-was suffocating. Every extra second here was sheer torment.

Brixton's smile faded. For a few moments, he was silent. Then,he said slowly, "Not yet."

Hannah's heart sank like a stone into deep water. She realized Brixton wasn't merely using her to squeeze money out of Vincent. He was savoring the process of control, delighting in watching both her and Vincent writhe in despair.

She said nothing more, turned away, and fell into a silence as heavy as death.

Her first night aboard the luxury cruise was restless beyond words. Again and again she jolted awake from nightmares,catching only fragments of sleep until dawn finally broke.

The morning sun had barely risen when someone knocked brusquely on her door.

Scorpio's cold voice rang out. "Up! From now on, you'll prepare meals for Mr. Ward and me. The kitchen's on the lower deck.Breakfast-now."

Hannah opened her eyes wearily, pressing down her disgust and frustration. She rose in silence. She knew resistance would be like throwing eggs at a stone-it would only shatter her further.For now, the only path was to play the obedient chef,carefully maintaining Brixton's fragile trust while waiting for even the smallest chance.

In the days that followed, she spent most of her time in the kitchen. She forced herself to focus on chopping and seasoning,shutting out the inferno above her.

More than once, she noticed Scorpio leave an encrypted phone either on the kitchen counter or clipped to his belt. That phone glimmered before her eyes like forbidden fruit.

She knew it was her only hope of reaching the outside world.But she also knew that if she failed, the price would be unbearable. She would have to wait for the one chance that left no room for error.

Then one day,the atmosphere on the ship shifted sharply.

A line of bodyguards in black took up positionsat every entrance, standing like statues. The usually noisy casino was emptied,leaving only the central hall where a tense gathering of men created an atmosphere thick enough to cut with a knife.

Scorpio strode into the kitchen, face dark. "Today's guest is no ordinary man. Rodger Pearce-the Black Dragons' leader. He's here to settle old scores with Mr. Ward. Prepare lunch and deliver it yourself to the casino. Hurry."

Hannah froze. Rodger Pearce from the Black Dragons? She vaguely remembered Brixton once saying the men who raided the island fortress were from Black Dragons. Blood was bound to stain the decks before this day ended.

Not daring to waste a moment, Hannah quickly prepared the dishes, arranged them neatly on a tray, and followed Scorpio down to the first deck.

In the middle of the casino, Brixton sat across from a middle-aged man with eyes sharp as blades. Behind each stood their followers, hard-faced and silent, the tension heavy as thunderclouds.

Hannah kept her head down, wanting only to set the tray in place and slip out before trouble exploded.

But just as she turned to leave, Brixton's voice rang out."Wait."

Hannah stopped, dread crawling up her spine.

Brixton turned to Rodger, a grin stretching across his face as he gestured toward Hannah. "Rodger, what's the fun in plain negotiations? Why not spice it up with a wager? And for the dealer..."

His gaze locked on Hannah, a smirk curling at his lips. "Let her do it."