Chapter 562

Kayce's reply struck Hannah like a bolt from the blue.She gazed up at him, eyes wide with astonishment."Okay! But if I escape with Alfredo, what about you?Aren't you coming along? I can tell he leans on you,almost as though you were a father to him."

"A father?" Kayce's face twitched, the word cutting him like a knife. A pained smile bent his lips. "I've no right to that title. I assaulted Alfredo's mother, and that's how Alfredo came into this world."

Hannah's breath caught, her gaze riveted in disbelief.

Kayce seemed lost in painful memories as he continued, "In time, I grew attached to her. But fate played its cruel hand-she died before Alfredo's very eyes, there on that cruise ship. Since then, Alfredo's mind has remained frozen, trapped in the fragile years of fourteen. I begged Brixton to look the other way, to let Alfredo linger as an assistant in the kitchen.I thought-perhaps foolishly-that this small shelter of Alfredo might serve as my penance."

The remorse in his tone seemed bottomless. "But Alfredo can't stay there any longer. He has to leave."

The truth rattled Hannah to her core. She steadied herself before asking, "Why now? Because you saw I wanted to escape?"

"Partly," Kayce confessed, his expression suddenly grave. "But the greater danger is that Alfredo's secret is about to be unmasked."

"What would be unmasked?" Hannah asked,bewildered.

Kayce met her eyes head-on and dropped a revelation heavier than thunder. "Alfredo is actually a girl."

Hannah was rooted to the spot, stunned beyond measure. At once, she understood Kayce's urgency.On that ship, once Alfredo's real gender as a girl came to light, what awaited her would be a dark

future-condemnation to the iron cages on the second deck, doomed to exploitation and trafficking.

Drawing a deep breath, Hannah's eyes hardened with resolve. "I see. If I manage to escape, I'll find a way to take Alfredo with me."

Kayce read the fire in her gaze, and some of the tension in his own eased. "Thank you. I won't tell anyone about your escape attempt today. But you must return to that ship with me now. The escape demands patience and an elaborate plan-we'll wait for the next supply run."

"Alright." Hannah gave a firm nod. Breaking free by force was pointless; only a well-laid plan could hold water.

Kayce warned, "And no more tricks-like hiding food.Next time, Brixton's suspicions won't end with a frown."

"I understand." Casting a glance at the sky, Kayce urged, "Let's head

back."

But Hannah recalled Brixton's request. "We still haven't bought the beef. Brixton said he wanted it."

Kayce frowned, irritation crossing his face, yet he relented. "Then be quick. It's hard to navigate the sea after dark."

They hastened to purchase beef and a few other goods before returning to the speedboat, arms burdened with bags.

The sailor, impatient from the long wait, grumbled,"What took you so long?"

Kayce hurled the bags aboard, his voice cool and steady. "Brixton asked for beef-it wasn't easy to find."

The excuse rang sound enough. The sailor complained under his breath but pressed no further,starting the boat toward the Odin.

Meanwhile,aboard the Odin, Vincent and his men donned their disguises to alter their appearance and

played the part of wealthy buyers, prowling as though in search of something extraordinary.

Nate swaggered forward to deal with Scorpio, his voice edged with arrogance. "I hear you keep fine stock here-women, I mean. Yet, all I see are gambling dens."

A sly light flickered in Scorpio's eyes. At once, he masked it with a fawning smile. "Sir, of course, we have what you want. The price, however..." He rubbed his fingers together in the age-old gesture.

Vincent gave a subtle nod. Nate cracked open a briefcase, letting a glimpse of neatly stacked bills catch the light.

"This is only the deposit," Vincent declared,his will unshakable.

Scorpio's eyes gleamed at the sight, his tone turning honey-sweet. "Ah, a generous man! Please, come this way."

Scorpio led them down the stairs to the second deck. The sight that awaited made Vincent's chest tighten like a vice.

Cages lined the dim hall, each one holding women clad in tatters, their eyes hollow, stripped of hope.The grim tableau mirrored the horrors of the infamous Doreline Chemical Factory.

Vincent's pulse thundered. Terror warred with fury as he scoured the faces, dreading Hannah's among them. No...She wasn't there.

Relief washed through him, yet it carried no joy. Her absence meant only that she lay hidden elsewhere-perhaps in deeper peril.

Scorpio, ever watchful, tilted his head. "What is it,sir? None of these meet your taste?"

Vincent curbed the storm within, answering coldly "Don't you keep anything rarer?" His gaze flicked,seemingly unintentional, toward the stairway leading to the third deck.

And at that very moment, Brixton appeared at the top of the stairs.