Chapter 572

Shock paralyzed Aanya's entire body. Heat flooded her cheeks as humiliation and fury twisted her delicate features. Her palm flew upward before cracking across Hánnah's face with vicious intent.

Hannah could have easily deflected the strike with her trained reflexes or delivered a crushing counter-blow, yet she remained perfectly still. The slap connected with her cheek, sharp and stinging.Every second had been calculated.

"You're nothing but a helpless captive!" Aanya hissed, flexing her burning fingers with savage satisfaction. "A prisoner with no escape still dares to be arrogant! Starting today, you'll waste away in this forgotten bathroom. Management marked it broken months ago, so no soul will venture here. Eventually,you'll decay in complete isolation, forgotten and

rotting."

Smugness dripped from every word as her eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Meanwhile,I will take your place, becoming Brixton's one and only woman!"

Luna and the other dealers swarmed around Aanya instantly, pouring out honeyed praise, desperate to curry favor.

Only Hannah kept her gaze lowered, releasing a soft,mocking chuckle.

"What's so amusing?" Aanya's voice turned razor-sharp.

Hannah's head lifted slowly. "I'm laughing at you, for not understanding Brixton at all. With that pathetic act and shallow mind of yours, I doubt you'd even last half a day in front of him."

Aanya's voice climbed to a shriek. "Who exactly are you trying to intimidate? I've seen through your tricks to get close to Brixton these past few days. Nothing

but blind obedience, sugary whispers, and cooking his favorite dishes, all to scheme your way into his bed. Everything you do, I can execute flawlessly!"

"Scheming into his bed?" Hannah's laugh held pure disdain. "You think it's that simple? Your naivety really astonishes me. What kind of man do you think Brixton truly is? Do you honestly believe he lacks women throwing themselves at him? I was being generous when I said half a day-a self-righteous fool like you would be lucky to last two hours around him. Surviving even that long in his company would qualify as miraculous."

"Shut the fuck up!" Aanya barked, her face burning with embarrassment and rage. "You're merely a trapped prisoner awaiting death in this place. Speak all you wish! Continue your delusions. We're leaving!"

Aanya refused to hear another word from Hannah and commanded Luna and the others, "Seal this place tight. Nobody releases her without my explicit authorization!"

Luna and her companions nodded eagerly, trailing

<behind Aanya as she marched out of the bathroom with triumphant steps, securing the heavy door from outside.

Silence settled as their footsteps disappeared down the corridor,leaving Hannah completely alone.

Hannah rose gracefully, massaging her throbbing cheek while a calculating glint of victory sparked in her dark eyes. Those dealers were utterly foolish,rushing headlong into danger without knowing that this bathroom, marked as damaged, concealed a secret known only to veteran crew members.

Behind an ordinary wall tile lay a cramped passageway connecting to a forgotten storage room next door. Kayce had shared this detail during their discussions about the ship's hidden blueprint.

Her decision to avoid using combat skills earlier,even deliberately baiting Aanya into delivering that stinging slap, had been purely strategic theater.Every humiliating moment served to make this imprisonment appear more convincing, setting the stage for her eventual vanishing.

This entire plan had crystallized the moment she'd discovered Aanya's true intentions. Since Aanya desperately wanted her position, she would exploit this opportunity to finally escape this floating prison.

Hannah slipped into the abandoned storage room.While she was relatively secure, time remained her enemy.She needed to send a message quickly.

Tearing fabric from her shirt, she pierced her fingertip with her teeth and scrawled urgent words in crimson, racing against precious seconds. "Monitor the ship's course closely over the coming days.I might be dumped at sea. Rescue urgently needed."

This desperate plea was meant for Vincent's network within the casino.

While Hannah doubted her value to Brixton, she understood her current status as his claimed property. Should she go missing, he would undoubtedly launch a search. Anticipating suspicion,Aanya and her accomplices would likely eliminate all evidence, with the sea providing the most convenient disposal method under cover of darkness. If Vincent's operatives maintained vigilant surveillance of the waters and intervened swiftly, her chances of survival remained viable.

Hannah folded the bloodstained fabric with meticulous care before sliding it into her sleeve. Her moving freely through the casino would immediately attract unwanted attention, particularly from Luna and her fellow dealers, so she placed her trust in Kayce's assistance.

Kayce executed the message delivery with flawless efficiency.

Now, she just had to wait.

Meanwhile, within Brixton's luxurious cabin on the third deck, Scorpio delivered his report in hushed tones, "Mr. Ward, following your orders, we've established contact with Vincent."

Brixton reclined in his leather chair wvith casual authority. "Has the delivery been completed?"

"Successfully," Scorpio confirmed with a sharp nod.

"We located a woman matching Hannah's physical description and hair color, disfigured her face, and then arranged the scene to suggest death during violent struggle. Our operatives have presented the body to Vincent."

This elaborate deception had been orchestrated immediately after Brixton's public declaration of Hannah as his woman. The fabricated corpse would terminate Vincent's relentless search while simultaneously providing valuable negotiating leverage...

Brixton's expression remained utterly unreadable."Did he believe it?"