Chapter 575

"But your safety is what matters most," Vincent insisted with raw desperation, his fingers digging into Hannah's shoulders as his eyes burned with pleading firmness."Please. Just this once, listen to me."

"No." Hannah's voice sliced through the tension like steel. "I can't just abandon those women and Alfredo."

The two faced each other in deadly silence, neither willing to bend.

Vincent stared into her blazing eyes, his jaw clenching as he realized no force on earth could sway her. A shuddering breath escaped him before he crushed her against his chest. "Fine, I'll agree to it. But you have to promise me-no matter what,you must protect yourself! Your safety comes first.Always!"

"I promise you!" Hannah melted into his embrace as she sealed the vow.

Vincent's throat worked against unsaid fears. "I've already reached out to Interpol, but they've made it clear that their authority is extremely limited in international waters. They can't provide direct assistance, and at most, they can take over after the whole incident concludes. So, this mission...Ultimately, it's only us."

His hands trembled slightly as he retrieved his tablet,the cold screen casting harsh light over the structural schematics and personnel deployment plans of the Odin.

Hannah's breath warmed his cheek as they bent over the rescue plan together.

Meanwhile, aboard the Odin, the massive search clawed through the midnight hours, boots thundering across decks as they gutted every corner of the cruise ship. But Hannah remained a phantom.

Brixton's face turned to granite. He sat motionless at

the table's head, watching Aanya tremble on her knees before him like prey before a predator.

The core members flanked Brixton with heads bowed, afraid their very breathing might provoke his wrath.

"Aren't you and Hannah close?" Brixton's voice dripped venom as he stared Aanya down. "I'll ask you one more time-where is Hannah?"

Blood drained from Aanya's cheeks, leaving her skin waxy and pale, but she forced the familiar lie through trembling lips. "Mr. Ward, I swear I don't know.Hannah complained about feeling sick, so she went back to her room to rest. We said goodnight, and I haven't seen her since. I spent the whole evening in the kitchen, preparing your dinner."

She tried to absolve herself of blame.

Just then, Kayce stepped forward from the corner shadows, his timing calculated to perfection. "Mr.Ward, forgive me for interrupting, but I believe l witnessed Aanya escorting Ms. Scott toward the

bathroom last night. They appeared to be moving with considerable urgency."

Each word struck like a hammer blow, sealing Aanya's fate.

Brixton's eyes hardened into twin daggers. He rose with lethal grace, his boots echoing against the floor like a funeral march as he stalked toward the bathroom.

Scorpio and the others followed closely behińd.

The instant Brixton crossed the threshold, every instinct in his body roared to life. Something was off.

Though Aanya and her crew had scrubbed frantically to erase the obvious traces, Brixton's razor-sharp senses detected what they couldn't hide-subtle drag marks etched into the corner tiles.

Brixton towered over Aanya, ice radiating from his stare as he spoke with deadly calm. "Someone has definitely been locked up here. This is your last chance.Where is Hannah?"

Aanya's composure shattered like glass, but she clung to her final desperate lie."I don't know. I really don't know..." The words broke apart between ragged sobs.

A subordinate appeared at Scorpio's shoulder,whispering urgently into his ear. Scorpio's face went ashen as he turned to face Brixton. "Mr. Ward, Luna and several other dealers have broken under questioning."

Brixton's head snapped toward him with predatory focus."What did they say?"

Scorpio swallowed hard, his voice barely steady."They said that Ms. Scott was thrown into the sea by Aanya."

What?" The word erupted from Brixton like a gunshot, his entire presence shifting into something murderous.

Aanya crumpled to the floor as if her bones had turned to water, her mind spinning with bitter curses.Luna and those worthless cowards couldn't endure "I promise you!" Hannah melted into his embrace as she sealed the vow.

Vincent's throat worked against unsaid fears. "I've already reached out to Interpol, but they've made it clear that their authority is extremely limited in international waters. They can't provide direct assistance, and at most, they can take over after the whole incident concludes. So, this mission...Ultimately, it's only us."

His hands trembled slightly as he retrieved his tablet,the cold screen casting harsh light over the structural schematics and personnel deployment plans of the Odin.

Hannah's breath warmed his cheek as they bent over the rescue plan together.

Meanwhile, aboard the Odin, the massive search clawed through the midnight hours, boots thundering across decks as they gutted every corner of the cruise ship. But Hannah remained a phantom.

Brixton's face turned to granite. He sat motionless at

the table's head, watching Aanya tremble on her knees before him like prey before a predator.

The core members flanked Brixton with heads bowed, afraid their very breathing might provoke his wrath.

"Aren't you and Hannah close?" Brixton's voice dripped venom as he stared Aanya down. "I'll ask you one more time-where is Hannah?"

Blood drained from Aanya's cheeks, leaving her skin waxy and pale, but she forced the familiar lie through trembling lips. "Mr. Ward, I swear I don't know.Hannah complained about feeling sick, so she went back to her room to rest. We said goodnight, and I haven't seen her since. I spent the whole evening in the kitchen, preparing your dinner."

She tried to absolve herself of blame.

Just then, Kayce stepped forward from the corner shadows, his timing calculated to perfection. "Mr.Ward, forgive me for interrupting, but I believe l witnessed Aanya escorting Ms. Scott toward the

bathroom last night. They appeared to be moving with considerable urgency."

Each word struck like a hammer blow, sealing Aanya's fate.

Brixton's eyes hardened into twin daggers. He rose with lethal grace, his boots echoing against the floor like a funeral march as he stalked toward the bathroom.

Scorpio and the others followed closely behińd.

The instant Brixton crossed the threshold, every instinct in his body roared to life. Something was off.

Though Aanya and her crew had scrubbed frantically to erase the obvious traces, Brixton's razor-sharp senses detected what they couldn't hide-subtle drag marks etched into the corner tiles.

Brixton towered over Aanya, ice radiating from his stare as he spoke with deadly calm. "Someone has definitely been locked up here. This is your last chance.Where is Hannah?"

Aanya's composure shattered like glass, but she clung to her final desperate lie."I don't know. I really don't know..." The words broke apart between ragged sobs.

A subordinate appeared at Scorpio's shoulder,whispering urgently into his ear. Scorpio's face went ashen as he turned to face Brixton. "Mr. Ward, Luna and several other dealers have broken under questioning."

Brixton's head snapped toward him with predatory focus."What did they say?"

Scorpio swallowed hard, his voice barely steady."They said that Ms. Scott was thrown into the sea by Aanya."

What?" The word erupted from Brixton like a gunshot, his entire presence shifting into something murderous.

Aanya crumpled to the floor as if her bones had turned to water, her mind spinning with bitter curses.Luna and those worthless cowards couldn't endure even basic pressure. All her careful planning, all the risks she'd taken, all the money she'd paid for their cooperation had dissolved into nothing.

The metallic click of Brixton's gun chamber loading cut through the air as he aimed the barrel at Aanya's skull. His voice turned to gravel, each word dripping with barely contained rage. "Wasn't Hannah good to you? She specifically requested that I assign you to the kitchen! Why did you betray her? Tell me!"

Death's cold breath touched Aanya's neck, and her last shreds of control evaporated. Words poured from her lips in a desperate torrent. "Because I love you too much, Mr. Ward! I truly do. How could I stand watching someone else take your heart? I fought my way onto this ship just to be near you. What makes Hannah so special? How could she possibly deserve to be your woman?I..."

"You deserve to die!" Brixton's eyes blazed with murderous fire as his finger tightened on the trigger,knuckles white with rage.

"No! You can't kill me!" Aanya's scream tore through the air like a siren. "My father is Hudson Chadwick,the Minister of Economy in Agosphia. If you kill me,my father will hunt you to the ends of the earth."

Brixton's hand froze mid-squeeze, a shadow of cold calculation flickering across his features. Hudson was their honored guest for the banquet in just a few days.

Scorpio lunged forward and yanked Aanya away from the gun's deadly aim.

"Bang!" The bullet hit the door behind where Aanya had been standing.

"Mr. Ward, please control yourself!" Scorpio pressed Aanya down with iron hands, desperation coating his voice. "Aanya can't die right now! If she lives, we can use her as leverage in our negotiations with Hudson."

Brixton's chest rose and fell like a bellows as the killing fury slowly drained from his eyes. He slammed his gun back into its holster, his voice turning to arctic steel. "Then make her suffer beyond

imagination. Keep her breathing, but ensure every moment is agony."

"Understood!" Scorpio signaled his men, who dragged the half-conscious Aanya away like a broken doll.

Brixton moved to the window, his silhouette dark against the endless black sea. The silence stretched like a wound before he spoke again. "Deploy the speedboats, expand the search radius, and comb every inch of these waters. If Hannah is still alive,bring her back no matter the cost. If she's dead,bring me her body."