Chapter 587

"Almost," Brixton muttered with deliberate ease, the faintest suggestion of amusement curving at the corner of his mouth. "But that's a good thing. It shows you're beginning to adapt to this place."

Hannah bowed her head, refusing to answer. Inside, revulsion twisted through her, every word he spoke making her stomach churn with dread, yet outwardly, she allowed no trace of it to slip.

Brixton appeared to accept her silence as an agreement, and after a thoughtful pause, he adopted her suggestion. His tone sharpened as he commanded Vulture, "Follow her idea-keep those women alive for the moment. And make sure Hudson hears of us finding a buyer for Aanya. Let him fret for a bit."

Vulture replied without hesitation, "Understood!"

A faint breath of relief stirred in Hannah's chest. For the moment, she had managed to win those women a fragile reprieve. Later, she happened upon Vulture speaking in hushed tones with his subordinates, and what she overheard struck her with startling clarity. Aanya, shockingly, was revealed to be Hudson's daughter. Even more disturbingly, Aanya was locked in the same bathroom where she herself had once been confined.

Hannah's thoughts surged-Brixton had spared Aanya, not out of mercy, but because she was an asset still worth exploiting. He intended to wield Aanya as leverage, turning her into a pawn in his dealings with Hudson-both a weapon and a ransom demand that could tilt the negotiations in his favor. That revelation brought a new chance.

Days slipped by, and the mood aboard the Odin altered completely.

The casino was stripped bare, no outsiders admitted. Every corner was scrubbed and refitted, the security presence doubled.

Hannah understood exactly what this meant-Hudson himself was on his way. She had already passed the warning to Vincent; now everything hinged on his intervention. In the meantime, she had devised a new plan. When given a short respite from preparing the banquet dishes, she used her knowledge of the galley's layout to slip unnoticed into the concealed passage and return to the bathroom containing Aanya.

The air was staler than before, saturated with the metallic trace of blood and the sourness of damp.

In the corner, a frail shape quivered, shoulders drawn tight. Aanya lay in ruin, scarcely recognizable-her garments shredded, her skin discolored with bruises and open wounds.

At the sound of movement, Aanya recoiled, certain another round of torment was approaching. She folded in on herself, head buried deep, trembling like prey.

But as the steps drew nearer, unrelenting, she sensed something amiss. At last, she raised her gaze, and horror seized her at what she beheld.

"A ghost! A ghost-help me! Someone, help!" Aanya's cry split the room in hysteria.

In Aanya's mind, Hannah had been swallowed by the sea long ago. Her sudden presence could only mean she had clawed her way back as something unearthly.

Hannah advanced until she stood before Aanya, voice cool and measured. "It's been a while, Aanya."

Upon hearing the voice, Aanya's scream abruptly stopped. She gaped in stunned disbelief. "You're still alive? Impossible! I watched them throw you into the sea with my own eyes. How could you be standing here? Are you flesh, or a spirit?"

Crouching low, Hannah let a mocking smile lift her mouth. "I am still breathing. Upsetting, isn't it?" Her fingers caught a lock of Aanya's tangled, filthy hair, lifting it carelessly as she spoke with biting derision."Didn't you declare that my absence would clear the way for you to take my place at Brixton's side? And yet,here you are-broken and discarded.How pathetic."

Aanya shook with rage and humiliation. "Keep away from me, witch! You think this is a victory? You've no idea who my father is. Once he arrives, every one of you is finished! Even Brixton won't be able to protect himself!"

"Is that so?" Hannah's tone cut like a blade. With a sudden tug, she wrenched Aanya's head back, forcing her to face upward. "Look at yourself. Trussed up, helpless. Do you honestly believe your father can appear out of thin air and pluck you out of this?"

She dragged Aanya by the hair toward the porthole.

Beyond it, the endless sea stretched into infinity.

Hannah pressed Aanya's face toward the glass. "My turn for retribution," she whispered close, her words laced with venom. "Tell me, should I let you taste the sea too? Feel the water invade your lungs, robbing you of breath? Wouldn't that be justice?"

Terror cracked Aanya's defiance. "You-you wouldn't dare!"

"Why not?" Hannah's laugh was cruel. Her grip tightened as she leaned in. "This ship has already claimed enough bodies. One more means nothing. Do you think Brixton would mourn you? More likely, he'dthank me for removing the burden. Don't you agree?"