Chapter 419

The flare tore through the night sky.

A dozen shadowy figures darted toward the crimson glow like phantoms.

Ethan Sullivan and Evelyn Laurent exchanged a glance.

They sprinted in unison toward the same direction.

On the deck of the Southern Cross, Julian Langley had three pirates bound tightly.

Inside the cabin, the last remaining assailant pressed a knife against Rachel and Leo Clemenson's throats.

The two sides faced off across the staircase.

The pirate snarled, flecks of spit flying from his mouth.

Julian rolled up his sleeves, shedding his Oscar-winning actor persona.

He unleashed a stream of expletives with perfect enunciation.

Beatrice Quincy's eyes widened.

She never imagined the refined Julian could swear with such vigor.

Timothy Gold stomped his foot in frustration. "Mind the live stream! Have some decorum!"

The crew brandished baseball bats and metal pipes, shoving the three captives forward as human shields.

Suddenly, the pirates dragged the Clemenson siblings to the bow.

The cold barrel of a gun pressed against their temples.

"Release them!" The lead pirate barked in broken English. "Or there will be blood!"

Julian sneered. "You dare cause trouble in these waters? Who gave you the audacity?"

Hugo Rothschild stepped forward, speaking fluent Filipino.

Julian turned to him, bewildered. "What did he say?"

"Tell them we're live." Hugo narrowed his eyes. "The entire nation is watching."

The pirate leader's face paled. His gun trembled slightly.

The whirring of drones pierced through the ocean breeze.

The red dots of camera lenses flickered in the darkness.