Chapter 429

Hugo Rothschild crouched in the bushes, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.

Evelyn Laurent and Ethan Sullivan moved in perfect sync, vanishing like phantoms into the shadows of the trees.

He clenched his jaw and pressed himself lower against the damp earth.

The wound on his arm burned, but the pain in his chest was worse.

The sharpened wooden stake had been Evelyn's handiwork.

She always played it cool, yet every move was calculated.

Hugo stared at the discarded gun by his feet, his throat tightening.

He knew how to use it.

But right now, it felt impossibly heavy.

Static crackled from a distant walkie-talkie.

Ethan silently mouthed a translation, his profile as cold as ice in the moonlight.

Hugo suddenly realized he was the outsider here.

Six dark figures closed in from different directions.

He watched Evelyn and Ethan leap onto the tree branches, moving as lightly as owls in the night.

While he remained pressed against the muddy ground.

A pirate's boot nearly grazed his nose.

Hugo held his breath.

A whooshing sound came from above.

Evelyn dropped from the tree, her silver hair tracing a moonlit arc.

Her foot struck the pirate's temple, and her hair brushed Hugo's face as she spun.

The scent of blood mingled with crushed leaves.

Ethan took down two men simultaneously, his gun already pressed to the fourth pirate's neck as he landed.

Hugo tightened his grip on the weapon.

The last pirate was backing toward him.

Only one chance.

He lunged forward, slamming the gun's stock into the man's knee.

The pirate collapsed with a scream.

Evelyn turned, surprise flickering in her eyes.

Hugo rose, panting, only to see her gaze shift away.

She walked toward the captive tied to the tree, flipping her dagger between her fingers.

"Time to end this," she said.