?Chapter 161:


    The nended smoothly on the yacht’s deck, its doors swinging open as the staircase was lowered.


    The men in ck led Paige and Vivien down first, then turned back to bring Elliana and Hailee down.


    A strong breeze swept across the sea,shing against their faces and causing their clothing to flutter wildly.


    Without resisting, Elliana followed the group of men, all the while carefully studying the yacht and its surroundings.


    This vessel was clearly a private luxury yacht, towering five stories high and styled like a sleek ck swan, dripping with opulence and power.


    The ship had ventured deep into international waters—no man’snd—surrounded by endless sea, with not a single other vessel in sight.


    Up ahead, Paige and Vivien walked ahead with the men in ck. Vivien, gripped by fear, kept edging closer to Paige, visibly shaking. Paige mumbled a few empty words offort and then turned her head to nce back.


    When locking eyes with Paige, Elliana saw a bold mix of smugness and triumph.


    That expression confirmed what Elliana had already suspected: Merritt was the mastermind behind her kidnapping. Merritt, once a dockside hustler who had wed his way to fortune through maritime trade, had since expanded his grip into show business. Yet, his real strength remained in controlling the seas.


    It didn’t take long for Elliana to figure out the motive behind Paige and Merritt’s scheme. They hated her guts and wanted to eliminate her, but because they feared Cole’s wrath, they used this kidnapping as a way to test his response. Should Cole show concern, Merritt would vanish from the scene, shifting the me onto anonymous criminals. Should Cole react indifferently, they would ensure she was lost forever beneath the waves.


    As for Vivien, Elliana figured Paige nned to stage a heroic rescue, a strategic move to win the Hudson family’s gratitude and stop them from calling off the engagement.


    Holding Paige’s challenging gaze, Elliana responded with a cool, almost amused smile.


    Merritt had risen from street-level thug to feared figure in the criminal underworld, leaving a trail of blood behind. Elliana had long intended to bring him down. She just hadn’t found the perfect opening—until now.


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    Paige had believed that with Merritt shielding her, she could act without consequence. But Elliana had other ns. Today, she intended to bring Merritt down once and for all and put an end to his reign of terror. She was curious to see what desperate move Paige would attempt next.


    Once inside the cabin, the group was escorted by the men in ck to the top floor via elevator.


    “Separate them into two rooms!” instructed the man in charge. Paige and Vivien were assigned to the room on the left, while Elliana and Hailee were ced in the room on the right.


    Without resistance, Elliana moved toward the door on the right.


    “Elliana,” Paige called out.


    Elliana paused, turning her head.


    A slow, knowing smile curved across Paige’s lips. “Farewell.”


    Elliana sneered inwardly. Paige was convinced this would be her final day alive.


    “Move!” One of the men in ck gave Elliana a harsh shove into the room. Hailee was pushed in right after.


    A loud “click” echoed as the door locked behind them.


    The room was pitch ck, with no windows or lights to speak of. Though the shove had been aggressive, Elliana quickly regained her bnce after a few firm steps.


    Hailee, however, stumbled forward, crashing into Elliana, her arms tightly bound behind her, making it nearly impossible to steady herself. In the pitch-ck room, Elliana guided Hailee by relying solely on the sound of Hailee’s movements.


    A gasp escaped Hailee as she asked in disbelief, “Elliana, how did you manage to get your hands free?”


    “Keep your voice down,” Elliana said gently while working on loosening Hailee’s bindings.


    Once Hailee’s wrists were released, she massaged them gingerly and whispered, “Elliana, that was incredible! How did you undo the ropes?” A slight smile tugged…


    At Elliana’s lips. Truthfully, ropes like those posed no real challenge to her. Even metal chains couldn’t keep her restrained. But there was no way she could tell Hailee that, so she simply said, “They didn’t tie me tightly. I just moved a little, and the knots slipped off.”


    “I see,” Hailee replied,pletely convinced. “So, what should we do next?”


    By now, Elliana’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness. She slowly turned, taking in their surroundings. Despite the overall darkness, two small vents in the walls allowed a sliver of light to pass through, giving her just enough to make out the room’syout.


    What they had been locked in was clearly a storage space. The walls were bare, the floor cluttered, and metal shelves lined one side of the room.


    Elliana’s eyes stopped on the contents of those shelves, and a grin began to form. This wasn’t just any storage room—it was a full-blown weapons stash. The shelves were packed with des, daggers, and an assortment of guns.


    Those men in ck must have assumed that two unarmed women wouldn’t dare touch any of it. Or if they did, they’d be too unskilled and frightened to use any of the weapons properly. So, they’d carelessly locked them inside without a second thought. They had no idea that with just a few of these tools, Elliana could wipe out every single one of them aboard the yacht.


    Still smiling, Elliana turned to Hailee and said, “Listen closely to what I’m about to tell you. I need you to focus…”


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