?Chapter 184:


    At the top of the stairwell, An and Manley watched the whole scene unfold, exchanging looks that said everything.


    Manley blinked in disbelief. “That’s Cole? I didn’t think he had such a side.”


    A low chuckle escaped An. “Guess maybe that’s just his way of flirting.”


    Laughing under their breath, the two men trailed after the pair down the stairs.


    While all that yed out below, Merlin and Myles reached the fifth floor and followed Elliana’s directions to a door marked Room 1. Next door, they found a room left wide open—and Vivien lying unconscious on the cold floor.


    A grimace twisted Merlin’s face as he looked over the scene. “You grab her,” he said with a flick of his hand. “I’ll check Room 1 for the girl named Hailee.”


    “On it.” Myles gave a quick nod.


    Without wasting time, Myles stepped over the threshold, bent down, and hoisted Vivien onto his back before heading for the stairs.


    Meanwhile, Merlin slipped into Room 1 and began surveying the space. Dim lighting and scattered clutter made it hard to see, but something caught his eye in the far corner. Elliana had mentioned a heavy metal box buried beneath all that clutter.


    Despite the chaos Cole and his crew had already unleashed across the yacht, Merlin didn’t let his guard down. He spotted a long de on a shelf nearby and snatched it up before stepping toward the clutter. Piece by piece, he began moving aside the items on the box with care, his eyes scanning for any movement. Eventually, the edge of the box came into view, just like Elliana had described.


    Once close enough, he crouched and pried open the lid.


    As the metal creaked, his grip on the long de tightened. He was ready for anything, just in case something—or someone—exploded out with teeth or a weapon. But there was no danger.


    Nestled inside, just as Elliana had said, was a petite young woman curled into herself. She shook like a leaf in the wind, trembling so violently that it looked like she might break apart.


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    Their eyes met for half a second. Then, with a flicker of dread, she mmed her eyes shut, clearly trying to convince herself that maybe, just maybe, he’d vanish if she refused to look.


    A shortugh escaped Merlin before he could stop it. Her reaction was almost childlike. He didn’t need an exnation to understand her fear. A strange man opening her hiding ce instead of Elliana? Of course, she panicked. So small. So fragile. Tucked in like a doll that had been abandoned in a box. He felt like he could crush her just by breathing wrong.


    Without hesitation, Merlin dropped the long de. The ng echoed off the metal walls. “Out. Now,” Merlin said, his voice firm but not unkind.


    Hailee didn’t move. Her body shrank even deeper into the box, her eyes shut so tightly that it was a miracle her face didn’t cave in.


    Hands on his hips, Merlin let out a breath, his tone turning sharper. “I’m not the patient type. You’ve got three seconds before I pull you out myself.”


    He believed the threat would shake her, yet all it did was make her draw in tighter, folding into herself even more.


    Reaching down, Merlin grabbed for her cor, ready to haul her out whether she liked it or not.


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