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Novel Catalog
Chapter 59
Veronica had learned the hard way that her every move was being watched. The mercenaries had eyes like hawks, always ready to catch her whenever she tried to plot an escape. On her first attempt, they had grabbed her by the hair, slapped her across the face, and fired two warning shots just a few inches from her feet. Their broken English had come out like a death threat: “If you dare try to escape again, we will put a bullet in your heart.”
The mercenaries were professionals—highly skilled, with impeccable marksmanship. Any hope of escaping without consequences had been shattered. As much as Veronica wanted to fight back, she knew she couldn’t outrun a bullet. She had no plans to die. So, she obeyed for the time being, waiting for a better opportunity.
Yvonne, who was still sitting in the corner of the small room, seemed to sense Veronica’s tension. She had been quiet up until now, but desperation finally drove her to speak. “The men are mercenaries. I offended their boss, so now they’re hunting me down.”
Veronica raised an eyebrow. She’d been watching Yvonne closely, and something about the woman’s tone and demeanor made her suspicious. Yvonne was lying, and Veronica could tell. But she didn’t press the issue. Yvonne clearly wasn’t ready to tell her the full truth, and pushing her might make things worse.
Yvonne sighed and shifted in her seat. “The cruise ship has started sailing. This room is sealed up, and we can’t escape now. The door can only be opened from the outside, and there’s no handle or keyhole inside.”
Veronica glanced at the tiny window. It was far too small for even a child to crawl through. The only way out is through the door, and we can’t open it without them.
“The ship’s heading for Castron,” Yvonne continued, her voice low. “It’s their territory over there. If we can’t escape now, we won’t get another chance once we arrive.”
Veronica felt a chill run down her spine. Castron? She didn’t know much about the place, but if these mercenaries were working for someone powerful enough to control a whole territory, escaping would be even more difficult once they docked.
Yvonne leaned against the wall, her delicate features still calm despite the grim situation. She looked like a woman who had been through many battles and had learned to keep her emotions in check. But Veronica wasn’t sure if Yvonne’s calmness was a sign of strength—or if it was just a façade.
“Did the ship make any stops along the way?” Veronica asked.
Yvonne shook her head. “No, it’s heading straight for Castron.”
Veronica frowned, considering the situation. “You’ve been on this ship before?”
“No,” Yvonne answered, “but I overheard them talking about it when we boarded.”
Veronica ran the numbers in her head. It would take at least 12 hours by plane to travel from Destor to Castron, but by cruise ship, it would take almost 20 days. They had been traveling for three days now, so they still had quite a bit of time ahead of them.
However, there was something strange about the entire situation. Why hadn’t anyone come to rescue her yet? She had a wiretap on her wrist, which Cody would have been tracking. If anyone knew where she was, it should have been him. But no one had come to her aid.
Two possible scenarios flashed in her mind. Either Cody is in some kind of danger, or… he’s betrayed me.
Veronica’s thoughts were interrupted as she realized that she had to take matters into her own hands. The situation was dire. She couldn’t wait any longer for a rescue that might never come. If she wanted to survive, she had to save herself.
For the next few days, both Veronica and Yvonne kept up an appearance of compliance. They were quiet, obedient, and careful not to raise any suspicions. Eventually, the mercenaries grew more relaxed, believing the two women had given up on escaping. As a result, they untied their ropes and even allowed them to move freely within the room. They were given books to read, fruits to eat, and everything seemed calm.
A full week passed with no sign of any immediate danger. Veronica went along with it, eating on time and acting as if everything was perfectly fine. She knew this was the perfect opportunity to let down the mercenaries’ guard.
Finally, Yvonne couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Aren’t you planning to escape now that they’ve lowered their guard?”
Veronica was lying on her bed, one arm tucked under her head as she leisurely cracked open a sunflower seed. She glanced up at Yvonne, a smirk forming on her lips. “Why escape? They untied our ropes, gave us books, and even fruits. Only an idiot would resist that.”
Her answer was nonchalant, but underneath, she was plotting her next move. Escaping now was out of the question. With nothing but the ocean around them, jumping into the sea would be suicide. The mercenaries would shoot her the moment she made a move. The ship was the safest option for now. Once we disembark, I’ll have a better chance.
But on one quiet afternoon, as Veronica lay reading a book, she noticed something strange. The room’s lighting had shifted. She paused, her instincts on high alert. The sunlight that usually filled the room through the western window was dimming unusually early.
Yvonne noticed the change too. “Is it going to rain? Why can’t we see the sunset today?”
Veronica’s suspicion grew. She got up, moving the small table near the window and stepping on it to peer outside. The sight that greeted her made her stomach churn.
The sunset that should have been visible was now completely blocked by the ship’s structure. But when she looked to the other side, she could still see the bright glow of the evening sun.
“What’s going on?” Yvonne asked, stepping up to the table and joining Veronica at the window.
Veronica’s gaze was cold as she turned to Yvonne. “You said the ship was heading straight to Castron. Didn’t you?”
Yvonne hesitated before answering. “I… I think I heard them say that.”
“Then why can’t we see the sunset?” Veronica’s voice was sharp, disbelief creeping into her words.
Yvonne’s face grew troubled, and she shrugged. “Maybe I heard wrong?”
Veronica turned away, deep in thought. Something was off. The ship is changing course. The question now was why? Why were they lying to them? And what did it mean for their escape?
Yvonne watched her closely, trying to read her reaction. “Are you going to escape now?”
Veronica didn’t answer right away. She lay back down on her bed, her back turned to Yvonne as she closed her eyes and pretended to rest. She had to think this through carefully.
“You have to take me with you when you escape,” Yvonne suddenly said, her tone a bit more urgent than before. “If not, I’ll tell them everything.”
Veronica snapped. She shot up from her bed, marched over to Yvonne, and grabbed her by the collar. “You want to die?” she hissed. “I’ll throw you in the ocean right now if you keep threatening me.”
Yvonne’s usual cold demeanor cracked. She looked nervous, her voice shaky. “W-Who wants to die? I’m asking you to take me along because I want to live. I’m not going to snitch, I promise.”
Veronica let go of her collar with an angry shove. Yvonne had saved her, after all, and Veronica couldn’t deny that. Still, she wasn’t ready to forgive her for all the lies.
“Fine,” Veronica muttered, turning back to her bed. “We’ll plan it together. But make no mistake—if you screw this up, I won’t hesitate to leave you behind.”
Yvonne nodded in agreement. Then, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small gold pendant, spherical and delicate in design. She handed it to Veronica. “Keep this as a souvenir. Something to remember me by.”
Veronica took the pendant, examining the small diamond embedded in the sphere. She noticed the word Yvonne engraved on it. It was a simple pendant, but clearly of high value.
Veronica pocketed it silently, then lay back down. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
