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Novel Catalog
Chapter 60
Veronica stared at the gold pendant in her hand, still hesitating. It was pretty, but it wasn’t something she needed. Xavier had already given her a necklace, and she wasn’t interested in receiving another piece of jewelry.
“No, I don’t need it,” she said, handing the pendant back to Yvonne. “I already have something else.”
Yvonne raised an eyebrow, a slight frown creasing her otherwise perfect features. “We’ve known each other for at least ten days. Do you dislike me that much?”
Veronica was caught off guard by the question. She opened her mouth to respond but found herself speechless. Instead, she turned her gaze to the floor, too tired to argue.
Yvonne chuckled at her silence. “Your silence tells me everything. You don’t hate me. Come here, let me put it on you.”
“I’ll do it myself.” Veronica finally gave in, realizing that rejecting Yvonne’s offer any longer would only make the situation more awkward. Reluctantly, she took off the necklace Xavier had given her and handed it to Yvonne. “Here. A gift in return.”
Yvonne’s eyes brightened with surprise. “Thank you,” she said, accepting the necklace and slipping it into her pocket.
After a brief moment of silence, Yvonne sat down next to Veronica on the bed. “Now that we’ve exchanged presents, can you tell me your escape plan?” she whispered, leaning in a little too close, trying to gauge Veronica’s next move.
“There is no plan,” Veronica said coolly, keeping her distance. She lay back on the bed, crossing her arms under her head, as if the entire conversation was no longer important.
Yvonne didn’t seem bothered by the cold reception. She simply rolled back to her own bed and sighed, as if this kind of behavior was something she’d grown used to.
But just then, the sound of the door being unlocked echoed through the room. A mercenary entered, bringing their dinner. The man was dressed casually now, in stark contrast to the camouflage he had worn when they first met. Veronica had learned by now that they had changed into civilian clothes to avoid drawing attention while on the ship.
She sat up, ready to make her move, but before she could act, Yvonne let out a dramatic yelp of pain, rolling on the bed as though in agony. “Ah! It hurts! It really hurts!”
Veronica’s lips twitched, suppressing a smirk. This woman is quite the actress.
The mercenary rushed over to check on Yvonne, but before he could say anything, Veronica snuck up behind him. She poked him in the back with the barrel of a hidden gun, then, with a swift motion, punched him in the face.
“Ah, damn it!” The man staggered back, clutching his nose, but in the process, his head collided with the steel bed frame. He groaned in pain, but his retaliation was immediate—he lifted his leg and kicked out at Veronica’s chest.
Veronica moved with perfect timing, twisting her body to avoid the blow and grabbing his ankle mid-air. With one swift motion, she used his own force against him, kicking him square in the groin.
“Ah!” The man shrieked, his face turning crimson from the pain. But before he could recover, he drew a pistol from his waistband and aimed it at Veronica’s head.
A grin spread across her face, not out of amusement but out of sheer confidence. As the man pulled the trigger, Veronica dodged, grabbing his wrist with a practiced motion. With a sharp twist, the man yelped in pain as the gun slipped from his hand.
Veronica quickly snatched the falling weapon from the air. Without hesitation, she turned, raised the gun, and fired two precise shots at the mercenary standing in the doorway.
Bang! Bang!
The shots landed perfectly, one in each of his arms, causing him to drop the gun he was holding. The mercenary cried out in pain, his arms now useless. But Veronica wasn’t done. She fired two more shots, one hitting each of his thighs, ensuring that he would not be able to fight back.
The silenced pistol made only a soft noise, so no one outside the room would have heard the commotion. Veronica’s superior marksmanship allowed her to disable both men quickly and efficiently.
She didn’t waste a second. The door was designed to close automatically, but with the fallen mercenary blocking the entrance, the door remained ajar.
At that moment, another mercenary rushed in, caught completely off guard by Veronica’s sudden attack. But before he could even react, she fired two more quick shots, both hitting their mark—one in his arm and the other in his leg.
The mercenary’s eyes widened in disbelief as he dropped to the floor. “F*ck! How are you so skilled with a gun?”
Veronica didn’t bother to answer. She took a moment to survey the room, her eyes flicking between the incapacitated mercenaries. The man she had kicked in the groin had staggered back to grab his fallen pistol, but his speed was no match for her. As he lunged for the gun, Veronica stepped on it, securing it under her foot before firing two more shots—one in his arm, the other in his leg.
“I’ll fulfill your wish of getting shot,” Veronica muttered, tossing the now-useless weapon aside. She grabbed both pistols, tucking them into the back of her waistband.
Looking back at Yvonne, she called out, “What are you waiting for? Come on, block the door. We need to escape now.”
Yvonne blinked, still in shock from the sudden violence. “What? Oh—okay.” She scrambled to her feet and rushed to the door, holding it open.
Veronica didn’t waste any more time. She walked over to the two mercenaries, who were still groaning on the floor, and pulled out a rope from under the bed. With swift movements, she tied them together, their backs facing each other.
“F*ck! Let go of me! I’ll kill you!” One of them shouted, struggling to break free.
“You b*tch! Do you want to die?” the other growled, his anger barely restrained.
Veronica, holding back her frustration, slapped both of them across the face. “I don’t know if I’ll die, but if you say another word, I’ll make sure you both do.”
She ripped off her socks and stuffed one into the mouth of the first mercenary. Then, without hesitation, she took Yvonne’s socks and did the same to the other man, effectively silencing their curses.
“Let’s go,” Veronica said coolly, grabbing Yvonne’s hand and pulling her toward the door. It slammed shut behind them, locking the two mercenaries inside.
As they ran down the hall, Yvonne looked over at Veronica with awe. “Goodness, your moves were so cool just now! Why didn’t you run away before boarding the ship if you’re such a good fighter?”
Veronica glanced at her, barely breaking her stride. “If I had the chance to escape before boarding the ship, do you think I would’ve stayed here with you?”
She was right, after all. Before they boarded, both of them had been tied up with five mercenaries watching them at all times. There had been no opportunity to escape without being spotted, and the open spaces around them offered nowhere to hide. Running would have been futile.
Finally, Yvonne, unable to contain her curiosity, asked, “If you’re so strong, why were you kidnapped when you were in the ambulance?”
Veronica’s expression hardened. “Clearly, I was outnumbered.”
That day, after leaving the hospital, she had been ambushed by a group hired by the Larson family. Even though she had the chance to escape, she chose to stay and gather evidence against them. She’d fought back and taken down a few men, but ultimately, it had been a calculated risk. One she was lucky to survive.
“Now let’s just get off this ship,” Veronica muttered, her focus narrowing on the escape ahead.
