Chapter 122

Scarlett’s POV

Leaning against the wall of the storage room on the thirteenth floor, I tried to calm my rapid breathing.

My evening gown was stained with splotches of blood, and my fingers were still trembling slightly.

These hands had just ended a man's life—or nearly ended it, at least.

Even now, I remained shaken to my core.

My blood-covered hands gripped the phone tightly, my trembling fingertips failing to unlock the screen after several attempts.

Outside, the sound of footsteps grew increasingly frequent, as if they could drown me at any moment.

By now, everyone on the entire cruise ship must be searching for me.

I lifted my lips in a self-mocking smile.

No matter how fast I ran tonight, there would be no escape.

This cruise ship wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't small either.

But with someone dead, Richard certainly wouldn't protect me.

Thinking of this, I took out the vial Camila had given me from my handbag. The crystal-clear liquid gleamed with an eerie light in the dim illumination.

I hadn't used this substance, opting instead for a more direct approach—the syringe on the floor loaded with an overdose of cocaine.

An overdose of illegal substances could kill just as effectively.

Besides, I had also stabbed Vernon in the stomach.

As he lay in the pool of blood, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

He probably never imagined, even in death, that I would end his life with my own hands.

Nothing mattered anymore. I had attacked Vernon, and whether he lived or died, my fate was sealed.

My phone suddenly vibrated, but the name displayed on the screen wasn't Alexander's—it was Camila's.

After a moment's hesitation, I answered the call.

"Have you lost your mind? Why didn't you use the drug I gave you? Vernon would have died of cardiac arrest at least five hours later, and I could have still..."

Camila's voice was filled with surprise and anger.

"Camila, from the moment Marvin assigned me this mission, he never intended for me to return alive."

I calmly stated the truth.

"Scarlett, where are you now? I'll come find you. I'll find a way to protect you. I'll beg Alexander!"

Beg Alexander... I laughed bitterly to myself.

Didn't he want me dead too?

I decisively hung up, opened the narrow porthole, and tossed the phone into the dark seawater.

I straightened my blood-stained dress, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door of the storage room.

Since there was no escape, I would at least walk my final path with dignity.

I didn't avoid the security cameras, making my way directly to the deck on this level.

If I could find my grave in the vast sea, that wouldn't be such a bad outcome.

I recalled the spectacular fireworks display I had watched from the deck the night we boarded.

The sky full of fireworks had been so beautiful.

What a pity that the person standing beside me then wasn't someone I loved.

Life is always filled with regrets; nothing can ever be perfect.

Just as I was about to push open the fire door leading to the deck, a voice—unfamiliar yet somehow familiar—came from behind me.

"You dared to kill Vernon, so why not take one more gamble?"

The voice startled me, and I instinctively turned, only to feel the cold barrel of a gun pressed against my waist.

"It's you..." I hadn't expected this mysterious man to appear here as well.

"Are you going to kill me too?"

The man chuckled softly. "How could I?"

He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against his solid chest—the posture intimate yet fraught with danger.

"Actually... we're in the same boat now. I came to kill Vernon too, but you beat me to it."

His words were playful, sounding utterly unreal.

From not far away came the sound of hurried footsteps.

My heart raced. Although I had resigned myself to my fate, the survival instinct remained strong as death truly approached.

The man seemed to sense my thoughts.

"You don't really want to die, do you?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of provocation.

I laughed bitterly, a flash of unwillingness in my eyes.

"Who wants to die? I'm still so young and beautiful. I should be enjoying the best life has to offer, eventually marrying the most exceptional man."

The man's strong fingers gripped my chin, forcing me to turn and look at him.

He wore a black mask concealing his features, but I could tell he was young.

Additionally, there was a heavy aura of hostility about him.

"You are indeed beautiful. No wonder Alexander likes you. I like you too."

I couldn't tell if these words were sincere or jest, but they seemed more than mere jokes.

Yet such compliments meant nothing to someone facing imminent death.

"Thank you."

Having met him on this occasion, receiving a final escort before death wasn't so bad.

"Considering I also wanted to kill Vernon, why don't I help you escape?" he suddenly proposed.

For a moment, hope for survival made my heart race. But upon reflection, it still seemed absurd.

"Why should I trust you?"

The man frowned, suddenly reaching out to touch the spot on my back where I had been shot.

Then he smiled and said, "Let's say I owe you one."