After an initial wave of panic, Merritt forced himself to calm down and issued a set of rapid instructions to the leader on deck. First, he ordered immediate action.

Merritt quickly issued a set of rapid instructions to the leader on deck. First, he ordered reinforcement of security measures, as the danger level on the yacht had now increased. Second, he emphasized the need for extreme caution, warning all men in black not to offend Cole and his crew. Third, he commanded all men in black to remain adaptable and carry out his orders without hesitation.

After receiving these commands, the leader had Allan, Merlin, and Manley scanned. Once the scan confirmed they carried nothing dangerous and that the aircraft held no additional passengers, he bowed respectfully to Cole and said, “Mr. Evans, please step inside.”

Cole flicked the droplets of water off his coat and walked confidently toward the entrance of the yacht’s cabin, the others moving in step behind him.

Typically, when the family members of hostages entered the lair of the captors, they would tread lightly, doing everything in their power to appear submissive. Every word was carefully chosen out of fear that a single misstep might endanger the hostages’ lives.

But Cole entered the scene as if he owned it. With one hand casually tucked into his trouser pocket, he strode in tall and composed, his gaze distant and full of authority. He didn’t look at people so much as he looked past them, each step exuding a cold, untouchable presence. Cole’s presence turned the men with assault rifles into nothing more than clumsy amateurs.

Instead of maintaining control, the armed captors were nearly trembling, while the hostages’ family members seemed unfazed. Once everyone entered the cabin, Elliana could no longer see what unfolded on the dock. She quietly climbed down from the ladder.

Hailee, who had been waiting nearby, lifted her head in curiosity. As soon as Elliana’s feet touched the floor, she leaned in and whispered,

“Elliana, what’s going on outside?”

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“Cole’s here,” Elliana replied, her voice calm and confident.

Without wasting a second, Elliana dropped to the floor, sat cross-legged, and pulled her phone from her pocket. After a few taps and swipes, she began accessing the yacht’s satellite systems.

Because they were in the middle of open waters, far from any coastal signal towers, there was no regular phone reception. That was why the kidnappers hadn’t bothered taking their devices. What they didn’t realize was that Elliana was none other than the legendary hacker known to the world as Quinn.

For someone like Elliana, breaching the yacht’s exclusive satellite network was almost effortless.

In moments, her phone displayed the live surveillance feed of Cole and the others as they moved across the vessel.

Hailee watched in stunned silence, unable to believe her eyes. It felt like witnessing magic. Since crossing paths with Elliana, her life had taken on the speed and unpredictability of a bullet train, bringing her face-to-face with people and events she never imagined encountering.

After a brief pause, Hailee quietly…

Settled beside Elliana, Hailee’s eyes were fixed on the surveillance feed playing on the screen.

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