CHAPTER 163: CHAPTER 163: TAKE HER OUT

Serena Jennings tightly gripped the princess-cut diamond ring in her hand.

Dylan Quinn stood before her, all smiles and full of confidence.

It was obvious he wasn’t at all worried that Caleb Lockwood would come to rescue her.

"Your darling husband is busy rescuing his first love, his white moonlight! He doesn’t have time for you!"

Serena’s mind buzzed.

"First love, white moonlight"... It was clearly referring to Claire Shaw.

"I kidnapped both you and Claire Shaw to make Caleb Lockwood choose, and he picked her without hesitation... He’s really heartless to you."

As Dylan Quinn boasted, Serena’s face turned ashen, as if all the blood had been drained from her.

Her instinct told her Dylan Quinn wasn’t lying.

"So no one is coming to save you. You might as well give up that hope! Rather than pinning your hopes on a man who wholeheartedly loves another woman, why not be sensible, and come with me... I promise, once we smuggle to NM, I’ll pamper you every day, hahaha!"

Dylan Quinn’s smug face made Serena sick.

However, she believed him.

If she and Claire Shaw were placed on opposite sides of the scale, the one who mattered more to Caleb Lockwood would certainly be Claire Shaw.

Only Claire Shaw.

It was as if her heart was being crushed by a firm grip, making it hard for Serena to breathe.

She couldn’t rely on anyone.

Especially not Caleb Lockwood.

Even if Caleb Lockwood wasn’t busy rescuing Claire Shaw, he might not care about her life or death.

After all...

They were divorced.

To Caleb Lockwood, she was now a nobody.

Serena silently took a deep breath.

The cold air was mixed with the salty dampness of the sea and the stench of foul water.

Her palm was pierced by the sharp edge of the princess-cut diamond ring.

The ring Caleb Lockwood gave her could cut ropes, but it could also hurt her.

Seeing Serena’s increasingly pale face, Dylan Quinn took out his phone and snapped a photo to send to joker.

The photo wasn’t something joker wanted, but rather what Claire Shaw wanted.

The previous words were also taught to him by Claire Shaw.

Even though Serena was about to be taken to NM, where she would never return to hinder Claire Shaw’s affairs,

Claire Shaw still wanted to break her heart.

Dylan Quinn guessed that Claire Shaw’s accomplice, joker, could easily have Serena killed in Meridia.

The reason it hadn’t happened was that Claire Shaw wanted Serena’s life to be a fate worse than death.

Falling into his hands, to be abused for a lifetime, watching the man she loved marry another woman, and live happily ever after with her, was indeed a torment more unbearable than death.

Truly, hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn!

Dylan Quinn chuckled sinisterly.

But it was just as well, it was to his benefit.

He had always coveted Serena’s body, and after multiple failed attempts before, he wasn’t going to let her slip through his fingers this time.

In fact, Dylan Quinn’s guess was mostly right; Claire Shaw had considered having joker seize an opportunity to eliminate Serena directly in Meridia.

But Dylan Quinn was a pawn to be used, leveraging the kidnapping to simultaneously make Caleb Lockwood pity her, while letting Serena fall into Dylan Quinn’s hands, unable to live or die. Claire Shaw thought this was more satisfying.

While Dylan Quinn’s attention wasn’t on her, Serena secretly used the diamond to fiercely cut the rope.

"Hmm? What are you doing?"

Dylan Quinn suddenly glanced sideways at Serena.

A cold sweat broke out across Serena’s body.

"I...wanted to know how you got to Meridia?"

Serena found a topic to chat with Dylan Quinn, diverting his attention.

"Why? Trying to draw me out!" Dylan Quinn shrugged, sneering, "I naturally have someone influential helping me."

But Dylan Quinn didn’t know much about joker, he didn’t even know what joker looked like; he only knew that joker was Claire Shaw’s helper, and as long as he followed their instructions, he would get both money and people.

"The boat’s here."

Dylan Quinn’s accomplice suddenly shouted.

Dylan Quinn immediately leapt up in excitement, a smile of relief on his face.

Dylan Quinn’s escape meant Serena’s total downfall.

Serena’s fingers and palms were bloody.

But she was so nervous, she had lost all sense of pain.

She had to exert more force, just a little more, to cut the rope, only then would she have a chance to escape.

The rope had actually loosened a bit, but now wasn’t the best time to run.

Serena noticed, Dylan Quinn didn’t have a gun, but the foreigner had one tucked at his waist.

There would only be one chance to escape, she had to maximize the odds of success.

The boat smuggling them to NM drew closer, a rickety cargo ship crowded with people trying to sneak across for various reasons.

In the darkness, the ship and these people were like a festering sore on the ocean.

"Hurry up!"

The cargo ship slowly docked, the crew shouted in a foreign language urging them along.

Dylan Quinn personally escorted Serena onto the boat, while his accomplice followed behind.

The night sea wind was strong and cold, Serena was still wearing the evening gown she had on at the party, and her body became instantly frozen.

Forced onto the ship, her hands were tied behind her back as she tightly gripped the rope.

The cargo ship restarted and slowly left the dock.

"Hahaha, I’m free!"

Dylan Quinn had just cheered when Serena suddenly broke free from the rope and kicked him in the groin.

Dylan Quinn yelped and clutched his groin.

His accomplice instinctively reached for the gun at his waist.

Before he could shoot, Serena leaped overboard with a splash.

The cargo ship was still moving; it couldn’t stop for a stowaway who had jumped into the sea.

"Quick! Go down and bring her back for me!"

Dylan Quinn grabbed his accomplice by the collar.

The sea was ice-cold, immediately sapping all of Serena’s body heat.

Yet even so, she had to gamble.

Dylan Quinn’s main goal was to escape, and the smuggling boat had limited time, it couldn’t wait for Dylan Quinn to bring her back.

Thus, jumping overboard as the boat was just starting was her best chance to escape.

Engulfed in the pitch-black icy sea, Serena thought she heard gunfire, and the sound of someone entering the water.

Were they shooting at her?

Or had someone jumped in to catch her?

Serena couldn’t afford to care.

She could only swim desperately, swim desperately, swim desperately...

...until her strength and warmth were fully drained.

The moonlight cast a cold sheen on the shore.

The cargo ship turned back.

The captain stood with a gun pointed at his head by Tim.

Tim was on the phone.

"The woman jumped overboard and ran. I dealt with Dylan Quinn, should I handle the woman too once she makes it to shore?"

At Lynton Grand Hotel, Julian Xavier was holding an iPad, looking at the CelestiMed database.

He was on a call using a Bluetooth earpiece.

"Hmm, deal with her."

"Alright."

Tim, having received the order, was about to hang up when Julian Xavier’s voice suddenly emanated from the earpiece again.

"Wait a moment..."

In a dilapidated apartment, Claire Shaw was finally rescued.

"Caleb!"

When she saw Caleb Lockwood charge in first, Claire Shaw burst into tears.