Serena's reaction was entirely outside their expectations.
What did she mean she 'understood perfectly'?
Understood what, exactly?
Before they could process it, Serena casually extended the medical case toward them, her voice ringing out clearly. "If you want it this badly, go ahead. Take it."
The predators froze in sheer bewilderment.
None of them had anticipated The Panacea would fold so easily.
They had assumed that prying the legendary formulas and cash from her hands would require force.
At the very least, it would take some heavy intimidation.
After all, she was a VIP that even the ruthless ship operators treated with absolute reverence.
They never expected...
That she was this desperate to save her own skin.
Was she really handing over her life's work without a fight?
The lead predator stared at Serena with intense suspicion for several seconds. "What kind of trick are you pulling?"
Serena's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. "What's the matter? You came here to rob me, and I'm giving it to you. Are you too cowardly to take it?"
The leader's expression darkened defensively.
But staring at the prize practically resting in his grasp, greed overpowered caution. He reached out.
The instant his fingers brushed the handle of the case.
Serena flashed a brilliant smile. "Oh, by the way. I forgot to mention one tiny detail."
The leader stiffened.
Every instinct in his body screamed danger.
He instinctively tried to pull back.
But it was too late. Serena simply flicked her wrist.
A silver needle slid seamlessly from between her fingertips.
Swish!
The needle buried itself with pinpoint accuracy into the back of the leader's hand.
The man's body violently locked up.
Before he could even process the sudden strike.
He watched the stunningly gorgeous woman before him curl her red lips into a terrifyingly cold smile.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One by one, the lethal assassins collapsed heavily onto the steel floor.
It felt as if their very life force had been siphoned away. Simply lifting a finger had become an impossible task.
Serena casually lowered her hand, staring down at the pathetic heaps on the floor with utter indifference.
A breathtaking, radiant smile bloomed across her luminous face. "Never try to steal from a master chemist. Because... before you even realize what's happening, you'll find yourself poisoned with something entirely beyond your comprehension."
The leader glared up at her, pure hatred and terror burning in his eyes.
He desperately tried to speak, but his throat seized, allowing only a pathetic, gurgling whimper to escape.
Serena stepped forward, the slow, rhythmic click of her heels echoing ominously in the silent corridor.
That sharp, deliberate sound instantly shattered whatever bravado the leader had left, replacing it with absolute, suffocating terror.
He tried to drag himself backward, but his paralyzed body refused to obey.
Serena stepped right over him, driving the sharp point of her stiletto directly into the hand he had used to reach for her case. "Since you boys are so good at gathering intel, you should have known that even the ship's executives know better than to touch my property. Anyone who crosses that line finds only one outcome... death."
"Before you decide to steal my life's work, ask yourself if you have the lifespan required to actually open the box."
She tilted her head, her lips curling into a dark, utterly bloodthirsty smirk. "Oh, I forgot. The scum in The Predator's Den are famous for valuing a paycheck over their own lives."
"Well... as a deeply compassionate medical professional, it's only right that I fulfill your final wish."

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