Her pale fingers tapped rhythmically against the tracking beacon. Bathed in the faint, pulsing red light, her dark eyes gleamed with a brilliantly vicious intent. "Go back to The Predator's Den. Leak a rumor."
"Tell them..."
She paused, her smile turning utterly predatory. "Tell them The Sanctum Vault is currently housing a piece of cargo far more valuable than tonight's finale."
"Tell them The Sterling Sovereign has taken a deep personal interest in it and is actively strong-arming the administration for an exclusive inspection."
"Tell them whoever breaches that vault first and secures the intel on the cargo..."
"Will get a very lucrative seat at his table."
Jasper's eyebrows shot up behind his mask.
The sheer, calculated brilliance of her plan hit him instantly.
He stared at the gorgeous, fragile-looking woman in front of him, a deep, thrilling sense of awe sparking in his chest.
"You want... to turn the entire ship's attention to the vault?"
Serena tilted her head, her pale face illuminated by a dangerous, magnetic allure. "The more chaotic the waters, the harder it is for the sharks to hide."
The moment that rumor hit the floor, every single bloodthirsty mercenary in The Predator's Den, every greedy broker, and every billionaire buyer would set their sights on The Sanctum Vault.
An exclusive asset personally requested by The Sterling Sovereign?
Something more valuable than the finale?
They would practically foam at the mouth for a piece of the action.
They would swarm the lower decks like locusts.
To prevent an outright riot and keep the perimeter secure.
The administration would be forced to pull massive waves of security from the upper decks to barricade the vault.
And the tighter the ship locked down the area.
The more convinced the buyers would become...
The longer they waited, the higher the risk of Fourteen waking up and slaughtering everyone.
They couldn't stay hidden without exposing the asset to the mob outside.
And they couldn't move him because the route was blocked.
Caught between a rock and a hard place.
They would be forced to panic.
And the moment they panicked, they would walk directly into the kill box she had meticulously prepared for them.
Piecing the entire trap together, Jasper couldn't help but slowly clap his hands together. "Brilliant. Absolutely terrifyingly brilliant."
He shook his head, looking at her with profound admiration. "Without firing a single bullet, you're going to use one little rumor to force the billionaires, the hitmen, and the ship's administration to tear each other apart."
"How does a brain like yours even exist?"
"No wonder they're willing to pay a fortune to capture you alive. If I were running this ship, I'd be shaking in my boots right now."

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Messing With Her? Are You Crazy!