Third person's POV
After the mercenaries had plundered the ship's wealth, they swaggered away without a care.
As dawn approached, Tabitha, still in the throes of sleep, was quietly transferred amidst the chaos.
Derek, freshly groomed and composed, gently opened the door to a burst of invigorating sea breeze, the wind's caress gradually dispersing the gloom that had long lingered in his heart.
The entire ship, except for the level they occupied, was in disarray. Ninety percent of the passengers had already disembarked, and the remaining ten percent were their own people. Over a hundred enforcers, tightly bound with ropes, huddled on the ground in disarray.
Matilda, released from her restraints by Alvin, rushed downstairs with urgency. The restaurant, dance floor, luxury boutiques, and entertainment venues were all reduced to chaotic ruins.
Stumbling and falling into the wreckage, Matilda's tears flowed as she lamented, "It's gone. Everything is gone."
She made her way to the bar, a place where she once enjoyed crafting cocktails and sipping drinks, observing others' joys and sorrows from a lofty perch.
But now, the expensive liquors that once filled the bar had been looted, leaving only worthless bottles shattered on the ground.
Matilda walked over with difficulty, knelt down slowly, and picked up a half-empty fruit wine bottle. Holding the broken, liquor-laden bottle, she drank the remaining liquid drop by drop.
As the last drop slid down her throat, a flicker of desperate determination flashed in her eyes.
Then, clutching the sharp end of the glass shard, she slashed towards her own artery.
She knew that the damage she had inflicted on the ship and the immeasurable losses she had caused her boss meant that no matter where she fled, he would never spare her.
Moreover, she felt guilty and had never considered escape. In her mind, taking her own life seemed the most helpless solution.
However, just as the decisive moment arrived, a loud "bang" rang out, a bullet precisely striking the glass shard in her hand. Matilda felt a numbness in her arm, and the glass in her hand shattered instantly.
Matilda looked back in confusion to see Derek, tall and imposing, standing there.
He calmly holstered his weapon and strolled towards her with an unhurried gait.
Derek, dressed in a brand-new, tailored suit, exuded an air of nobility that was impossible to ignore, even amidst the wreckage.
"Who are you?" Matilda hissed through gritted teeth. This man had been hiding behind the scenes, never showing his face, yet for some reason, she had been bewitched into committing an unforgivable catastrophe.
Derek raised his head, looking down at her with a condescending gaze, as if she were worthless trash. "You are not worthy of my name," he said coldly.
"Why do you want revenge for her? Why won't you let me die?" Matilda asked in despair.
"Die?" Derek snorted disdainfully. "Death would be a release for someone like you. Do you think I would let you off so easily?"
Matilda's face turned ashen. "You won't spare me, and my boss won't either. I'm as good as dead, anyway. Do as you please."
"Rest assured, I won't kill you," Derek's eyes revealed a cold determination. "I will make sure you live a life worse than death. You like men, don't you? From now on, you will have more than you can handle."
"What are you going to do?" Matilda asked in horror.
"What am I going to do?" Derek took a few slow steps forward, then stopped, his voice icy. "I will return a hundredfold what you did to her."
Matilda's face drained of color at his words, and she screamed hysterically, "No, you can't do this!"
"I had initially intended to spare your life, considering you a woman, Matilda. But all of this is self-inflicted. You could hurt me, but you should not have touched them," Derek finished, turning away without looking back, leaving only a resonating echo in the air: "Everyone has their limits, and you should not have crossed that line."
Rolf approached with Derek's men, and Derek, with a stern expression and a chilling gaze, instructed, "Take her to the Den of Iniquity."
At the mention of "Den of Iniquity," Matilda shook her head frantically, screaming, "No, kill me, just kill me!"
However, all she received in response was Derek's receding, unyielding back.