Chapter 5

The heavy rain and strong wind continued unabated. Carolina and her younger brother were taken to a luxurious and opulent European-style mansion, radiating grandeur in every corner. They were ushered into a room where a magnificent crystal chandelier cast a dazzling glow. It felt like a lavish “prisoner’s chamber.”

Ryan had fallen unconscious, and despite Carolina being taller than him, she couldn’t manage to move his body. She could only hold Ryan tightly, reassuring him, “Don’t be afraid; I’m here with you. Nothing will happen.”

Looking around the room, she noticed two large windows through which the thunder roared outside. She longed to escape, but it seemed impossible with the men in black standing before her.

The rain soaked her entire body, clinging to her thin clothes. Every glance from the men made her feel exposed and vulnerable.

One man approached her, his mouth twisting into a lewd smile. “Under the light, she’s even more stunning. She’s a true beauty.”

Another man pulled him back and asked, “What do you want to do?”

“Just some fun. After all, she’s going to die anyway. It would be a shame not to have some fun,” he replied, his contemptible tone unbearable.

Carolina took a step back, her fear growing within.

“Please don’t do anything. If the boss finds out, you’ll regret it.”

“You’re such a coward. What are you afraid of? The boss won’t say anything. Relax,” he sneered. As soon as he finished speaking, he approached Carolina.

“S-Stay away, please…” she pleaded, her voice trembling.

He grabbed Carolina by her hair, pulled her away from Ryan, and looked at her with a sinister grin. “It’s been a long time since I touched a woman, let alone such a beauty,” he sneered. His gaze ran up and down Carolina’s beautiful face, her seductive curves, something that would surely arouse any ordinary man. Moreover, her delicate and vulnerable appearance made her even more captivating.

“No! Get away!” Carolina struggled, trying to fight off the man.

He was much stronger than an average person. With one hand tightly gripping her lengthy hair and the other holding onto her collar, he exerted force to restrain her.

A ripping sound echoed as her collar was torn, revealing her fair and delicate skin. He stared fixedly at the exposed area of her youthful chest, pinning her to the ground. Meanwhile, his other hand freely and mercilessly assaulted her in front of everyone.

“Help me! Please, spare me!” Carolina cried out, but the remaining bodyguards stood there with pale faces, disregarding her as if she didn’t exist.

Carolina tilted her head and looked at her brother lying on the ground, tears streaming from her beautiful eyes. She had never felt such despair before.

Suddenly, a gunshot pierced through the rainy night. The man tormenting Carolina froze; his eyes widened with a pained expression. A fresh stream of blood trickled down from his forehead. His lifeless body fell heavily next to Carolina, his eyes staring blankly at her.

“Ah!” Carolina screamed in fear, recoiling backward. This was the first time she had witnessed a murder with her own eyes. Death seemed to be drawing closer to her with every passing moment.

“Take his body away. I don’t want this to happen again,” a cold and relentless voice echoed, emanating a chilling determination.

Carolina raised her terrified gaze and saw Mr. Red standing by the door, holding a gun in his hand. The cold and indifferent eyes glanced at the lifeless body lying on the ground, then paused on Carolina, their gazes meeting. In that instant, Carolina felt a chilling presence infiltrating her body, making her shiver even more.

Looking at her disheveled and pitiful appearance, Mr. Red smiled, ambiguous yet discernible.

Suddenly, unconscious Ryan whispered, “Sis… sis…”

Thanks to him, Carolina regained her composure and quickly stood up, intending to approach Mr. Red. However, she was stopped by two guards raising their hands to block her.

“Sir, I work on your passenger ship and am considered your employee. I beg you to save my younger brother,” she pleaded, looking at Mr. Red with worried eyes.

Mr. Red slightly furrowed his brows; very few women dared to look him in the eye like that. Retracting his gaze, Mr. Red left without saying a word.

This was the first time Carolina had seen this esteemed CEO. Previously, while working as a cleaner on the ship, she occasionally heard the name Mr. Red mentioned, but very few workers saw him. He was like a mythical figure, rarely seen but known to exist.

After Mr. Red left, the bodyguards by the door followed suit. Carolina sat helplessly on the ground. The guard’s body had been dragged outside, leaving a pool of fresh blood on the ground. Her whole body trembled incessantly, unsure if it was from the cold or fear. Trying to calm herself down, she took a deep breath and stood up, picking up a blanket from the bed and covering her younger brother with it.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and a maid stood at the entrance, saying, “You come with me. The CEO wants to see you.”

Did he want to see her? Could it be that he wanted to kill her? If he wanted to kill her, he could have done it at the pier, and he just saved her moments ago. Thinking this way, she realized there might still be a chance to salvage the situation.

Carolina felt like she had found a glimmer of hope. Following the maid, she shivered uncontrollably. Turning around the corner, the maid stopped in front of a door and said, “Sir, the girl has been brought here.”

“Let her in.”

Only the voice could be heard, with no sight of the person. It was like an evil spirit hidden in the darkness.

Carolina opened the door, only to discover it led to pitch-black darkness.