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Scarlet Vows & Sapphire Wounds
**Sarah**
Madam Cornell informed me that she would hand over Jane once I transferred her the remaining 100 million dollars. Chairman Cornell prepared the initial 100 million in cash, already stashed in a van.
Due to the cruise ship's vast size, we have yet to learn where Jane is hidden. However, the exchange is set for half an hour before the ship's scheduled departure, adding to the urgency and complexity of the situation.
I will give the car key to Madam Cornell, who will have it inspected by her lackey. Following that, we will proceed to the next step: her handing Jane over to me in exchange for the additional 100 million dollars, which I will then transfer via EFT to various accounts. She strictly warned me that she would harm Jane if I didn't comply. She chose the cruise ship because of the many guests who could potentially get hurt.
Bronn and Emily are pretending to be a honeymooning couple.
Josh, Assistant Alex, and five additional bodyguards are with me.
Jakob and another team member, Lexi, drove the van containing the cash. Unfortunately, Jane's phone was off, preventing us from tracking her location via GPS.
At five-thirty in the afternoon, Madam Cornell called me on video chat to confirm my presence on the ship, which alarmed Jakob and the others. She saw my background and hair blown by the deck's wind.
"Well, well It's been a while since I last saw your irritating face, Sarah," commented Madam Cornell.
"Let's skip the small talk, ex-mother-in-law. Let me see Jane!" I demanded.
With a smug expression, she moved the camera to reveal Jane's face. Jane's eyes were puffy and her cheeks swollen, which is clear evidence of mistreatment. She had cling wrap tightly wound around her mouth, silencing her.
"Jane, you'll be fine!" I assured my friend.
"Oh, how cute!" Madam Cornell mocked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
My hands clenched into fists at her cruelty.
"That's right! Let's stop this nonsense! You can send your lackey to the cruise's parking space. Tell him to go to VAN 3274," I instructed.
Her face twisted with irritation. "We agreed that you give me the key before I send my assistant to check the van!" she snapped, her control slipping momentarily.
"Oops, my apologies... I didn't quite understand the rules," I said, feigning ignorance with an exaggerated look of confusion on my face.
Madam Cornell ground her teeth. "This bitch!"
"I'm here on the deck; it's not like I'll run! Besides, I left the van open; someone might steal the money from there. Better send your annoying lackey."
Madam Cornell's face flushed red with rage as she abruptly dismissed whoever was with her from the cabin with a curt wave of her hand.
While I was talking to Madam Cornell, Jakob's voice came through the Bluetooth headset in my ear.
"There were people who entered and then exited the cabin! I can't tell which one Madam Cornell's assistant is from the cameras. And I don't know which room the person who left went into," Jakob's voice warned.
It was boarding time on the cruise, so I understood Jakob's confusion. Unfortunately, they had to hack its security system. They tried to find out where Madam Cornell's cabin was, but the reservation wasn't in her name. We believed she used another name, possibly the name of the person with her. For now, we had to be content with the security cameras in the hallways.
"Are you stunned into silence, Sarah?" Madam Cornell mocked sarcastically, grabbing my attention on the video call.
"Why? Did you want to chat and catch up?" I replied with an amused smirk.
She rolled her eyes so exaggeratedly.
After three tense minutes, Jakob's voice broke through again. "I've got eyes on the man we're looking for who was with Madam Cornell! He opened the van where the cash is."
Philip's bodyguard was hiding inside the stacked luggage to ensure Madam Cornell's man couldn't escape. Trey was currently in the van.
Jakob continued, "The assistant is now using his phone, likely calling your monster-in-law,"
Right after Jakob relayed that, Madam Cornell's phone started ringing.
"Now we'll find out if you prepared my ransom money as instructed, Sarah..." she said, answering the call.
"I didn't prepare your cash. Remember, it was your husband who prepared the money for you. Don't you miss him?" I replied, my voice dripping with disdain.
Currently, Chairman Cornell surely wants to kill Philip's mother for the embarrassment she caused, and now she plans to take a large amount of money in exchange for Jane.
Jane is still a daughter, and this is where I realized that Jane is important to her father.
Madam Cornell answered her subordinate's call; her lips pressed tightly together in an angry line.
"I've got the money! I'm bringing out the van!" I heard her men announce as the crazy woman had the phone on speaker.
We only had ten minutes before the cruise ship completely closed for boarding. As I expected, Madam Cornell planned to bring the ransom cash-filled van out again to ensure she received the money.
I managed a strained smile at Madam Cornell. "Now that you've got the 100 million, can you release Jane?" I asked pointedly.
"I won't release Jane. Did you think I'd expose myself that easily? I'll leave your friend here locked in this cabin! We'll meet on the deck, you'll transfer the money to me, and then I'll give you the cabin number where you can find Jane!" she asserted firmly.
"Sounds like a plan," I mused, keeping my cool.
"I'll call you again with instructions!" she declared before abruptly ending the call.
I pressed the end button, my expression turning grave after the call with Madam Cornell.
"She's left another lackey to watch Jane. Be careful, Emily..." I announced to my team over the open line. "Now, let's get to the next phase!"
"Madam Cornell has vacated the suite. Judging by her attire, she likely intends to make an escape! I suspect she plans to jump and swim away," Jakob reported.
"That deranged woman!" I commented though I had already anticipated such a ploy. That's precisely why she had chosen this cruise ship setting for her scheme.
Jakob began counting down. "Three, two, one, go!"
The LoveLogic app alarms sounded-it even rang on my phone.
The app announced that players could get a limited edition item if they completed a particular task. Fortunately, we had recruited forty enthusiastic gamers solely for this cruise to participate.
Their initial task was to: gather twenty hearts within an hour.
To collect these hearts, gamers had to use their cameras to navigate through the corridors, halls, roads, any part of the home, and even the deck.
We utilized everyone's camera feeds to pinpoint Madam Cornell's exact location. As expected, we swiftly identified her current whereabouts. I observed her alertness heightening, seemingly aware of being watched.
Well, her instincts were correct!
Madam Cornell clearly didn't anticipate that there would be people nonchalantly using their phone cameras in her vicinity.
"What are you doing? Are you taking my picture?" Madam Cornell scolded angrily, glaring at a nearby woman.
"Excuse me? This older woman thinks she's a celebrity! Why would anyone photograph you? Tsk!" the woman retorted heatedly.
I chuckled to myself at the woman's bewildered reaction.
Lexi swiftly caught my attention. "She's calling you now, Sarah!
"You mean your phone?" I smiled knowingly, tapping a button on my laptop to seamlessly forward the incoming call to Lexi's mobile device.
We mirrored Lexi's phone display, ensuring we could vividly see her as Madam Cornell would perceive her on my laptop screen.
Lexi confidently answered the video call, still on deck but using a filter that superimposed my face onto hers, pretending to be me.
"Where are you?" Madam Cornell inquired, detecting nothing out of the ordinary so far.
"I'm out on the deck," Lexi replied casually.
Despite the nerve-wracking nature of our mission, I found it amusing to be comfortable aboard the yacht near the massive cruise ship, sipping juice with Assistant Alex and five bodyguards. Earlier, I had utilized a backdrop filter app to create the illusion that I was inside the cruise ship.
"Where the fuck are you, Sarah?" Madam Cornell suddenly yelled, clearly panicked as she realized she couldn't actually see me physically present on the deck.
"I'm right here," Lexi replied smoothly.
"You fucking bitch! Show yourself to me immediately!" Madam Cornell grabbed Lexi's shoulder. But the furious lady was utterly stunned when someone else entirely turned to face her.
Madam Cornell frantically swapped her gaze between her cellphone screen and the stranger standing before her, finally realizing I had been toying with her senses all along.
"Sarah!!!" Madam Cornell bellowed, her face contorted with fury. "Are you playing games with me?! I swear, I'll kill Jane! You mark my words, I'll brutally kill Jane!"
Onlookers on the deck began to notice Madam Cornell's escalating behavior, perceiving her as losing her composure. That's why we used our carefully planned decoy strategy, leveraging the unique app.
The woman lunged at Lexi. In a quick response, Lexi skillfully put handcuffs on Madam Cornell's wrists. Madam Cornell looked shocked and couldn't believe what was happening. I think she finally realized she had been completely outsmarted. But just as Lexi was about to lock the handcuffs securely against the fence, Madam Cornell managed to break free and jumped into the sea desperately trying to escape.
She thought she had managed to escape, but it's not