Chapter 71

Chapter 71

The man shrugged. "Yeah, he knows I'm a big deal, and he can't miss how much I look like his dad. William tricked him into thinking I'm his nephew. That fool Albert actually bought it."

Camila got it right away. From the start, Albert had been a puppet for this scar-faced guy. All the plans were his doing from behind the scenes.

But she still didn't get one thing. "Why are you telling me all this? Shouldn't this be top secret for you?"

The man saw her confusion and laughed. "You showing up here means you're trying to get away from Albert. You must have a plan."

"But don't worry, I'm not interested in your business. My only goal right now is to make sure tonight's signing goes smoothly."

He paused, his gaze turning colder. "Once the signing is over, I'll let you go. Keeping you around doesn't benefit me."

After the man left, Camila thought about heading to the cruise ship's exit again. But as soon as she turned the corner, two bodyguards in black suits blocked her way like iron towers, their tone leaving no room for argument.

"Ms. Wilson, Mr. Garcia instructed us to keep you near the banquet hall. Please don't make this difficult for us."

Camila nodded slowly, not pushing further.

At the center of the banquet hall, Albert stood on a makeshift stage, his eyes quickly scanning the crowd.

When he saw the empty seat in the corner, his brow furrowed, and a hint of unease flashed in his eyes.

It wasn't until he saw Camila slowly walk out from the hallway entrance and sit down at a spot near the edge that he finally relaxed a bit.

"You're so afraid she'll disappear. Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on her for you."

The man standing next to him spoke with an expressionless gaze.

"Jerry, I trust you."

"Get ready, it's about to start."

"Alright, let's get ready. The signing ceremony is about to begin." Jerry Garcia patted Albert's shoulder, his eyes unconsciously drifting towards the shipping magnate from Emberlyn in the audience.

Like all business signing ceremonies, the host droned on about the promising future of the partnership between the Garcia Group and Emberlyn Blue Horizon Shipping, then introduced the guests one by one.

When the blonde-haired Paul Smith walked onto the stage surrounded by people, Camila clearly saw Jerry's tense shoulders relax a bit, and a barely noticeable smile appeared on his lips.

Everything was going smoothly.

Albert picked up the pen and signed his name with a strong, decisive stroke. He handed the contract to Paul with a polite smile. "Mr. Smith, looking forward to our cooperation."

Paul nodded with a smile, took the pen, and was about to sign the contract when suddenly, his pupils dilated, and his face turned deathly pale.

The next second, he collapsed forward without warning, hitting the signing table with a thud, blood gushing from his mouth and staining the white tablecloth red.

"Ah—"

The banquet hall erupted in sharp screams, and everyone backed away in fear, the previously lively scene descending into chaos.

"What happened?" Albert stood up abruptly, about to step forward to check, but was immediately surrounded by several bodyguards in black suits.

A man sitting closest to the stage suddenly rushed out of the crowd, holding a black gun, pressing the muzzle firmly against Albert's forehead, his voice full of rage. "You killed Mr. Smith. You gotta pay for this."

Albert's face turned ashen, his lips trembling as he tried to explain. "It wasn't me, I didn't—"

"Hold up!" Jerry suddenly stepped forward, pushing Albert back and standing in front of the gun. His voice was calm.

"I'm Mr. Garcia's assistant. I was right next to them. I saw everything clearly. Mr. Smith wasn't killed by Mr. Garcia. He just collapsed on his own."

But before he could finish, the blonde man with the gun sneered and fired a shot into the ceiling.

The loud bang made everyone gasp in shock.

"Don't mess with me," the blonde man's voice was full of madness. "Now that Mr. Smith is dead, none of you are leaving this ship alive."

In the chaos, Camila remained seated, her face showing no sign of panic.

Her eyes quickly scanned the room, finally landing on a trembling waiter nearby. She discreetly gestured for him to come over.

When the waiter approached, she lowered her voice. "How long has the ship been sailing? Can we still contact the shore for help?"

The waiter looked at her blankly, his voice shaking. "The ship just set off not long ago. The communication system should still work... but with them watching so closely, it would be very dangerous if we're caught."

Camila understood his concern. Trying to contact the outside world now would be a death sentence.

But after a few seconds of hesitation, the waiter gritted his teeth, looking at Camila with newfound determination. "But I'll try. With all this chaos, they might not notice me. I'll go to the crew's rest area to find the communicator."

He gave Camila a quick smile and ran towards the end of the hallway.

But just as he was about to turn the corner, a gunshot rang out.

"Bang!"

A bullet shot into the waiter's back with lightning speed, blood instantly soaking his uniform. He stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing heavily to the ground, motionless.

Camila watched in horror as warm blood splattered onto her cheek, the metallic smell filling her senses.

The person who had just spoken to her was now lifeless. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard to breathe.

"Trying to call for help?" The blonde leader walked over slowly, his eyes locking onto Camila's face, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

"Did you really think we didn't prepare for this? The communication system was cut off long ago. None of you are getting off this ship."

Suddenly, he seemed to recognize Camila, his eyes lighting up, his tone turning playful. "Oh, I remember you. You're the woman Albert brought along."

He nodded towards Camila, ordering, "You, come here."

Camila didn't resist, calmly standing up and walking over.

Albert's face turned ghostly pale. He struggled to move forward but was held back by the bodyguards.

His lips trembled uncontrollably as he shouted, "I warn you, if you harm a single hair on her head, I will make sure you die a horrible death."

"Threatening me?" The blonde man sneered, suddenly shoving Camila forward.

She stumbled, nearly falling but managed to catch herself on a nearby table.

"Who said I was going to hurt her?"

"I just want to play a little game."