Chapter 166
"Come with me. At least you'll survive, and live a bit more comfortably," Bob pulled back his hand, his tone still laced with temptation, "Once the danger passes, I'll figure out a way to get you to a safe place where you can start over. How about that? It's better than staying here waiting to die or waiting for someone who might never show up, right?"
"No!" Isabella screamed her refusal, her voice hoarse but resolute.
She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, her gaze sharpening again, though beneath that sharpness lay deep fear and exhaustion, "Don't even think about touching me! I'm not going anywhere! I'm staying right here! Vitale will come for me!"
Isabella's determination caught Bob off guard.
He had thought that under the blow of being abandoned and the pressure of her current miserable situation, Isabella would at least hesitate or consider his offer.
He didn't expect her rejection to be so firm, almost instinctive, as if she was fiercely protecting Vitale.
A flash of embarrassment and irritation crossed Bob's face, but it was quickly replaced by a fake helplessness.
"How could I possibly want to touch you?" He spread his hands, putting on an innocent look, "I'm trying to save you! For God's sake, Ms. Lorraine, I just don't want to see a beautiful woman like you die in a filthy place like this or get ruined by those animals! I'm doing this out of kindness!"
Bob was about to say more when the heavy iron door of the cell was suddenly flung open, and Eva walked in.
She was still wearing her black leather outfit, her dark brown ponytail slightly messy, with a few strands of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead.
Her face was paler than usual, with a faint trace of tension that was hard to notice.
Her deep green eyes, like a frozen lake suddenly cracking open, revealed a sharp, piercing glint.
Eva's gaze swept across the room instantly, quickly passing over Barton and Bob before settling on Isabella, who was curled up in the corner, tear-streaked but with a stubborn look in her eyes.
Their eyes met briefly in the air.
Isabella caught a fleeting glimpse of complex emotions in Eva's eyes.
There was concern, and there was a warning.
Over the past few days, even though Eva had deliberately kept her distance, coming and going quickly when changing bandages, Isabella always found ways to strike up conversations with her on various topics.
At first, Eva just ignored her coldly or snapped short replies.
But after a while, Eva started to respond occasionally with a word or two, still cold, but she didn't leave right away.
Isabella could feel that the icy wall around Eva's heart was being eroded, ever so slowly, bit by bit.
Eva might not have fully realized it herself, but her view of this mistress of a mafia boss was quietly changing.
From seeing her as just a tool or an enemy's accessory, Isabella had become a real person—someone who could feel fear, pain, and stubbornly tried to connect with others.
This change was subtle, something Eva even fought against.
But in her own way, she was doing her best to protect Isabella from further harm.
Aldo and a few others who had been eyeing Isabella with bad intentions had tried several times to sneak into the cell or make a move during bandage changes, but Eva blocked them every time without mercy. She even used her fists and cold warnings to make them pay for it.
Barton knew about Eva's overstepping behavior.
He didn't openly support it, nor did he harshly stop it. He only warned her privately not to let pointless sympathy get in the way of the bigger plan.
Eva had just nodded silently at the time, but her actions remained unchanged.
Others in the organization, including Aldo and his crew, were furious about Eva's interference, but no one dared to really challenge her.
Not just because she was Barton's goddaughter and one of the top killers and operatives in the group.
But also because of a well-known secret.
Eva had an unusual relationship with the mysterious Marco.
Many had seen with their own eyes that after certain highly private meetings or operations, Marco would keep Eva behind alone.
A few times, someone accidentally caught a glimpse of Marco hugging Eva or kissing her forehead or cheek, lingering for a long time with an almost possessive closeness.
Though no one dared to pry further, those moments were enough for everyone to understand Eva's special place in Marco's heart.
So, within Thorn of Justice, Eva's words carried a hint of Marco's shadow, and no one dared to defy her easily.
At this moment, Eva's sudden entrance and the rare tension on her face made Barton instantly sense something was wrong.
"Eva," Barton asked in a deep voice, the earlier calm gone, replaced by a subtle heaviness, "What's going on?"
Eva quickly walked to Barton's side, deliberately lowering her voice, but in the quiet cell, her words still reached everyone's ears clearly, "Vitale. He's found us."
"What?" Bob reacted the most dramatically.
He jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his face draining of color. The lustful thoughts he had for Isabella were instantly swallowed by overwhelming fear, leaving only a desperate urge to survive.
"How is this possible? Wasn't he still clueless? It's been a week! A whole week!"
Bob shouted incoherently, pacing in circles, his hands gripping his hair tightly, his expensive suit becoming even more disheveled from his tugging.
"No way! I have to leave! I need to get out now! My private plane! Yes, my private plane is at the backup airport! I'm leaving right now!"
He turned to Barton, his eyes wild with panic, "Barton! Let me go! For God's sake! I need to leave Arcturus now! Right this second!"
Barton gave him a cold glance, the corner of his mouth curling into a near-cruel, mocking smirk.
"Oh, really?" Barton's voice was slow, carrying a playful tone like a cat toying with a mouse, "Didn't you just say you wanted to take this beauty with you and save her? What, changed your mind? Not playing the hero anymore?"
Bob shook his head frantically, his voice shrill with extreme fear, "Stop joking! Barton! I just want to live! Live! Do you get it?"
"I'm not some idiot who loses his head over a pretty face. Staying alive comes first. Vitale's here, he's really here, and he's going to kill us all!"
His fear was so raw, so contagious, that it made Isabella, curled up in the corner, feel her heart pound wildly.
Vitale had found them.
He really had.
He hadn't given up on her.
In an instant, Bob's earlier vicious speculations about her being abandoned shattered, replaced by a surge of hope and a sharper, more piercing worry.
Vitale coming alone into this den of danger was far too risky.
Barton stopped looking at the panicking Bob.
The mockery on his face quickly faded, replaced by calm, though a sharp glint flared in the depths of his eyes.
He turned to Eva, his voice reverting to the short, hard tone he used when giving orders.
"What's the exact situation? How many are there? Where are they now?"
Eva reported quickly, "Not sure of the exact number, but they're moving fast and striking hard. Several of our outer sentries and patrols are already down, taken out cleanly without even triggering an alarm."
"They seem to have infiltrated from the abandoned Dock 3 area. They're likely at the edge of the core zone by now."
Barton's pupils narrowed slightly.
Vitale lived up to his reputation. His speed and precision far exceeded typical gang skirmishes.
"We can't stay here," Barton made a snap decision, his gaze sweeping the cell before landing on Isabella, "Eva, tie her up. Bind her hands and feet tightly. We're moving to the second safehouse."
"No! Don't!" Isabella's heart raced when she heard they were transferring her.
She knew that once they moved her, it would be much harder for Vitale to find her, and the process of transferring would bring more risks and unknowns.
She struggled to stand, but her weak body and injured shoulder slowed her down.
"Vitale's here! He's here! You can't escape!" Isabella shouted at Barton and Eva, trying to buy time with her voice.
Eva looked at her, a deeply complex emotion flickering in her deep green eyes.
There was helplessness, a barely noticeable hint of apology, but mostly a firm resolve to follow orders.
She knew full well that Isabella was their most important bargaining chip right now, their only shield. They couldn't afford to lose her or let her have any chance to escape or signal Vitale.
"Sorry," Eva muttered in a voice so low it was almost inaudible, then stepped forward quickly.
"Eva! No! Please! Vitale—" Isabella's plea was cut short.
Eva moved like lightning, delivering a precise, swift strike to the back of Isabella's neck.
Isabella's vision went black, all sounds and lights fading away instantly. Her last conscious thought was calling out Vitale's name.
'Vito.'