After William left, Millie quickly came downstairs."What did you two talk about? Are you okay? You don't look well," Millie asked with concern.To her surprise, Pierce suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. She could feel his body trembling slightly, as if he were deeply shaken by something."A-Are you alright?"She tried to pull away to see his face, but his hoarse voice whispered in her ear, "Don't move. Just let me hold you."Millie froze at his words and didn't dare move again.After hesitating for a long moment, she gently placed her hands on his back, trying to soothe him. He was holding her so tightly that it hurt, but she didn't complain.As the seconds ticked by, he finally released her."It's nothing. I'll take you to the nursing home in a bit. You can stay with Grandpa for a while. I have some things I need to take care of.""Is it William?""Millie, I want to lie to you, but I can't. I'm afraid you'll lower your guard and won't be cautious around him. He's the
"The best way now is to find a reason to detain him and investigate slowly. Are his passports and other documents all in order?" Jason asked."There's nothing we can exploit." Thomas was a seasoned detective skilled in handling cases.Being a customs officer was inherently dangerous, making it crucial to stay under the radar. Pierce had no intention of involving his old comrades.Thomas' and Jason's families were both in Arbelton, where Pierce had the means to provide protection."Wait, I think I might have an idea. Pierce, didn't you rescue a victim from that ship? Let William know that this victim tipped you off, hence why you could act so quickly. According to their rules, they'll need to catch and kill that person to avenge their fallen comrades."Pierce, you could find that person and then leak the information. William sure has a lot of guys under him to make him rise to this level. If he wants to maintain his authority, even if he doesn't want to take action, someone will pu
"Millie, are you listening?" Thomas asked, noticing Millie's silence after he finished speaking.It took Millie a while to come back to her senses. She gripped her phone tightly. Her palm was drenched in cold sweat."Yes… I'm listening. I'll talk to Pierce. I understand your point. Sacrificing one person could save many others.""It's not about sacrifice. We ensure the bait's safety through proper measures. In special circumstances, we handle things differently. William is not just any smuggler, and both Pierce and I are retired professionals. Sometimes, unconventional methods are necessary.""I understand. I'll talk to him.""You're always so understanding, Millie. Thank you."As soon as the call ended, Millie leaned against the wall, feeling weak.She didn't want to be used as bait. She didn't want to go through another terrifying experience. Despite their protection, she was scared. What if something went wrong and they couldn't protect her?She even had a fleeting thought o
"Why'd you call me over so urgently? Do we have a new plan?" Jason asked, his face full of confusion.Suddenly, Pierce threw a punch at him, leaving Jason with a bruised nose."What the hell?" Thomas jumped in and quickly pulled Pierce back.Jason, now on the ground, was just as confused. "What's gotten into you, Pierce?""Why did you tell Millie?""Millie? Millie knows? How could she? I didn't tell her." Jason was stunned. His confusion quickly turned to panic."If not you, then who?""You can't blame Jason for this. Millie called me, and I mentioned it casually, asking her to talk to you. So, have you agreed? Where's the victim? Have you explained everything to her? Is she willing to cooperate?" Thomas asked with an eager expression.At this, both Pierce's and Jason's expressions turned grim.Pierce clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged, as if he were just moments away from landing another punch—this time on Thomas.But eventually, his
After their discussion, Thomas and Jason left. Thomas' gaze toward Millie was apologetic.Millie knew how much they valued Pierce. If they had known she was the victim, they never would have done such a thing.This was entirely an accident, indicating that it was meant to be her fate.After they left, the room fell into an eerie silence, with the weight of their breaths almost palpable.Pierce wrapped his arms tightly around Millie from behind. "I know sacrifices are inevitable. I'm prepared to make one if necessary, but I don't want you to be involved."He couldn't bear to think of a day when Millie might have to sacrifice herself too."What, are you giving me special treatment?" Millie turned to face him, her eyes twinkling with a gentle smile.She tried to sound light-hearted to comfort him, though her tightly clenched fists betrayed her inner anxiety."Pierce, we're doing the right thing, so let's not worry about anything else."Pierce remained silent. His expression was g
Millie was feeling a bit weary, so she sat on the edge of the pool.Suddenly, she heard faint footsteps approaching from behind her. Her heart raced. Had William come to find her now that she was alone?She was now the one responsible for the deaths of many of William's men. As the leader, he had to deal with her to maintain his authority, even if it meant taking risks.In their world, even the most ruthless criminals valued loyalty. A leader had to demonstrate care for their men to ensure their obedience.She lowered her voice and asked, "Jason, is William here?""The surveillance in the backyard has been tampered with. We can't see anything right now!"Millie's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.She wanted to run, but reason told her that if William were to push her into the pool and stage an accidental drowning, their mission would be accomplished.Sweat began to bead on her forehead. She remained perfectly still, holding her breath out of instinct.At that moment, a t
William winced from the pain. His eyes were dark with menace as he glared at Millie, yet he refrained from slapping her.He used his other hand to grip her jaw tightly, enough to dislocate it.Millie was equally fierce. She was determined to bite off a piece of his flesh even if her jaw was dislocated.They were like two predators locked in a deadly standoff, each clutching the other's throat.At that moment, Pierce rushed over. "Millie, let go."Instantly, the fiery anger within Millie was extinguished. She was no longer the aggressive little tigress from earlier.She released her bite immediately. Without bothering to put on her shoes, she rushed toward Pierce.As William glanced at his bloodied hand, a smirk played on his lips. "Your woman is quite fierce, Officer Atkinson." His tone carried a hint of reproach.Frowning, Millie looked at him with disgust.Meanwhile, Pierce narrowed his eyes. He could sense the predatory gleam in William's gaze, as if he were eyeing his next
Pierce's breathing quickened. As he prepared to tear at her clothes, Thomas' cough reached his ears."Pierce, I know you're eager, but please hold on. We really didn't want to interrupt, but… despite it looking like a two-person affair, it's actually a four-person game."Pierce froze. Damn, he had forgotten about the two unwanted spectators outside. He was wearing an earpiece, and Millie had a hidden camera on her. Had those two just seen everything?"Why did you stop?" Millie looked pained. Her eyes were both dazed and innocent. She was waiting for him to calm her desire."We need to deal with some problems first," Pierce said as he removed the earpiece.The moment Millie saw him do that, her mind went into overdrive, and her blood seemed to rush backward.She let out a scream. There was still surveillance on her! Everything they had done and said was known to Jason and Thomas. How could she face them now?In a surge of strength she didn't know she had, she kicked Pierce, sendi