Jacqueline’s face turned white as a sheet. “Is it the Jacobsons? Do they want me dead?”

As they spoke, their enemy had taken the time to shatter the white sedan’s

windshield violently.

“Ms. Sanders, I’ll hold them off. Run!” Peter yelled as he rushed to fight their assailants head-on.

Another round of gunfire erupted because of his actions.

Jacqueline frantically opened the car door, kicked her heels off, and ran for her life.

The individuals Stephen had sent after her head were experienced mercenaries who had spent years training abroad. Each of them was highly skilled in combat.

Although Peter was a well-trained bodyguard with excellent skills, he stood no chance against these mercenaries.

Hence, Peter was quickly subdued.

He had been shot twice, once in the thigh and another in his left arm. Sure enough, the ground ran red with his blood.

The assailants’ leader ordered, “Take him away. We don’t want him dead.”

A blond Arcton mercenary came over within minutes, dragging Jacqueline with him. “Target acquired.”

Jacqueline kicked her legs wildly and struggled against his grip, spitting curses, “Let me go, you bastards! Let go!”

The leader didn’t hesitate to slap her across the face hard. Jacqueline’s cheek swelled as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

“Shut up. Keep talking, and I’ll rip your tongue out.” The leader didn’t bother raising his voice. However, his menacing demeanor and the tone he used held a certain merciless quality to it.

Jacqueline was caught off guard by his brutality and was frightened by his words. So, she obediently held her tongue and dared not put up a fight.

Since these men didn’t kill her on sight, that meant that Stephen had no intention of killing her just yet. Therefore, these people were only tasked to capture her.

As expected, they merely tied Jacqueline up, sealed her mouth with tape, and covered her head with a bag before tossing her into the back of the pickup truck.

The road to their destination was a bumpy one. She had no idea how long it took before the vehicle she was in finally came to a stop.

She felt herself being lifted like a stack of hay. After a short distance, she was promptly thrown to the ground.

Since it was a metal floor, Jacqueline felt her bones threatening to shatter the second she hit the ground.

She had fallen to the ground on her rear with a thud. The pain was so intense that she immediately broke into a cold sweat.

As her lips had been sealed, she couldn’t make a sound. Thus, her fear ratcheted to greater heights, causing her to shake like a leaf.

She heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer.

Then, her ears caught the sound of the zipper bag being opened over her head. When the bag was pulled off her, it immediately revealed her disheveled hair and frightened eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from letting out muffled cries of distress. She looked like a terrified rat caught in a trap.

“Our captain told me to remove the bag. He’s worried that you might suffocate. After all, your premature death would cause us trouble once our boss finds out.”

The man quirked his lips into a sly grin as he regarded Jacqueline with lascivious eyes. “You’re quite the beauty. It’s a shame that we’re banned from touching the goods. Otherwise, I would’ve had a taste of you already.”

Jacqueline felt whatever color left on her face leave, her entire body practically vibrating out of fear.

After the man left, Jacqueline heard the sound of waves crashing. She even caught a glimpse of the sea through the tiny window. That was when she knew she was stuck on a boat.

The vessel’s swaying made her dizzy and nauseous. She had never been on such a dingy ship before and was severely seasick. It didn’t take long before she retched all over the place.

No one bothered to clean up after her. Thus, the stench of her vomit lingered in the confined space, making her feel even more unwell than she had originally been.

“Stephen, do you really hate me this much? Do you despise me so much that you’d throw me onto a ship like this after capturing me? Do you really have no feelings for me?” she thought miserably.

Jacqueline curled into a ball in a corner, hugging her knees. The more she dwelled upon her thoughts, the more upset she became. Soon enough, she started sobbing silently.

When night fell, the door swung open. One of the mercenaries had tossed something inside.

“Use it before you freeze to death!” The door slammed shut right after he threw whatever it was at her.