Caleb, his face etched with concern, turned and left.


    Bryson sat alone, the silence pressing down on him like a shroud.


    He closed his eyes, but Hannah’s face, framed by the fiery glow of his memory, refused to fade.


    At seven pm sharp, the ship reached its destination.


    Hannah, a vision in a ck dress, stood poised by the dock, her elegant suitcase a silentpanion entrusted to Winston’s capable hand.


    The air crackled with unspoken tension, thick with the scent of power and intrigue.


    Around her, the movers and shakers of Lightby’s underworld mingled, faces etched with ambition and veiled secrets.


    “He’s the kingpin of the western district,” Winston murmured, his voice low, “The notorious leader of the Lightby Lions.


    ”


    He gestured towards a statuesque woman, dripping with diamonds and confidence.


    “And that is Maria Courtenay, the kingpin’s partner of the eastern district.


    ”


    His gaze swept over three other groups, each radiating an aura of veiled threat.


    “All gangsters, intertwined by blood and bullets,” he exined, his voiceced with grim amusement.


    “A single spark here could ignite chaos in the city’s underbelly.


    ”


    Hannah’s eyes, sharp as obsidian, flitted across the gathering, finallynding on a young man on the left.


    His features were chiseled, his gaze a stormy gray, and the air around him hummed with an undeniable maism.


    Hannah tilted her chin, a flicker of curiosity dancing in her eyes.


    “Who is that man?” she asked.


    Winston followed her gaze, a knowing smile ying on his Lips.


    “The heir to the Lyons empire, future head of the city’s financial behemoth,” he chuckled.


    “Lyons?” Hannah inquired with narrowed eyes.


    “A well-known financial group in Newfort.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    They dabble in the shadows too.


    Have you taken an interest in him?”


    Before Hannah could reply, his voice continued, “His beauty is a snare.


    He’ll leave you breathless, but not in the way you desire.


    He’s a gambler, a heartbreaker, not fit for a woman like you.


    ”


    “I only asked a question.


    Must you answer with a dissertation?”


    Hannah’s voice, a soft velvet counterpoint to the grit around them, held a hint of amusement.


    “Besides, I’ve seen him before.


    A glimpse at the Imperial Pce.


    ”


    As they spoke, the ship, a titan of luxury, loomed closer, its lights painting the evening sky with a promise of gilded dreams.


    In the evening, the lights of the ship glimmered like stars.


    A bridge of steel, a portal to a world of secrets and desires, stretched towards them.


    It was like a dream that sailed on water.


    But as they reached the boarding gate, amotion erupted.


    A man, face flushed with indignation, argued with the imposing bodyguards.


    Hannah’s sharp mind quickly grasped the situation.


    The passengers were being detained, their freedom held hostage by a capricious inspection.