Chapter 458

Joshua’s eyes flared with heat the moment he saw her.

Zane immediately sensed the shift. The weight that had pressed down on him moments ago had vanished, and he finally allowed himself to breathe.

At least for now, his life was safe.

If his boss hadn’t wanted to take the job, Zane would’ve left it alone.

Even without a foothold in Baykeep, the Eagle Assassins would continue to thrive under Joshua’s rule.

Still, he noticed Joshua’s gaze remained locked on the woman in the live feed.

Picking up on the unspoken, Zane took the cue and spoke again. “She’s competing under the name Boa Hanks. Ranked in the top 100 of the International Gambling Tournament.”

To others, the name “Boa” meant nothing. But to Joshua, it struck a chord, intimate and familiar.

There was no mistaking her.

That woman on screen was the one he’d been dreaming about, day and night.

She might have changed her look, altered her voice, even suppressed her tone, but it didn’t matter. Joshua knew her. One sentence was all it took.

After nearly six months, he’d finally found Shermaine.

“Where is this?”

“Noah Cruise Ship,” Zane answered without pause. “Docked at Sweetport now, headed for Baykeep. If you want to intercept, we can head straight to Fairlake and board there three days from now. But we’ll need access clearance.”

Boarding at this stage wasn’t simple. Tickets had long since sold out. Only nobles or high–ranking military were still allowed on board.

And forcing the way in would mean going toe–to–toe with a fleet of heavily armed combat robots.

Joshua didn’t let him finish. “I’ll take the job.”

Just like that, the decision was made.

Accepting the mission meant getting an entry pass. That was all that mattered.

Zane blinked, surprised at the sudden shift, but quickly composed himself. He compiled the hit list and uploaded it to Joshua’s Orthish interface, along with the client agreement. “Target list and contract. If everything checks out, I’ll notify the client immediately and confirm the deal.”

Joshua didn’t even look at it. Instead, he opened a search for every stream related to the tournament. But after that one brief interview, Shermaine had vanished again. There was no sign of her anywhere else.

Only then did he open the hit list. The targets had been meticulously profiled. Most were elite players dispatched by Shirley, dangerous individuals who could jeopardize Bronx Moreno’s plan to push his son Simon to the championship.

Two names weren’t directly tied to Shirley, but their skill levels posed enough of a threat that Bronx wanted them taken out too.

It was transparent. A seasoned schemer was laying the groundwork for his heir, clearing every obstacle from the path.

Joshua glanced at the contract next. He couldn’t have cared less about the terms.

He had no intention of honoring it. The only thing he needed was the access it granted.

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Chapter 458

The Moreno family had aligned themselves with Judy.

And Joshua had never made a secret of what he intended to do with her. He just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

Baykeep was clearly important to her. Losing it would cost her dearly.

So Bronx, in choosing her side, was already stepping into a trap.

Joshua signed the contract without a flicker of hesitation.

Zane received the confirmation and immediately contacted Bronx. “Our boss has agreed to take the assignment. You can rest assured. We’ll deliver.”

Bronx reviewed the signed document and gave his secretary a brief nod. “Send the down payment to Mr. Reaper’s account.”

Within seconds, the transfer was completed.

Zane smiled. “Pleasure doing business.”

“Likewise.”

As the video call ended, the secretary, still skeptical, turned to his employer. “Sir, why bring in someone like Mr. Reaper? We don’t know anything about him.”

“Because the other assassin syndicates are unstable,” Bronx replied calmly. “Too many internal issues. Too many leaks. Eagle Assassins just went through a complete restructuring. Their new leader doesn’t belong to any faction. And the way their influence has exploded under his command? That speaks volumes.”

He wasn’t just hiring muscle. He was planting seeds for a future alliance.

If the job went well, he intended to give Eagle Assassins a stake in Baykeep.

The secretary nodded, seeing the logic in it, though something about Joshua still unsettled him. There was a quiet danger in the man that was hard to explain.

Back on the other end, Joshua hadn’t moved. His eyes were still glued to the stream. He watched for what felt like forever until finally, Shermaine appeared again.

She was sitting across from another woman, tension simmering in the air between them.

The reporter’s voice carried through the room with theatrical flair. “Well, folks, it looks like everyone’s been dying to see a solo match between Mandy and Boa! And hey, who am I to deny the crowd?

“Solo matches before the tournament have always been a fan favorite. They’re the perfect warm–up act. But this time? Two women, both stars of the Southeast District, going head–to–head? That’s a first! Come on, people. Place your bets. Let’s see who walks away smiling.”

Chapter 459