She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 298

The moment the cabin door slammed shut and the footsteps faded into the distance, Loyce’s tightly closed eyes slowly opened. The vacant, weak look was gone, replaced by a gaze as sharp and cold as ice.

She quickly ran a mental check of her status, confirming the satellite tracker was operational.

Then, she carefully retrieved a grain-of-rice-sized micro-camera and recording device from deep within her hair, where it had been disguised as a flake of dandruff.

The device was incredibly covert, with its own micro-battery and a satellite transmission module that emitted a signal so faint it could only connect to a satellite from a specific angle.

She had entrusted this device to Sapphire, who had also been brought aboard. Gavin, believing he had absolute leverage over the doctor, trusted her completely and had brought her along for other tasks.

As Sapphire entered Loyce's cabin, she overheard a passing crewman complaining, "That fuel line on this rust bucket was leaking yesterday. Tell the guys below to lay off the cigarettes. I'm not looking to die a stupid death."

The voice faded as Sapphire entered and the door closed behind her. Bending over the 'unconscious' Loyce, she pretended to perform a routine check-up.

"This is my first time on a ship like this," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I never imagined they were harvesting organs in such… squalid conditions."

Loyce’s eyes fluttered open. Her lips barely moved. "On this ship, people aren't people. They're commodities."

Sapphire, her hand on the micro-device now disguised as a button on her chest, whispered back, "Is Lucian following?"

Loyce’s eyes darted slightly. "Yes," she breathed. "But Gavin is on high alert. Lucian has to keep his distance until we reach a specific safe zone."

They still had a few days before reaching Mexistar, so the main operation wouldn't happen just yet. In the meantime, Sapphire's job was to gather evidence.

"Are there others in the next cabin?" Loyce asked suddenly.

Sapphire hadn't paid close attention. "I'm not sure," she replied. "But there are two guards posted outside that door around the clock. They're probably planning to sell other organs on the side."

Loyce raised an eyebrow. "And what other tasks have they given you, besides watching me?"

"I don't know… wait." Sapphire's face paled as the horrifying realization dawned on her. "I'm a surgeon. They probably need more hands than Gavin has on short notice… and since he has dirt on me, he trusts me not to betray him. He's pulling me in deeper."

Her voice shook as she looked at Loyce. "Is that it?"

The following night, after a day of docile cooperation.

The sea grew rough, the ship tossing violently in the large waves. The crew was preoccupied with securing cargo and battling the storm, and the patrols on the lower deck grew lax. Even the guard at her door was drowsy and distracted, dozing against the frame.

Like a predator in waiting, Loyce slipped silently from her bed. Her movements were as fluid and noiseless as a cat's. She crept to the rusty ventilation grille in the corner, a weak point she had identified upon boarding.

From her hair, she drew a filament-thin but incredibly strong alloy wire. With a few minute, expert flicks of her wrist, she inserted it into the seam of the cover. A nearly inaudible 'click' signaled the lock had been picked.

Loyce carefully removed the cover, revealing a narrow passage barely large enough for one person. A thick, foul stench—mildew, disinfectant, and something else, a sour odor of fear and despair—assaulted her. Without hesitation, she slithered into the duct like a snake.

The inner walls were cold, greasy, and covered in dust and cobwebs. Holding her breath, she navigated the suffocating darkness, relying on her superb sense of direction and basic knowledge of ship construction.

After crawling for about fifty feet and rounding a bend, she heard it: the faint, suppressed sound of sobbing and the soft clink of chains. Her heart sank like a stone.

She slowed, pressing herself flat against the duct wall like a gecko, and inched forward until she was directly above the source of the sound. Carefully, she brushed away a patch of dust from the vent's grate and peered through the slits. The sight below made her face harden and her blood boil with fury.