The moment Queen Cobra died, the assassin leaderboard updated automatically.
Damien caught it right away—Joshua had shot up from nowhere to third place on the rankings. Cain was prominently positioned at number three.
What surprised everyone was that Queen Cobra had been on this cruise ship all along. Not that it mattered now—she was dead, defeated by Joshua.
Damien believed that the ranking undervalued Joshua. He was clearly more dangerous than third place suggested. But for now, it would have to do.
With Queen Cobra dead, Simon grew wary of Joshua. The way Joshua looked at him made no attempt to hide his killing intent. That overwhelming pressure bore down on Simon like a crushing weight.
Simon’s face hardened as he braced himself against the oppressive aura. He was the young master of an entire city—he couldn’t afford to be intimidated.
Simon’s mind raced. ‘If even Queen Cobra couldn’t handle this guy, what would it take? Someone ranked first or second on the assassin leaderboard? Or maybe an entire army?’
But Simon didn’t care about the cost. Any price was worth paying if it meant Joshua would stop strutting around in front of him like he owned the place.
“I accept my loss,” Simon said through gritted teeth.
Joshua’s voice was casual. “What was the bet?”
Shermaine answered for him, her tone light and teasing. “We bet on whether you’d come back within five minutes.” She couldn’t resist adding, “Mr. York really came through for me. I just made an easy 300 million Xyperia tokens.”
Joshua chuckled softly, his hand finding its way to Shermaine’s waist. “Is my baby’s opponent that stupid?”
Shermaine raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. If Joshua said someone was stupid, then stupid they were.
Simon’s face flushed with anger. “Are you insulting me?”
“Insulting you would be letting you off easy.” Joshua’s tone remained light, but the killing intent radiating from him intensified. His eyes darkened as he delivered the final blow. “You’re way out of your league.”
Simon’s face darkened with rage. He couldn’t stand being humiliated like this, and his hand instinctively moved toward the gun hidden on his body.
But his bodyguard quickly intervened, placing a restraining hand on his arm. “Mr. Moreno, this isn’t the time to start trouble. You’ve already done enough tonight.”
Left with no choice, Simon backed down, though his eyes burned with fury. “This isn’t over, Cain. We’ll see who wins in the end.”
He always managed to secure the women he desired, regardless of the method used.
Joshua just smiled, turning his attention to Simon’s bodyguards. “Better keep a close eye on your boss. You wouldn’t want me catching you off guard.”
The bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances, an inexplicable chill running down their spines.
Joshua gently squeezed Shermaine’s waist once they had left, his voice lowered to a playful whisper. “Sheary, don’t le…”
Shermaine looked up at him with a teasing smile. “What kind of reward are you looking for?”
Joshua whispered, “I want you, Sheary.”
She laughed softly, her eyes dancing with mischief. “You already have me. No one can take me away from you.”
But that wasn’t quite what he meant, and they both knew it.
Before he could clarify, Shermaine took his hand and pulled him toward the dance floor. “Come on, let’s dance.”
Simon’s eyes blazed with fury as he watched Joshua and Shermaine step onto the dance floor. He headed straight for the restroom.
His men had secured the restroom—no one else could get in.
The moment Simon entered, a lingering, strange fragrance hit his nostrils. The scent was dangerously potent, so he quickly pressed a handkerchief over his face.
Queen Cobra lay motionless on the floor, her throat slashed open. What made it truly horrifying was how little blood had spilled from the severed artery – just a few drops.
A blood-stained shard of glass glinted on the floor nearby.
Simon picked it up, his face twisting into a savage expression. The fact that Queen Cobra had been killed by a mere piece of glass felt like the ultimate humiliation to him.
Meanwhile, the dance floor had transformed into a winter wonderland—snowflakes drifted down while stars sparkled across the sky above. Shermaine rested her hand on Joshua’s shoulder, completely lost in the romantic, enchanting atmosphere.
But they hadn’t been dancing long when Joshua’s body temperature began to spike. He pulled Shermaine closer, his voice turning rough and husky. “Sheary, they drugged me.”