When the scan finished, the system unsurprisingly flashed green.
Jerrick tossed the scanner to the nearby guard. "Clear."
Director Kaelen finally exhaled the breath he'd been holding. "Right this way, Madam Panacea."
They left the vault sector and stepped back into the opulent corridors of the ship.
Dawn had finally broken outside.
The temperature here was significantly warmer than the freezing vault.
Yet, the biting chill of the cryogenics still seemed to cling to their skin.
The silence held until they reached Serena's suite.
Director Kaelen's terminal chimed again.
He scanned the message and immediately turned to Serena. "Madam Panacea, you can go inside and freshen up. The Sterling Sovereign has confirmed he will be entering the viewing sector in thirty minutes."
"And, of course, for the continuous inconvenience, the ship will be transferring an additional two million dollars to your account as compensation."
The profound annoyance on Serena's face instantly receded. "Fine."
Director Kaelen added, "Also, The Sterling Sovereign is an Ultimate VIP, meaning the security protocol for the preview is vastly elevated. As his Specialized Medical Consultant, you'll need to wear a new, high-clearance access badge."
Serena scoffed. "Do you people have nothing better to do than hand out new name tags all day?"
Director Kaelen offered an apologetic smile. "It's strictly for your safety."
Serena waved him off impatiently. "Whatever. Just hurry it up."
She turned, and as if remembering something, shot a glance at Jerrick. "Is the Gatekeeper Hound going to be babysitting me at this preview, too?"
Jerrick looked down at her, his voice devoid of emotion. "If the ship commands it, yes."
Serena smiled brightly. "Well then, I'm honored."
"Don't be," Jerrick replied coldly.
Director Kaelen stood there, utterly exhausted.
He genuinely believed these two were going to murder each other before the voyage was over.
Serena couldn't be bothered to entertain them any longer. She stepped into her suite and slammed the door shut with a loud crack.
Left standing in the hallway, Director Kaelen rubbed the back of his neck and smiled awkwardly at the towering mercenary. "Mr. Fenris, please don't take it personally. The Panacea just has a very... intense personality. You—"
"It's fine," Jerrick cut him off flatly. "As long as she doesn't violate protocol, I don't care what she does."
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.
His posture was rigid and entirely unbothered.
But the moment he turned the corner, his expression darkened severely.
That Panacea... she was putting on a brilliant performance.
She also seemed to trust him implicitly, for no logical reason.
She acted as though she wasn't the least bit concerned that he might expose her sabotage.
The lazy, mocking way she manipulated the ship's crew, and that fleeting, arrogant smirk...
It gave him a staggering sense of familiarity.
He felt like...
He had seen it somewhere before.
Back in her suite, Serena collapsed onto the sofa Playing the exhausted
diva flashe grabbed a thick
stack of cash from the table and tossed it over her face.
"I am so dead," she mumbled through the bills, her voice dripping with irritation. "Six
million to wake me up at this hour. I've been robbed."
The men monitoring her feed via the hidden cameras were speechless.
Six million dollars... and she felt robbed.
If she didn't want it, they would gladly take it!
Serena lay there for a moment before pulling the cash off her face. She picked up
her sleek black bank card and stared at it for two seconds.
Then, she kissed it loudly. "Whatever."
As if the money had miraculously cured her foul mood, she let out a lazy laugh. "I suppose I can forgive them for treating me like a pack mule, as long as the transfer clears fast."
Watching her behavior on the monitors, the security team finally let out a collective breath. The intense suspicion they had harbored when she entered the vault slowly dissipated.
Someone this transparently, unabashedly greedy was easy to manage.
There was no need to watch her every move.
As long as the money kept flowing, she was perfectly under control.