Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

The file bore the n"Li Ming," as plain and unremarkable as it could get. His face matched the name-ordinary to the point of blending into the crowd.

"Joe Hopkinson, 32 years old, freelancer." That was the information he had registered when boarding the ship. Many others had similar profiles. The difference was that he calone, unaffiliated with any company. As for the invitation, getting one wasn't particularly difficult with seffort-just look at Ivy as an example.

"From the registration times, it's clear Ivy and he didn't board together, which rules out an alliance between the two. This aligns more with what we previously suspected- perhaps this is a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." "I've been observing him for half the day now. There's something off about him. His habits reveal that he's not as ordinary as he seems." The group exchanged glances.

"It seems this murderer is quite bold. After committing the crlast night, he still dared to remain on the ship." "I bet he's arrogant-probably thinks killing a woman is too trivial, too easy to be a real challenge." Julian's eyes burned as he stared at the surveillance footage. Even if this man hadn't directly killed Aurora, he had tampered with the railing. That alone made him guilty of murder in Julian's eyes.

Nick felt the chill radiating from Julian and quickly tried to calm him.

"Don't act rashly. If he's a professional killer, there are still many innocent people on this ship. What we need to do is capture him without causing panic or putting others in danger." "I'll try to control myself," Julian said, taking a deep breath to steady his emotions. "Leave it to me," Vortex said coldly. He was more than familiar with handling situations like this.

"Alright." Police officers began boarding the ship. The moment they saw Vortex, their expressions changed. Rumors had circulated that a big figure was assisting in the case, but no one had expected it to be him.

Several officers had worked with Vortex on major cases before, so they greeted him with deference.

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Let's get to work," Vortex said curtly, clearly unimpressed by their flattery. "Yes, sir. We've already gathered information on the situation. What we need now is to question everyone about their whereabouts last night and determine if anyone was involved. We'll assist you in any way we can." Technically, this wasn't Vortex's responsibility, but the way he carried himself commanded respect. Everyone instinctively followed his lead.

"From now on, we'll record statements one by one," Vortex announced.

The passengers, seeing how the police deferred to Vortex, quickly restrained any arrogance or defiance. In the crowd, Joe Hopkinson stood with a calm demeanor, as if nothing had happened the night before. Little did he know, he was already under close scrutiny.

One by one, everyone went in to give their statements until it was finally his turn. Before the questioning began, Vortex had already instructed his team to take extra precautions. If things escalated, there was a real risk of violence.

Joe Hopkinson walked into the room with an air of composure. His psychological resilience was impressive- despite the intense pressure, he remained unflustered.

But Vortex wasn't fooled. He had already noticed discrepancies in the surveillance footage, and now, observing him up close, his suspicions deepened. The man's footsteps were unnaturally light, a trait typical of someone with professional training. From the surveillance room, Julian and Nick watched the interrogation. Julian's anger flared as his eyes locked onto the man.

"Stay calm and trust Vortex. He's the best at handling situations like this. He'll get the truth," Nick reassured him, patting his shoulder.

"Alright," Julian replied, though his voice betrayed his unease. Aurora's fate was still uncertain. Even the possibility of her being abducted was preferable to the thought of her drowning in the sea.

Vortex glanced at Joe Hopkinson's file before addressing him.

"Mr. Joe Hopkinson, correct?" "Yes, officer." There was a trace of respect in Joe's eyes, the kind one might expect from a professionally trained individual.

"I'm not a police officer, just lending a hand. So there's no need to feel nervous. Let's talk about last night," Vortex said, his tone devoid of hostility, as if this were a routine conversation.

"Alright, ask away." "Between 8:00 PM and midnight last night, where were you? Who were you with? Can anyone verify your whereabouts?" Vortex asked.

"I spent stin the main hall and later met a beautiful woman named Luna. She was withthe whole evening. She can vouch for me," Joe replied.

"Luna, is it? I'll confirm that with her. Mr. Hopkinson, I've reviewed your file. It says you weren't officially invited to this event. How did you obtain your invitation?" "That's correct. I'm just an ordinary guy. Naturally, Mr. Warden wouldn't invite someone like me. But I heard there'd be a party on this ship. You know how it is-men always want to have sfun. I figured there'd be plenty of beautiful women, so I pulled sstrings and got an invitation. I had a great tlast night." He ended with a knowing smile, as if sharing a joke.

"Where do you work, Mr. Hopkinson? What's your monthly salary?" Vortex pressed.

"I work at SAJ Beautification Company. My salary is about average for a regular working-class household. Officer, surely you're not suspectingjust because I don't make enough money to afford this trip?" His answers were seamless. Claiming he caboard for fun wasn't an unreasonable excuse.

"Of course not. I'm just curious. Hold on a moment while I call your company," Vortex said nonchalantly.

"Officer, do you question everyone this thoroughly?"

"Of course. Two lives have been lost.

Without a thorough investigation m how could we bring justice to them N and their families? Now, giveyour department manager's phone number," Vortex said coldly. Reluctantly, Joe provided a number. Vortex dialed it and, surprisingly, confirmed that Joe did work for the company.

Had he misjudged the man? Impossible. Everything about him felt off-his demeanor, his movements.

Years of experience told Vortex this man wasn't ordinary. "You've taken leave from work, correct?"

"Yes, I wanted to take a vacation and unwind. Working overtconstantly I can be exhausting. Unlike others, I prefer to spend my money rather than hoard it." "You have an interesting perspective." "Any more questions, officer?" "Not for now. If we need anything further, I hope you'll cooperate," Vortex said, rising from his seat.

"Of course. I'll be on my way, then," Joe said confidently as he stood. Inwardly, he thought, This guy isn't so tough after all.

As Joe left, Julian was beside himself with frustration. "You're just going to let him walk away?" mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1