Novel1Clark watched Brandon and Kent's retreating figures with concern before turning to Harvey Ferber. "Mr. Ferber?" Harvey Ferber raised his hand to stop Clark from continuing.
"Let them look if they want to," said Harvey Ferber. "The West district may be Brandon's turf, but the cruise ship is our playground. Pass the word, no one touches the ship's surveillance equipment without my say-so." "Also, shoot a message to all the crew and tourists on board, a heads-up that we might have a scam gang on the ship and we're working with the cops. We can't set sail just yet, so tell everyone to chill and not to fall for any fishy money talk." Clark got the picture right away. "Got it, I'm on it." With that, he quickly left.
Harvey Ferber stood still, his gaze quietly following the direction where Brandon had vanished, his eyes calm and distant.
This was just a mental stamina marathon.
But on this front, Harvey clearly had the upper hand.
They were both searching for someone, but at least Arlene was still kicking.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtFor Brandon, Sophia's fate was a big question mark.
Reality for Brandon was like being torn between hope and despair, a real heart-wrencher.
Both old hands in the business world, Harvey Ferber knew darn well that even if he handed Sophia over to Brandon out of the blue, Brandon might cut him sslack at the docks out of gratitude, but he wouldn't give up the docks just because of it.
Now with Arlene in the mix, each knew the other's Achilles' heel, so neither was about to roll over easily.
Moreover, Sophia hadn't shown any urge to reclaim her past after waking up.
Harvey Ferber couldn't fathom what kind of rotten past a person must have had to choose a fresh start, even subconsciously, with amnesia.
On this, he totally respected Sophia's wishes.
Harvey leisurely took out his phone and dialed Sophia.
She picked up pretty quickly.
"Where you at?" Harvey Ferber asked. "Need to talk to you." Sophia had just walked into the mall when Harvey's call took her by surprise.
"I'm at the mall, what's up?" she asked, puzzled.
e back here," Harvey said. "Got something important." Sophia glanced at the time, figuring she needed to talk to Harvey too, so she nodded. "Alright, I'lle over in a bit." e now," Harvey insisted. "Or I cane to you. Where are you exactly?" "I'm in the mall," Sophia replied. "Was supposed to help my godmother with a suitcase this morning, got sidetracked, and thought I'd check it out now that I'm free." "Stay put, I'ming to you. It's urgent," Harvey said before hanging up.
The busy signal beeped in Sophia's ear, leaving her staring at her phone, not quite getting the gravity in Harvey's voice.
The mall was still bustling, the air abuzz, but every passerby was either glued to their phone or chatting withpanions, looking a bit more serious than before.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmSophia frowned slightly.
The ship's shopping center was all high-end, and it was prtfor leisurely shopping, with crowds everywhere. But there was an unusual tension under the surface, mixed with curiosity.
Sophia's confusion cleared as she saw the anti-scam alert text from the ship's service desk pop up on her screen.
The message was serious, warning about a possible scam gang on board, cooperating with police, and the ship's departure on hold. It urged vigilance against any money-related rumors about finding people or job offers and to watch out for scams. It reassured that security would ensure everyone's safety, so there was no need to worry. People passing by were discussing the salert, feeling a bit uneasy and curious; but mostly understanding. Whether the ship sailed or not didn't impact them much, they were more c about being targeted by scammers. Sophia wasn't worried about that, but the message did explain why the ship that was supposed to set sail was now on hold.
Without overthinking it, or waiting for Harvey to find her, Sophia headed to the luggage service area to quickly finish her shopping and get srest.
The shopping experience on board was top-notch; after purchasing, the items would be delivered to the tourists' rooms by staff, to not dampen the leisure experience.
Brandon, exiting the top floor restaurant, also entered the crowd.
He was on the level with both shopping and leisure areas, just below the top deck, where most people gathered.
As Brandon moved through the masses, he couldn't help but scan the crowd.
But in the youth-dominated leisure area, he saw no familiar faces.
The cruise ship, a floating fortress, was vast with lots of people. Finding someone wasn't easy without the ship's cooperation, especially with thousands of private cabins off limits to strangers. S
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