Sarah Lane was so enraged by his scolding that she lost all composure, completely ignoring the fact that Macy May was right there, and swung her whip fiercely at Hunter Carter.

The whip landed, tearing Hunter Carter's skin from his left shoulder to his right abdomen, making him scream in agony, nearly fainting from the pain.

In fact, Macy May had already figured out the whole story; she just wanted Hunter Carter to admit it himself. She hadn't expected Hunter Carter to twist things around and make a complete mess of it.

She said in a low voice, "Give him twenty hard lashes, then throw him into the water cell for two days. By then, he'll say whatever we want."

"Please, have mercy, Master!" Grace Lane's voice suddenly sounded from outside the door.

Hunter Carter looked up and saw Grace Lane, her face streaked with tears, walking into the cabin.

Macy May's elegant brows furrowed slightly. "Grace Lane, are you here to plead for him?"

With tears in her eyes, Grace Lane came before Macy May, dropped to her knees, and said, "Master, I was the one who brought food to Hunter Carter."

Macy May forced down her anger and said quietly, "Grace Lane, you are the one I care for most. Ever since we met, I've treated you like my own sister. You know my temper—no one is allowed to have feelings for a slave. Why did you have to do this?"

Chapter 7: [The Sudden Gunshot] (Part 1)

Grace Lane sobbed, "Master, there is nothing romantic between Hunter Carter and me. I just don't think he is a spy from the Land Empire."

Macy May sneered, "Even now, you're still speaking up for him!"

Grace Lane wiped away her tears and said, "Master, if he really were a spy from the Land Empire, why wouldn't he go to the empire's border fortress or the capital to gather intelligence? Why would he come to a desolate little island? And the date on that sheepskin scroll is clearly from fifty years ago—he's only in his twenties. Did the Land Emperor send him as a spy before he was even born?" These were things Hunter Carter had told her, and now that she repeated them, they sounded much more convincing than if Hunter Carter had said them himself.

Macy May's face darkened. Of course she knew Hunter Carter wasn't a spy; her hatred for him actually stemmed from another reason, but that was not something she could reveal to outsiders.

Grace Lane continued, "The reason I brought him food is because Hunter Carter cured a stubborn illness I've had for years. Master, you know I get terrible headaches every year at this time. Thanks to the prescription he gave me, the medicine really worked!"

Macy May looked at Hunter Carter with suspicion. No matter how she looked at this lewd-faced boy, he didn't seem like a doctor who could save lives. Most likely, Grace Lane was just making excuses for him.

Sarah Lane had always been jealous of Grace Lane's favor, and now that she had the chance, she seized the opportunity to kick her while she was down, saying, "Master, since Grace Lane has already confessed, there's no doubt about this matter."

Macy May glared angrily at Sarah Lane. "Do I need you to tell me how to handle things?"

Sarah Lane shut her mouth awkwardly.

Macy May turned her gaze to Grace Lane, her expression complicated as she sighed, "Grace Lane, you've really disappointed me. Every group has its rules, every trade its code. I can't break the rules just for you." She bit her cherry lips, steeling herself with difficulty, and said, "Give Hunter Carter twenty hard lashes, then throw both of them into the water cell. We'll deal with them after we reach shore!"

Hunter Carter cursed inwardly. It seemed Macy May was still going easy on Grace Lane; otherwise, why would she only beat him and let her off?

Grace Lane silently handed the key she kept to Macy May, tears streaming down her face.

Macy May said to Sarah Lane, "Keep this key for now. I don't want to see another incident like Grace Lane's again!"

Twenty lashes left Hunter Carter's skin torn and bloody. He fainted several times, only to be revived with cold water. After the punishment, he and Grace Lane were thrown into the water cell together.

The water cell was actually a small water dungeon used to imprison slaves. The water was waist-deep, and once the hatch was closed, it was pitch black inside—you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The air was foul and stank of salt, making you want to vomit.

Hunter Carter's body was covered in wounds, and the water in the cell was salty seawater, which made the pain unbearable as his injuries soaked. He pounded his fists against the walls of the cell, trying to distract himself from the agony of the lashes.

Grace Lane sat silently in the seawater, weeping in the darkness. After a long time, she suddenly realized she couldn't hear Hunter Carter's cries anymore. Alarmed, she feared he had passed out from the pain and asked anxiously, "Are you all right?"

Hunter Carter replied in a trembling voice, "All right, my ass! That bitch Macy May nearly killed me..."

Hearing him insult her master, Grace Lane said coldly, "Don't you dare insult my master!"

Hunter Carter had gotten through the worst of the pain and was feeling a bit better now. He said in a low voice, "She doesn't care about you at all, yet you still treat her as your master!"

In the darkness, Grace Lane sobbed, "In the end, this is all my fault."

Hunter Carter said viciously, "It must have been that bitch Sarah Lane who ratted us out. Otherwise, how would Macy May have known?"

Grace Lane sighed and asked curiously, "But I've rarely seen the master hate someone so much. What exactly did you do to make her so angry?"