Chapter 103

Nevin stood abruptly, glaring fiercely at Lacy. "Say one more word, and I swear I'll make you regret it."

"You wouldn't dare," Lacy retorted, her temper flaring. She feared Hayden, but Nevin held little consequence. The Coffey family wielded considerable influence in Elysiumville.

Nevin, unwilling to back down, saw Lacy's defiance and prepared to act. Noticing the escalating tension, Yasir swiftly positioned himself before Lacy. "Alright, alright, let's not stir things up. I brought Lucy here because we need to speak with Mr. Parker about something important."

Lucy froze. Yasir's protective stance surprised her, but his gentle tone was even more unsettling, eliciting a strange, unnamed feeling.

Nevin paused. "What does she want with Hayden?"

Yasir, eschewing explanations, turned to Hayden. Hayden's eyes darkened, hardening further.

"I heard Lucy say that Yvonne went abroad to care for you. Is that true, Mr. Parker?" Yasir asked.

Hayden instantly leaped to his feet, his presence exuding a heavy, oppressive force that seemed to weigh upon both Yasir and Lacy. "What do you mean? Yvonne went to take care of me?" he shot back, his voice betraying a subtle tremor he didn't realize was there.

Yasir knew his guess was correct. Hayden had no idea Yvonne had gone abroad to care for him. A significant misunderstanding was clearly underway.

Lucy, however, was astonished. "You didn't know? No way! How could you not know who was taking care of you? It's not like you're blind!"

To anyone else, the situation would seem ludicrous. Lucy was shocked by Hayden's obliviousness.

"I heard Mr. Parker was in a coma," Yasir added, attempting to piece things together. While he hadn't witnessed it, Nevin had provided ample detail, and the story seemed plausible.

"Even if you were in a coma, you should've woken up at some point, right?" Lucy scoffed, deeply skeptical. She suspected Hayden was playing some kind of game.

Hayden's jaw clenched. "When I woke up, Joanna was by my side," he stated.

"Exactly! It was supposed to be Ms. Charlotte, so how did it become Yvonne?" Nevin scratched his head, baffled. After a moment's consideration, he blamed Lucy. "Could it be you're making things up?"

"Making things up! This is easily verifiable! It's clearly that bitch Joanna causing trouble, pretending to be Yvonne!" Lucy exclaimed, hands on her hips, her voice rising. Nevin might doubt her, but Hayden wouldn't. Richard had just called to confirm her trip abroad during Hayden's unconsciousness.

He recalled Joanna's odd reaction to his side wound. If she had cared for him daily, she should have been accustomed to it.

Nevin, realizing he couldn't sway Lucy, turned back to Hayden. "Hayden, you're not seriously buying this, are you? You've seen what Yvonne is capable of. And besides…"

Before Nevin could finish, Hayden strode swiftly toward the door.

"Hayden? Where are you going?" Nevin called, attempting to follow.

Yasir intervened. "Enough. Let them handle their own problems. You're only exacerbating the situation."

Frustrated by Yasir's intervention, Nevin exploded. "What's your deal? Who are you even helping? Why are you with her?"

Lucy, agitated, retorted, "Nevin, listen up. Stay away from Yvonne. You're a thankless jerk!" Yvonne's ten years of suffering in their house enraged her.

Nevin, a habitual bully, had never faced consequences. "Who are you calling ungrateful? Do I owe you anything? Stop dictating to me!"

"You do owe Yvonne something!" Lucy shot back. "You pushed her into the pool, and she saved you. Even the smallest favor deserves repayment!" She was disgusted by him. Yvonne's health had suffered greatly after the incident. No one in the Parker family was worthy. They were all jerks.

Yasir, still unaware of the full story, looked at Nevin with a new expression. "Nevin, were you trying to… Would you go that far? Is this what Hayden taught you?"

Nevin felt uneasy under Yasir's questioning gaze. He mumbled, "What do you mean? It's not that serious. Don't listen to them."

"Yvonne saved you, right? And behind her back, you badmouth her? Are you serious?" Yasir pressed, clearly disgusted by Nevin's ingratitude.

Nevin lashed out at Lucy. "It's all your fault! Why do you have to interfere?" He raised his hand, but Yasir's swift punch sent him crashing to the ground.

A loud bang drew attention. "Look! They're fighting!" "Poor Nevin, his lip's bleeding." "Mr. Gibson just threw a punch…" Everyone watched silently, aware of Yasir and Hayden's closeness.

Nevin, wiping his mouth, glared. "Yasir! You dare hit me?"

"Someone had to teach you a lesson on Hayden's behalf!" Yasir yelled, landing another punch. They engaged in a brawl.

Lucy, stunned by the escalating conflict, tried to intervene. "You guys should stop! A couple of punches won't hurt anyone."

Yasir's shoulder throw slammed Nevin to the ground. The onlookers were even more bewildered.

At Rory House, the evening's peace shattered as Hayden's car skidded to a halt. He stormed into the villa. "Where's Yvonne?" His voice echoed, demanding an answer.