Chapter 160
Lucy clenched her teeth, asking no more questions. She turned and ran towards the stairs, sprinting to the deck where the rescue team was assembled. Her heart pounded. Fortunately, she spotted Richard, an acquaintance. Rushing over, she demanded, "Where is Yvonne?" As Yvonne's assistant on this trip, he surely knew.
Richard had just sent Hayden to the treatment room, where Nevin was attending to him. He'd hurried back to organize the rescue, only to be met by a tearful Lucy. "Mrs. Parker…" he began, speechless. After so much time spent with Yvonne, the reality of her jumping into the sea was difficult to accept, a sentiment Lucy shared.
A long silence followed before Richard finally murmured, "Lucy, my condolences."
Lucy vehemently shook her head. "Condolences, my ass! The rescue team went down, didn't they? They'll find Yvonne soon!"
"It's been almost twenty minutes. Even if they find her…" Richard choked back the rest, the impossible feat of holding one's breath for that long hanging heavy in the air. Even if found, she might already be gone. And the vastness of the sea, teeming with sharks and aggressive marine life, added to the grim reality. Richard dared not dwell on it further.
Lucy's expression blanked. She knew the impossibility of surviving twenty minutes underwater. Turning to the railing, she stared at the waves crashing against the ship, unable to believe Yvonne was gone. "Yvonne…" she choked, tears streaming down her face.
Yasir rushed over, taking her hand, fearing she might do something reckless. "Lucy, Yvonne wouldn't want to see you like this."
Lucy's grief erupted, and she collapsed into Yasir's arms. "Ever since Yvonne met that scumbag Hayden, she hasn't had a single good day! Just as the divorce is near and things are looking up… how… how could this happen?"
Yasir sighed, his large hand gently stroking her back. "It will all pass…" Seeing her misery, Richard felt his own eyes welling up. He wasn't a man who cried easily, but the thought of Yvonne filled him with sorrow.
After some time, Lucy finally ran out of tears. She sat on the deck, eyes red and swollen, staring at the sea like a lifeless doll. Yasir removed his jacket, draping it over her, then brought her a hot drink and remained at her side. The rescue team made multiple dives, but there was still no news.
Yasir asked Richard anxiously, "This isn't working…"
"What else can we do?" Richard gave a bitter smile. "When Mr. Parker wakes up and finds out we can't even find his wife's body, he might collapse."
Yasir glanced back at the ship's interior, remembering he'd heard about Hayden vomiting blood. Some discover love through tenderness, others through the pain of loss. If Yvonne truly died this way, he worried Hayden would regret it for life.
"I heard Yvonne committed suicide. Did she have a fight with Mr. Parker?" Yasir asked. He hadn't been present and lacked the details.
"They shouldn't have quarreled…" Richard mused, recalling he hadn't witnessed any public disagreements. Even if they had argued privately, he doubted it would drive her to suicide. Yvonne was a strong woman, having endured much hardship. Why would a quarrel be her undoing?
"That's strange. Two hours ago, she was happily calculating how much money she could make from this trip…" Yasir found it suspicious. Yvonne loved money; suicide seemed unlikely during a lucrative venture.
As they spoke, Lucy, who had been statue-like, suddenly straightened. "What did you say? Yvonne committed suicide?" She had been too grief-stricken to process the details; now, calmer, she pressed for clarification.
"Yosef and Sophia said so," Richard nodded.
"You believe them? Who else was there?" Lucy, wiping her eyes, instantly perked up. Yasir noted the swollen eyes yet her concern for Yvonne, a hint of appreciation in his gaze.
Richard frowned. "Joanna was also there. She said Yvonne committed suicide."
Lucy exclaimed, "It must have been the three of them! Yvonne would never commit suicide. She was murdered!" Spinning around, she strode toward the hall. Yasir, startled, quickly followed. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find Joanna and ask her! She's the only one in the world who wants Yvonne gone!" Grief was superseded by a need for justice.
Richard didn't stop them. He harbored the same suspicion, having witnessed Joanna's open disdain for Yvonne at the company. Murder wasn't impossible, but he lacked proof. It all rested on Lucy's findings.
Watching them leave, Richard noticed Ethan conversing with a woman on the steps. He was Mrs. Parker's bodyguard; had he discovered something? Simultaneously, Ethan confronted the woman who'd been filming.
"Were you taking a video just now?" Ethan asked.
The woman, wary, stepped back. "Who are you? I don't know you!"
Ethan paused, recalling Yvonne's advice on kindness and smiling to build rapport. Given the circumstances, a smile felt inappropriate. He aimed for politeness. "Hello, my name is Ethan Mitchell. I saw you filming on the rooftop and wondered if I was in it," he offered as a plausible excuse, avoiding mention of the investigation to prevent complications.