Chapter 90

I woke up this morning and he wasn't there. To my surprise, he appeared. Is he trying to stop me? I wondered.

Lucy, seeing my silence, turned to me. "Why do you look so pale?"

"Joanna wants the cruise ship, too," I said, frowning.

"Is Hayden here to stop you?" Lucy immediately grasped my thoughts. Given Hayden's indulgence of Joanna, it was entirely possible.

"What should we do?" Lucy tugged my sleeve. "You can't back down now."

In the past, I'd always been meek around Hayden, listening to his every word. But I wasn't that foolish woman anymore, the one who always did as she was told.

I took a deep breath and spoke coldly. "What do you want? Where's Richard?"

Lucy, beside me, was stunned, her eyes widening. She silently gave me a thumbs-up. Nice job, Yvonne. Today, you really stood your ground, she thought.

Hayden's gaze grew colder. "You're going to take over the cruise ship? He can't help you."

I didn't understand his anger. Probably because I was pursuing the cruise ship Joanna wanted. How ridiculous. Mr. Parker gave me the cruise ship, not Joanna, I reminded myself.

"Even if he isn't here, I don't need you," I replied, pulling Lucy with me as I walked toward the ship, ignoring Hayden's reaction.

After a few steps, Lucy quietly asked, "Yvonne… what's going on with you today? Do you really not love him anymore?" She knew how infatuated I'd been with Hayden. Seeing my indifference, she was shocked.

"I told you, I don't love him anymore," I answered coldly.

"You're really serious this time, huh? You used to say you'd forget him, but you always went back," Lucy said, pursing her lips, remembering the past.

I'd planned to forget those unhappy memories, but her words brought them flooding back, and I flinched.

Before I could explain, she added, "But this time… you really seem different. He's been back a month, and you're still ignoring him. You've really given up, haven't you?"

"You'll understand in time," I said, feeling there was no point in saying more. Time would prove everything.

By the time we finished talking, we reached the cruise ship's elevator. As we entered, no one greeted us; only a few cleaning staff were present.

"Didn't they know you were coming?" Lucy asked, puzzled.

"I notified the manager, Kurt Conway, but this might be harder than I thought," I said, surveying the surroundings. Everyone seemed to be deliberately avoiding us, as if everything had been planned. It seemed Kurt didn't take my notification seriously.

Seeing this, Ethan immediately grabbed a staff member. "Where's the person in charge!"

"Who are you? Why are you looking for Mr. Conway?" the staff member resisted, haughtily.

Ethan threw the man down before me, and I spoke. "Tell Kurt I'm here to take over the cruise ship and have him come see me."

"But Mr. Conway isn't here," the staff member muttered, avoiding my gaze.

"You're lying," Lucy saw through him, raising her voice. "I can tell you're all pretending. You dare treat your new boss like this! Do you believe Kander will fire you?"

Ethan kicked the man. "Get moving!"

The staff member hurriedly ran toward an entrance. I turned, surveying the surroundings. Richard hadn't appeared, and as I expected, this was going to be difficult.

Lucy looked at me worriedly. "Yvonne, what's your plan? I heard cruise ships are the hardest businesses to manage. The staff are always at sea, never under control. They're unruly and don't even listen to the boss half the time, let alone someone new like you." The Coffey family had some small maritime businesses, though nothing as large as Pax Oceana. Lucy knew this well.

At that moment, I faintly remembered Ethan's earlier advice: Just subdue them first and sort it out later.

"Don't worry. There's always a way," I said, a faint smile playing on my lips as I had a chair brought over and sat on the deck.

The sun wasn't out; the sky was overcast, perfect for enjoying the sea breeze. Onshore, Hayden, though unseen, could see everything.

His bodyguard worriedly said, "Mr. Parker, Mrs. Parker might not be able to handle Kurt alone. Should we go up and check?"

"Not yet, let's wait a bit," Hayden said, hands behind his back. His sharp eyes were fixed on the woman on the deck, leisurely enjoying the sea breeze. He was curious to see how she'd handle things.

The bodyguard, unsure of Hayden's intentions, felt anxious for Yvonne. Kurt was no ordinary person. Anyone who could enjoy themselves on a cruise ship possessed money and power. And with so many people, conflicts were inevitable. A fight could result in significant losses. It required someone skilled in both legitimate and underworld dealings, someone smooth and adaptable. Can Mrs. Parker really handle him? the bodyguard wondered.

About twenty minutes later, Kurt Conway slowly made his way onto the deck. It was autumn, and there was a chill in the air, but he wore a short-sleeved shirt. His well-defined muscles showed years of training. His black leather boots thudded loudly on the deck, each step causing a slight discomfort in the chest. Lucy subtly stepped back and whispered, "Yvonne, this guy looks rough. If things don't go well, we should run."

As Lucy finished speaking, Ethan lunged forward. Kurt didn't react in time, taking a solid punch. He quickly retaliated. In an instant, they were engaged in a fierce struggle.

Lucy's eyes widened. "They're fighting right away? That's direct!"

I smiled, my eyes narrowing. "Ethan's style is simple: beat someone up first, then figure it out. If they don't back down, beat them again."

"Do you think Ethan can win?" Lucy hesitated, watching the intense brawl. Each strike seemed aimed at seriously injuring the other. Lucy had never seen a real fight like this before, only on TV. I, however, had witnessed Ethan's true strength, so I wasn't too worried. But I knew Kurt wasn't someone to take lightly.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and one fighter was kicked off, sliding across the deck. Lucy and I held our breath, watching to see who had fallen.