Chapter 99

Layla had never seen me so on edge, so ready to snap. She was probably accustomed to my previous attempts to please her; the shock in her eyes was palpable. "Yvonne, have you lost your mind?"

"Yeah, I have. You'd better not push me, because I don't even know what I might do," I shot back coldly. I turned and walked away without looking back.

I heard Ethan's footsteps behind me, and my heart slowly calmed.

That evening, Lucy and Yasir arrived. We met on the beach to enjoy the breeze. Lucy was glued to her phone, gasping repeatedly. "Oh my god, Yvonne, two thousand tickets are already gone? And there are still so many people who want them! What are we going to do? We should have sold them at a higher price!"

These were Pax Oceana tickets. Sales were usually good, but this was unprecedented demand. They just want to be part of the excitement. Besides, that kind of money means little to them. I laughed, knowing these wealthy kids had everything they could desire. Their curiosity was the only thing driving their spending.

Yasir, having just learned about the livestream, was completely taken aback. "Yvonne, did you really make money off Hayden and Joanna's rumors?"

"Do you even need to ask?" I held up Lucy's phone screen, showing him the sold-out tickets.

Yasir blinked, shook his head, and then said, "No, that's not what I meant. When you saw Mr. Parker with Joanna, didn't you feel... anything?"

"A little," I said, pausing before nodding.

"I knew it," he breathed, a sigh of relief escaping him. "You used to love him so much... how could you not feel anything?"

But I cut him off. "I saw an opportunity. I've heard people say you can make money by turning pain into words, and now, I'm turning gossip into cash."

Yasir sprayed coconut juice everywhere. My rule was to never discuss business while drinking; otherwise, Yasir would likely have soaked the entire table with alcohol.

Lucy, initially enjoying the drama, lost her good humor. "Hey! How did you make such a mess? That's disgusting!"

"Sorry," Yasir said awkwardly, grabbing a napkin. "It's just that what Yvonne said totally caught me off guard." He came from a prestigious background. While not overly concerned with reputation, his elite upbringing made this loss of composure unusual.

Lucy quickly forgave him. Her face lit up. "Yvonne, looks like you've really moved on. That's amazing! Pax Oceana's gonna make you a lot of money this time, huh?"

"Not necessarily," I said, furrowing my brows. "I need Hayden on the cruise ship too. If he's there, Joanna will follow, and I won't need to do much promotion. There'll be enough drama as it is."

"That makes sense," Lucy agreed. "But I heard he rarely goes on the cruise, and you just finished your livestream. He might be worried about going."

While Lucy looked stressed, I remained calm. I glanced at Yasir, still frozen in shock, and smiled. "This is where you come in."

"Me?" Yasir was dumbfounded. "You want me to do it? I don't have the influence to get Mr. Parker to go. He won't listen to me."

11:20 PM

Chapter 99 (continued)

"You tell him one thing, and he'll definitely go," I said confidently.

"What thing?" Yasir asked, his curiosity piqued.

Lucy leaned in, eager to hear. Under the dim streetlights, the three of us sat in unusual harmony, the waves lapping at the shore as if eager to listen.

After hearing my plan, Yasir's face went completely pale. "If I tell him, he'll kill me. Yvonne, you should do it yourself."

"I don't think he'll believe me," I shook my head. Hayden was always impatient with me. He probably lacked the patience to hear, let alone believe, anything I said. This had to come from someone else to hold any weight.

Lucy stared, wide-eyed. "Oh my god, Yvonne, you're really going all in, huh?"

"Otherwise, how am I supposed to make money!" I said, already caught up in the hustle. "And once the cruise ship entertainment updates are done, we'll need to make sure the luxury stores are fully stocked."

My mind was consumed with making money. Love, hate, and personal dramas faded away.

"Are you still going to do the livestream?" Lucy asked.

"Of course," I replied firmly.

Lucy blinked, surprised. "I used to try to convince you, and you wouldn't. Now what's changed?"

"People change, you know?" I answered, only half-truthfully. Back then, Hayden disliked my involvement. I wouldn't do anything he didn't like. But now, he meant nothing to me.

Just then, I noticed a Bentley across the street, its headlights flashing. It was Marlon's car. Why was he here?

Lucy seemed oblivious, not rushing me. She sighed. "No matter what, if it's what you want to do, I support you."

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Lucy, it's getting late. Let Yasir take you home."

Yasir looked up, surprised. "Me?"

"What! You don't want to?" Lucy rolled her eyes, unimpressed. She disliked Yasir, always suspecting him of being one of Hayden's spies. Over the years, she'd witnessed my suffering because of Hayden. She hated everyone connected to him, even unfairly so.

"It's not that..." Yasir said, clearing his throat. He looked at me. "What about you, Yvonne?"

"Ethan's with me. Don't worry," I said, omitting Marlon to avoid an argument.

Lucy stood. "Alright, Yvonne, take care. Head home early."

"Okay," I nodded, watching them leave.

Minutes later, Marlon emerged from his car and approached. The night was dark; a cigarette dangled from his mouth as he walked swiftly toward me. His steps were fast and sure, almost floating.

A similar scene flashed in my mind—darkness, a man in a suit approaching. But his face was blurred. His walk, however, strongly resembled Marlon's.

Just as I was about to recall the full memory, Marlon reached me. "The Jackson Group's shares have been fully acquired. When do you plan to officially take over?"

I shook off my thoughts, the memory fading. "No rush. I'll handle that after my bet with Zachary," I replied.

Marlon furrowed his brows. "Didn't the manager already spill the truth? Is the situation still unresolved?"

"It's one step away," I narrowed my eyes, looking toward the dark ocean. "Hayden hasn't joined in yet."