Carmen couldn't help but roll her eyes as she watched Molly eagerly jump onto the bed, her excitement radiating off her like a burst of confetti.
"Seriously, it's your very first day on the cruise, and of course, the first thing you want to do is hit the party scene," Carmen exclaimed, unable to hide a mixture of amusement and exasperation. With a theatrical flop onto Molly's neatly made bed, Carmen let out a sigh and shook her head in mock disapproval.
The sun's warm rays filtered through the cabin window, casting a soft glow on the two friends. Carmen's eyes lingered on Molly's contagious enthusiasm, admiring her carefree spirit. She gave her buddy a tight smile, wondering how she got so blessed to have at least one person in her life she could completely rely on.
Because let's get real for a moment—with the exception of her father, Carmen always felt like she had been let down by everyone in her life. And yes, that included Ronin's parents, who were, no doubt, genuinely loving, caring, and wonderful people at their core. But even they seemed to have left a lingering sense of disappointment within her. They were undeniably sweet, sure, but their presence was often fleeting. It was as if they offered support in theory, but when Carmen truly needed them, their support felt hollow and absent.
For example, that one time when her father fell ill, and she yearned desperately to be by his side. Despite expecting Ronin to understand and support her, they surprisingly attempted to make her understand his reasons for asking her to wait a few days before seeing her dad. The situation seemed incredibly unjust, and his parents knew. However, even though they knew it was unfair, they lacked the bravery to speak up on her behalf and confront their own son.
Molly delved into her suitcase, eagerly rummaging through it in search of the perfect party outfit. "Oh, come on," she exclaimed, narrowing her eyes in a playful yet frustrated manner. "You can't possibly tell me you're not excited. This is a pool party with A-list celebrities and electrifying live bands. How could you even think of missing such an experience? It's practically a sin!"
Carmen rolled her eyes, a gesture laced with a hint of amusement and mild exasperation.
"It's not like I don't want to go, you know, but I'm kind of avoiding bumping into all kinds of wrong people."
Molly paused and glanced up at Carmen, a mischievous spark in her eyes. Are you worried that Jenna might come charging at you like a raging bull again?" she quipped, letting out a snort of laughter. "Because if I missed that spectacle the first time, I definitely don't want to miss it if it happens again. It needs to be captured for Instagram. Just imagine how viral that would go!"
Molly's laughter was contagious, and Carmen couldn't help but join in, reminiscing about the night when everything went down. Unbeknownst to Carmen, her fingers instinctively reached up to her neck, seeking the pendant that once adorned it, but had since gone missing.
Carmen was completely in the dark about the pendant's whereabouts. She had put in her best efforts to locate it, scouring every nook and cranny, and even enlisting the help of the ship's staff, hoping that someone had stumbled upon it and turned it in. But her efforts proved futile. The pendant had mysteriously disappeared without leaving a single trace, leaving Carmen with an overwhelming sense of disappointment and a lingering void in her heart.
But then her smile faded and she looked down at her own hands, watched as they fidgeted with the fabric of her dress. "No. Not worried about Jenna. I'm pretty sure she had been trying to maintain a good distance from me ever since."
It was true. Carmen hadn't received any word from Jenna since that incident. She had a hunch that Ronin was likely involved in it. Perhaps he had requested Jenna to keep her distance from Carmen, exhibiting his typical protectiveness towards his girlfriend.
Carmen recalled how furious he used to become whenever his mom brought up Jenna's name during their family dinners. He would become completely rigid, fix his gaze on his plate, and then abruptly leave the table, as if he couldn't bear to hear a single word against her. It was as if the pain from her betrayal still cut deep within him.
Carmen often felt a twinge of sympathy for Ronin, and how could she not?
There was only one woman Ronin had loved all his life, and then, when the time came when they both could finally be together and stand by each other's side, she left him at the altar as if their love meant nothing to her. Not only Jenna left the wedding that day, but she also left behind a trail of fractured souls, each one nursing their own heartbreak. And amidst the wreckage, there stood Ronin, utterly broken and wounded by her betrayal.
Perhaps that was why Carmen never held his distant demeanor against him. While he could have shown her some kindness, she never expected him to reciprocate her feelings or fall in love with her. This wasn't a fairy tale romance—it was reality.
Even on their wedding day, she had known that they would eventually choose different paths.
However, she never anticipated the pain of separation to be so excruciating. She couldn't fathom why, despite getting what she always wanted, her freedom—despite having all the reasons to be happy and excited—she felt like she was walking away from something that had taken up residence in her heart and soul. It was as if she was abandoning a piece of herself, leaving behind a colossal void that no one else could fill.
It was a stupid feeling, really, one that was beyond her wits.
But enough was enough. She had moved on from Ronin, and now she was determined to break free from Simon as well. Tonight, at the party, she had made up her mind to confront him and reveal her final decision.
* * *
In another area of the cruise, a man was seated with his legs crossed, tapping his fingers on the armrest. His intense gaze emitted a mixture of anger and frustration, yet he maintained remarkable composure, containing his inner turmoil.
"I entrusted you with one task, Abe—just one. And you couldn't even accomplish that," he uttered with narrowed eyes, directing his piercing stare at the individual standing before him. "How many times am I supposed to ignore these blunders? Tell me, how many times? Do you even understand the gravity of the situation? Any clue at all?"
Abe couldn't help but flinch under the weight of the harsh words hurled at him, fully aware of his failure once again. Despite his assurance of delivering results this time, he found himself empty-handed. "Boss, we tried our damn best. But they nabbed one of our guys, and I had no damn choice but to make a run for it."
His boss's eyes narrowed further, emitting an intense glare that could pierce through steel. The air in the room became charged with frustration and impatience.
"No choice? No fucking choice?" His boss's voice rose, tinged with a mix of anger and disappointment. "You're telling me that you left your partner behind, jeopardizing the entire plan? You think that's acceptable?"
Abe could feel the weight of his boss's anger pressing down on him. The gravity of the situation sank in, and he realized the enormity of his mistake.
"I...I messed up, boss," Abe stammered, his voice trembling with regret. "I thought I could handle it, but things went south real fast. I didn't want to risk getting caught too. I'm sorry."
His boss exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The tension in the room seemed to reach its peak as they both stood there, grappling with the consequences of Abe's actions.
"Sorry isn't going to fix this, Abe," his boss growled. "We had a plan, and you let it crumble to shit. Now we're all screwed, with one of our own getting busted and the whole plan blown to bits. Who knows how much that dickhead spilled to Simon. If that bastard figures out we're behind the attacks, he ain't gonna let up. He's gonna poke his nose where it don't belong, just like his old man. The stubborn prick ain't gonna back down for nothin'."
Abe shifted uncomfortably. "I-I understand. I screwed up, and I take full responsibility for it. But maybe we can still salvage something from this situation. We need to regroup, come up with a new strategy."
His boss let out a frustrated grunt, clearly still seething with anger.
"You better have a damn good plan, Abe," he growled. "We can't afford any more slip-ups. If we want to keep our asses out of jail and protect our interests, we need to be smart about it. And for fuck's sake, make sure that Simon doesn't sniff around our operation any further."
Abe's eyes darted around the room, searching for any sign of inspiration. Suddenly, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, and his lips curled into a sinister grin.
"Actually," he declared, his voice oozing with newfound confidence, "I might just have the perfect plan up my sleeve. Tonight, at the pool party, Simon Walsh won't know what hit him."
A/N: Seems like Simon is in trouble! :(