Chapter 624: Where is Quentin Blackwood?

"So what exactly happened?"

Elijah’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He didn’t know how to break it to Ivy.

"A cruise ship exploded out at sea near you. Quentin... might have been on board," Elijah managed to say with difficulty.

THUD. The phone slipped right out of Ivy’s hand, crashing against the floor. A deafening ringing filled her ears.

Quentin was on the cruise ship? How could that be possible? The ship was so far away. It wasn’t even in Lustre—it was over ten kilometers out. Quentin wouldn’t be on it!

Ivy snapped back to her senses and scooped up the phone. "You said ’might,’ right? So there’s also a chance Quentin isn’t on it," she said to Elijah on the other end of the line.

Silence met her from Elijah’s end. "Might" was simply his gentlest way of putting it. The reality was that Quentin had definitely been on that ship. It was an undeniable fact. Quentin was dead; he was no longer in this world. Perhaps he had been blown to pieces, leaving no body to even recover.

Ivy hastily hung up on Elijah. Just as she was about to call Xavier Mercer, his name flashed across her screen—he was calling her first.

"Ivy..." Xavier’s voice faltered. He clearly wanted to say something but seemed at a loss for words.

"Xavier, you’ve heard about the explosion, right? They’re saying Quentin was on the cruise ship. Can you look into it for me?"

That was exactly why Xavier was calling. According to his intel, Quentin was indeed on the cruise ship. In his pursuit of Jason Summers, Quentin had allegedly perished alongside him in a mutual destruction. The scene was in total chaos. Terrified that Ivy might do something impulsive upon hearing the news, Xavier had rushed to call her.

He couldn’t bear to tell her the truth. The loss of her grandfather had already been a devastating blow; if something were to happen to Quentin on top of that... It wasn’t just Ivy—even Xavier felt that fate was being far too cruel.

"Ivy, where are you?"

"Nina is driving. We’re on our way to the pier."

Hearing the word "pier," Xavier knew he was a step too late. Ivy was actually heading straight into the storm.

"Ivy, it’s raining way too heavily right now, and the roads aren’t safe. You need to come back immediately. Quentin’s team has already contacted us. His phone got waterlogged and died, and he wants you to head back first."

"Xavier, tell me the truth!"

Listening to Xavier, Ivy felt like she was being lied to. She had her own judgment and a sinking premonition.

Xavier fell silent again. He simply didn’t have it in him to keep lying to her.

"Ivy, just come back first," he insisted.

They were fast approaching the abandoned pier. Dozens of cars were already parked nearby, and out on the water, numerous yachts had joined the rescue effort. Just from overhearing Ivy’s side of the calls in the car, Nina Scott had mostly guessed what had happened. The moment the vehicle stopped, Ivy bolted out.

"Ivy!" Nina cried out from behind. How could a pregnant woman sprint like that? She was carrying a baby!

The rain was even heavier by the coast. Ivy ran with an umbrella while Nina chased after her. The area was swarming with people. Droves of media personnel had descended, causing a massive gridlock. The pier was abandoned to begin with, and now, with the seawater surging and waves crashing violently, the place looked incredibly perilous.

Nearby, a reporter was broadcasting with his back to the ocean, right where the swells were battering the shoreline. Seeing this, Ivy reached out and yanked him back.

The reporter opened his mouth to snap at her, but right then, a massive wave crashed over him. A tree that had been standing exactly where he’d been moments ago was instantly swept away. Trembling with lingering fear, he turned to look at the woman who had saved him, only to find she had already hurried off before he could even utter a word of thanks.

"Don’t get too close to the edge! It’s too dangerous!" Despite her overwhelming anxiety for Quentin, Ivy still took it upon herself to maintain order. The area was treacherous; no one should be loitering so close to the water. If someone got swept in, they might never come back.

Ivy tracked down the head of the rescue team and explained who she was.

"The waves are too rough right now. Pull everyone back," she ordered. "I’m more desperate than any of you, but everyone’s safety comes first!"

If the disaster that had befallen the victims was unavoidable, the rescuers who were still alive needed to have their safety guaranteed. They couldn’t be allowed to throw their own lives away in the name of a rescue.

"Can you establish contact with the people inside?" Ivy asked after issuing her instructions.

The rescue leader was completely cooperative and nodded in confirmation.

"Patch me through," Ivy said. "See if there’s a man named Zane Linton. I need to speak with him."

Seeing Ivy stand so strong and handle everything so rationally—rather than collapsing in an agony of grief as one might expect—Nina felt a glimmer of relief, yet it only made her heart ache more for her friend. Nina understood Ivy’s reasoning perfectly. Even though she knew Quentin might have perished, she refused to let others face disaster while trying to save him.

She finally got through to Zane’s end. "Zane, it’s me."

"Miss... Miss Sherwood..." Zane hadn’t expected it to be her. He knew she had called him earlier, but he simply hadn’t dared to answer.

"Where is Quentin?"

"President Blackwood... He..." Zane had no idea how to say it.

Just hearing his faltering tone, even with all her mental preparation, made the reality nearly impossible to accept. But Ivy knew this was not the time to break down in sorrow. So many people were still out there risking their lives.

"What’s the situation on your end?" Ivy asked.

"It’s not looking good. The cruise ship has already sunk. Coupled with the oncoming storm, many were caught in the explosion’s blast radius. It’s likely..."

It was likely there were no survivors at all. Those closest to the blast hadn’t made it; the only ones left were those further away or inside submarines. As for Quentin, there was absolutely no sign of him.

"It’s far too dangerous out there right now," Ivy commanded. "Have everyone fall back first. We’ll resume the search once the storm dies down."

"But Miss Sherwood, President Blackwood is... he’s still out there. We haven’t found him yet."

Ivy’s heart clenched in agony. She bit her lower lip so hard it bled.

"Bring them back first! That’s an order!"

As she spoke, Ivy checked the upcoming weather forecast. A tornado was predicted to hit tonight, and judging by the wind direction, it would likely sweep through very soon. There was no time and no chance to continue the rescue operations.

"Understood." Although Zane was reluctant, he obeyed her command. President Blackwood had previously ordered that if anything ever happened, they were to answer to Ivy. Her words were as good as his.

Zane led his men in a full retreat. The moment Ivy spotted him, she rushed over. "Zane, what exactly happened? Where is Quentin?"

Zane hung his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Jason Summers took hostages to threaten President Blackwood. The President managed to board the cruise ship. There was a helicopter on deck that Jason intended to use to escape. President Blackwood shot his chopper down, and then... the ship exploded."