Chapter 116-A clear truth

Chapter 116: 116-A clear truth

Aymara’s expression turned cold. She straightened and looked at the surveillance display.

Several pirates had lowered small boats into the water. Armed men were climbing into them, preparing to approach the cruise ship while the larger vessels positioned themselves around it.

Rourke had decided to stop talking. How unfortunate for him.

Aymara tapped the control panel. "Activate the outer defense perimeter. No unauthorized personnel are to board this ship."

[Command acknowledged, host. Unauthorized personnel will be forcefully removed.]

On the screen, the first group of pirates approached the cruise’s hull. One of them raised a grappling hook and hurled it toward the railing.

The hook never reached its target. A defensive energy pulse flashed across the water.

The small boat jolted violently as its electrical systems failed, throwing the pirates into confusion.

Before they could recover, the ship’s automated weapons locked onto their position.

A burst of controlled fire struck the boat’s engine and weapons, disabling both. The pirates scrambled to escape as the damaged vessel drifted away from the cruise.

A second group attempted to approach from the opposite side. They fared no better.

The moment they crossed the invisible boundary surrounding Aymara’s ship, the defense system identified them as hostile intruders.

Automated weapons opened fire with frightening precision, eliminating the threat before the pirates could reach the hull.

One after another, their boarding attempts failed. The cruise ship remained untouched.

Not a single pirate set foot aboard.

Inside the control room, Aymara watched the display without the slightest trace of concern.

"Honestly," she muttered, "do these people think I installed all these defenses for decoration?"

Nathaniel almost wished Dylan was among them so that his Chapter could be closed once and for all.

"They’re not going to stop," he said, hiding the edge of his dark thoughts.

"Then let them keep learning that I am not to be taken lightly," she let out.

Another warning flashed.

[Multiple hostile targets detected. Defensive engagement continuing.]

Aymara leaned back in her chair. Her lips curved up. "Let them try."

---

On the pirate flagship, Rourke watched the failed boarding attempts with disbelief.

His men had approached the ship expecting resistance, but not this level of technological superiority.

Their weapons had been disabled before they could even reach the railing, and the automated defenses were targeting them with a precision that made ordinary weapons look primitive.

"What kind of ship is this?" one of his men shouted. "We can’t even scratch it."

Rourke slammed his fist against the railing. "I can see that!"

He turned toward Sarah. "You said she had advanced defenses. You neglected to mention that her ship could wipe out an entire boarding party without anyone lifting a finger!"

Sarah’s face had gone pale. She had known Aymara was prepared and that the cruise ship was far better equipped than most vessels surviving the apocalypse but seeing its defenses in action was something else entirely.

Aymara hadn’t merely prepared for disaster. She had built a fortress that could turn the ocean into a battlefield and control every inch around it.

For the first time since offering the information to Rourke, Sarah wondered whether she had made a terrible mistake.

She looked at Dylan. He was staring at the cruise ship with an expression she couldn’t quite understand.

"Dylan," she whispered, "we need to be careful."

He barely heard her. He had seen enough to understand that storming the ship would be suicide. But that didn’t mean he had to give up.

He grabbed the communication device from a nearby pirate and forced himself to speak.

"Aymara! It’s me!"

Inside the control room, Aymara’s eyes narrowed as a smirk planted at the corner of her mouth.

"Oh, no. This idiot has found a microphone," she spoke, rubbing her ears.

Nathaniel said nothing, but his stomach tightened. It annoyed him that even the apocalypse hadn’t taken Dylan to the underworld.

Dylan’s voice echoed through the speakers. "Aymara, please listen to me! I know you’re angry, but we need to talk!"

She folded her arms. Pressed the communication button and replied. "We don’t."

"Please! Just give me a chance to explain. I made mistakes, and I know I hurt you, but I can make things right."

Aymara stared at the screen, unimpressed.

Dylan stepped forward, raising his voice as though greater volume could make his words more convincing.

"If you let me aboard, I’ll take you back! I’ll leave Sarah behind if that’s what you want. We can start over, just the two of us. I’ll protect you, and I’ll help you manage the ship. You won’t have to face the apocalypse alone!"

"Dylan!" Sarah’s head snapped toward him. "What did you say?"

Dylan ignored her. Focusing all of his attention on his plea to Aymara. He couldn’t afford to be distracted.

"Aymara, you know how much we meant to each other. Don’t throw everything away because of one mistake. Let me come aboard, and I’ll prove that I can be the man you deserve!"

Aymara remained silent for several seconds. Listening to him, her heart turned to stone.

She turned to Nathaniel. Her eyes clear and without any emotion. "Did he just offer to take me back?"

Nathaniel’s face was pale, his eyes fixed on the screen. He didn’t dare meet her eyes, afraid he’ll find that she was feigning her nonchalance but deep down was swaying to Dylan’s request.

Aymara shook her head in disbelief. "How generous. He wants to take me back to the ship he doesn’t own, using the resources he doesn’t have, after bringing an entire pirate fleet to my doorstep."

She pressed the communication button. "Dylan, I have a question."

His face lit up immediately. "Anything, Aymara!"

"Are you suffering from a fever? Because I can arrange medical assistance if you’ve started hallucinating."

Dylan’s smile vanished.

She continued before he could answer. "You don’t own this ship. You have no authority over it, and I certainly don’t need your protection," her words cut sharply. "You couldn’t even protect yourself from the pirates standing beside you. What exactly do you think you can offer me?"

Dylan’s face reddened as her question hit home. "I’m trying to help you!" His voice thinned as he spoke, he had no confidence in his words.

"No, you’re trying to get aboard my ship by using the feelings I used to have for you."

"That’s not true!" He denied.

"Then explain why you brought an armed fleet to my door."

He opened his mouth, but no answer came to mind or to his lips.

"Hahaha!" Aymara laughed coldly.

"Let me make this simple for you. I don’t want you back. I don’t want to start over. I don’t want your protection, your promises, or your company. If you want to survive, find another ship."

She paused, her gaze hardening. "And if you try to board mine again, I will treat you like every other intruder."

Dylan stared at the communication device, his expression twisting with humiliation.

"Aymara, you can’t be serious!"