"Why..."
Yukas looked at Jonas with a hint of perplexity and incomprehension in her eyes, seemingly unaware of why he would know her name. However, before she could finish her sentence, it was swallowed back by Yukas, realizing that it was meaningless to dwell on how Jonas knew her identity at this point.
"What do you intend to do?"
"I have no intentions, on the contrary, I am puzzled as to why Miss Yukas is present on the cruise ship," Jonas said, catching Yukas off guard with his unexpected words. She had thought he might be somewhat informed about the situation, but it seemed he was not...?
"As for your previous impertinent behavior, I will not pursue it for now, but henceforth, you are not to obstruct any of my actions," Yukas warned with a deep breath, her tone carrying a hint of caution. "I am on a covert mission for the peacekeeping forces, and any attempt by you to expose my identity will serve as grounds for me to apprehend you, so I advise you to behave."
With her words spoken, Yukas felt the pressure around her waist increase slightly, causing her face to flush even more. "You...!"
"This is Miss Yukas's request," Jonas said calmly in the face of Yukas's anger. "We are currently at a ball, and such actions may raise suspicions."
—This is like shooting oneself in the foot.
Hearing Jonas's explanation, Yukas found herself without a rebuttal, forced to allow him to continue taking liberties with her.
"Could Miss Yukas disclose the nature of the mission she's on to me?" Jonas asked, still holding Yukas's waist, his tone polite.
"It's none of your concern," Yukas replied curtly, showing little interest in engaging in further conversation with Mr. Jonas.
"I am also a participant in the Chamber of Commerce. If something were to happen on the cruise ship, how could it be unrelated to me?" Jonas continued, his gaze lingering on Yukas.
As Yukas frowned, about to respond, the sound of commotion outside interrupted them. The music abruptly stopped, causing everyone in the ballroom to halt.
Yukas instinctively sensed something was amiss. But it was the sudden gunshot that threw everyone into chaos.
—Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Everyone, get down!"
Fully armed security personnel stormed into the ballroom, their leader scanning the room before speaking in a muffled voice from behind his mask.
Seeing this situation, Yukas was about to step forward but was pulled down by Jonas. The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. The panicked movements knocked over glasses and plates, leaving food scraps and spilled drinks littering the floor.
The ballroom descended into chaos, screams mingling with the sounds of overturned tables and chairs. It was only then that the attendees realized the source of the previous commotion.
But with the next gunshot, the room fell silent again.
In an instant, the grand hall fell eerily quiet, fear evident on everyone's faces as they looked at the leader of the security team.
Yukas stared at the leader, as if confirming his identity. After a moment, she turned to Jonas, seemingly questioning why he had stopped her.
Though the security team was heavily armed, Yukas showed no fear. In fact, even with their superior equipment, she knew she had the means to disarm them.
In response to the girl's inquiry, Jonas simply shook his head, gesturing for her to continue observing.
Sure enough, once the room had quieted down, the leader slowly introduced himself:
"We are the security team of the Morris Consortium. The cruise ship has been attacked by an unknown force. I ask all guests to remain in the ballroom for their safety."
Upon hearing this, Yukas frowned.
"In addition, according to the intelligence we have received, there are members of the Destiny Organization among the attendees. If anyone behaves suspiciously, we will subdue them on the spot."
The man's gaze swept over everyone in the room before finally resting on Jonas, pausing for a moment before moving on.
Sensing the man's gaze, Yukas's frown deepened.
Clearly, there were many doubts about what the man had said, causing Yukas to instinctively question his identity.
Before she could contemplate the connection between the man and the Destiny Organization, she heard Jonas speak softly beside her:
"I'll need your help soon, Yukas."
With that, Jonas stood up, his sudden action drawing attention in the ballroom.
Neither Yukas nor the security team reacted immediately.
But the next moment, the security personnel aimed their guns at Jonas, their leader warning sternly:
"Get down, or we'll consider you a member of the Destiny Organization..."
Before he could finish, Jonas's voice cut in, interrupting him. Faced with a group of menacing gun barrels, Jonas showed no sign of fear, but instead chuckled and said:
"Open your eyes wide and ask yourself, do you really think I could be a member of the Destiny Organization?!"
At his words, the leader furrowed his brow, about to speak, but a subordinate approached and whispered something in his ear. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke again:
"Ah, it's Mr. Weiting... My apologies for my earlier rudeness. But for your safety, I must ask you to step aside."
The voice from the mask revealed no emotion, but it was easy to discern from it that he lacked respect for this so-called Jonas Weiting.
Or perhaps, when his subordinate explained the identity of the person beside him, a hint of disdain flashed through his eyes subconsciously.
Jonas also keenly sensed this.
Hearing the man's words, he smiled and, instead of stepping aside as requested, said calmly:
"If you're looking for members of the Destiny Organization, I believe I've found one."
With that, before the others could react, he spoke again in his calm voice:
"Yukas, take action."