Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 148 The Sudden Downpour

The yacht's supplies were limited, making it less comfortable than the estate if the weather worsened.

Suddenly, Liam noticed a speedboat in the middle of the sea. Initially unsure, he moved closer to the railing and confirmed it was indeed a speedboat. "Look, there's a speedboat out there," he pointed out.

Hearing this, Zoren and Jasper came over.

"Huh? Who would be out on a speedboat at this time?" Jasper remarked.

"It's pitch black out there; there's nothing to see."

Violeta joined them, curious, "Looks like there's someone on that speedboat, seems to be a woman. Let's get the binoculars and check."

With the binoculars, they could clearly see it was Hattie.

Violeta declared, "It's Hattie."

Zoren joked, "Isn't that Hattie? Liam, that's your sister."

Liam's face fell. "Scr*w you."

Zoren retorted, "Well, she is literally your sister. I'm not wrong."

Hayden wiped his hands and joined them at the railing, looking towards the speedboat. "What's she doing coming here in a speedboat at this hour?"

Jasper speculated, "Maybe she's trying to get on our yacht?"

The sea was unusually rough that evening.

Hattie had been staying on the island for nearly a month under calm conditions, but tonight, the wind had picked up sharply.

Seeing the weather turn, Benson instructed a servant, "Go call my sister back in. It's about to pour."

The servant, clearly anxious, replied, "Mr. Benson, Miss Hattie took the speedboat out earlier!"

"What?

"Why didn't you stop her?"

The servant expressed her frustration, "I tried to stop her. I warned her not to go, but she didn't listen... What if she gets stranded at sea?" Benson quickly went outside, binoculars in hand, to check the conditions at sea.

The rain started abruptly, with a dark cloud swiftly moving towards them, carrying a torrential downpour and intermittent lightning flashes.

Hattie, on the speedboat, was frantic, constantly urging the crew to go faster.

"Hurry up, it's starting to rain!"

The crew member inwardly cursed.

He had previously warned Hattie against going out, but she had insisted.

Now, she was the one demanding they return quickly. He briefly entertained the thought of tossing her overboard.

Back on the yacht.

"It's really starting to pour. Let's head inside and avoid getting soaked," Violeta suggested, catching some raindrops with her hand before looking back towards the sea. She observed the rapid approach of the heavy rain.

Jasper remarked, "At this speed, Hattie is going to be soaked through before she even makes it back to the island."

Niall inquired, "Are those the siblings who came back from Harbor City?"

Benson confirmed, "Yes, that's the sister of the siblings."

They watched the speedboat attempting to make its way back to the island.

Niall gauged the distance, remarking, "She's close enough to shore that she'll only get a bit wet from the rain; it shouldn't pose a danger."

Liam, losing interest in the spectacle, diverted his gaze. "Let's head inside and not worry about her."

Once they were in the cabin, Hayden pulled up the weather forecast on his phone. "We should make our way to the island; it looks like it'll rain all week."

Niall agreed, "A week of rain? Let's head to the island. The Dawn is big, but it's still nicer on the island."

Considering the worsening weather and the threat of thunderstorms, staying on the yacht seemed less safe than being on land.

Violeta concurred, "Let's head back now before the rain gets worse."

Niall activated the yacht's integrated speedboat from the control cabin.

They planned to use the speedboat to return to the island.

Unlike Hattie's speedboat, which left her completely drenched and looking like a soaked chicken, their speedboat was designed for comfort. Niall highlighted, "Our speedboat is covered and won't expose us to the rain. Plus, it's three times faster than the standard models."

This meant they could get back to the island faster than Hattie.

They departed on the speedboat after coordinating with the island staff for a pickup.

In contrast to Hattie's miserable state, they were travelling in luxury.

Since they were headed in the same direction, their path would inevitably take them past Hattie's speedboat.

Caught in the downpour and urging the pilot to speed up, Hattie was unexpectedly hit by a huge wave stirred up by the powerful propellers of their speedboat. She swallowed a gulp of seawater.

Coughing violently, she exclaimed, "What just happened?!"

That's when she realised the wave was caused by the speedboat carrying Violeta and her companions passing by.