All Chapters of The Cruise Ship Royal: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

She led him to a small technical deck near the ship's bow, accessible only to maintenance crew but currently deserted. The morning sun bathed the metal surfaces in warm light, and the sound of the ocean was louder here, more immediate."This is where I come to think," Amity said, settling onto a maintenance crate. "Away from the performances, the expectations, the careful choreography of being someone's daughter."Jake joined her, the metal warm under his hands despite the morning breeze. "What will you tell your father?""The truth, probably. That I'm not coming back to Sydney. That I'm tired of pretending his world is the only one that matters." She pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "He'll threaten to cut off my trust fund, of course.""Would that change anything?"Amity was quiet for a long moment, considering. "It would make things harder. But I've been earning my own money for two years now. The violin commissions, the performance contracts—they're mine. Clean m

"Why not?" she interrupted, her voice gaining strength. "Because it might damage your precious reputation? The same reputation you've been using to manipulate my career?" She turned to Jake, her eyes blazing with newfound determination. "Marcus wasn't just unfaithful, he was Father's hand-picked choice specifically because he had gambling debts Father could leverage."Jake felt sick, and understanding washed over him. "Your father was using him to control you.""A business arrangement," Richard said coldly, as if discussing a shipping contract. "One that would have benefited everyone involved.""Everyone except me," Amity shot back. She looked at the tender boat, then at Jake, and made her decision. "I'm not getting on that boat."The security guards moved to flank her, but Jake stepped forward, placing himself between them and Amity. "She said no.""This is none of your concern, Monroe," Richard snarled. "You're nothing but a spoiled boy playing at rebellion.""Maybe," Jake acknowled

Jake gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch lingering. "So what happens now? Do we scandalise both our families by dating publicly? Do I become the kept man of a billionaire violinist?"Amity laughed, the sound carrying across the water. "I was thinking we might start with dinner tonight. See if we can survive a meal with your parents without an international incident.""And after that?""After that," she said, leaning into him, "we write our own music."When his lips met hers, Jake felt something settle inside him, a certainty he'd never experienced before. Whatever came next, whatever challenges their families presented, they would face them together, on their own terms.The Crystal Voice case gleamed in the sunlight between them, a symbol of everything Amity had built independently, everything she had fought to become. As they broke apart, Jake gestured toward it."Will you play for me again? Not for an audience, not for critics or contracts. Just for us."Amity's

"I'm suggesting that two brilliant young people might find ways to build something together that benefits everyone involved," Miles replied carefully. "On equal terms, of course." Jake looked between his father and Amity, amazement written across his features. "You're actually trying to play matchmaker through a corporate merger?" "I'm trying to be practical," Miles said, but there was warmth in his voice now. "If you're determined to follow your heart, at least let your head benefit from the arrangement." Emma laughed, the sound bright and musical. "What your father is trying to say, in his charmingly romantic way, is that he approves." "I wouldn't go that far," Miles protested, but the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his stern

As they said their goodnights, Jake felt a sense of anticipation unlike anything he'd experienced before. The world was shifting around them, families and fortunes realigning, but at the centre of it all was something simple and profound, the connection he'd found with Amity, unexpected and transformative. The next morning, Jake arrived at the bow before first light, a canvas tucked under his arm and a small bag of supplies in his hand. He'd barely slept, too filled with nervous energy and plans for the future, their future. The sky was just beginning to lighten when Amity appeared, her hair loose around her shoulders and her violin case strapped to her back. "You brought the Crystal Voice," Jake observed, pleased.