Ethan and lissa stepped out of the entertainnt room, the subtle hum of conversation and soft applause fading as they walked further away.
The resort was alive with its usual luxury, a well-oiled machine running smoothly, just as Ethan had intended.
lissa had quickly inford one of her vice managers to keep an eye on the ongoing performance before they made their way through the resort grounds, passing lavish halls, open gardens, and high-end restaurants.
They had been walking for a while when lissa spoke.
"Your family went ho a few days ago," she said casually, glancing at him.
Ethan turned his head slightly, raising a brow. "Oh?"
"Yeah. Your mom was a bit worried about you," lissa added, adjusting her hair as the morning breeze swept through.
Ethan smirked slightly. "She always is."
"Well, you did disappear without much of an explanation," lissa pointed out.
Ethan chuckled.
He couldn't really argue with that. His mother had always been protective, even if she understood the nature of his business.
It was one of the things that made her HER.
"I'll contact them soon enough," Ethan assured.
lissa gave him a knowing look. "You should. Otherwise, she might just show up at your place unannounced."
Ethan could actually picture that happening.
His mother wasn't the type to just sit around and worry — if she needed answers, she got them.
They continued walking, passing by the pool section.
The resort's outdoor area was vast, complete with multiple pools, lounging spaces, and cabanas.
The morning sun reflected off the crystal-clear water, casting shimring waves of light onto the tiled floors.
So guests were already swimming, while others sat back with drinks in hand, enjoying their luxury-filled morning.
"The pool's getting more use than I expected," Ethan noted as they walked past.
lissa shrugged. "People love lounging in rich places, Ethan. It's like, the one thing they're best at."
Ethan smirked but didn't disagree.
Eventually, they made their way down a small path that led to the beach.
The air shifted imdiately.
The scent of salt and fresh ocean air filled their lungs, the rhythmic crashing of waves providing a soothing contrast to the structured chaos of the resort.
It was still early, so the beach wasn't packed yet.
A few guests were scattered along the shoreline, so walking along the wet sand, others stretching out on sun loungers, enjoying the calm before the inevitable crowd arrived later in the day.
Ethan let out a breath, taking in the scene.
"Been a while since I actually relaxed here," he admitted.
lissa smirked. "Well, you are the owner. Kind of hard to relax when you're the guy running everything."
They found a pair of empty lounge chairs near the water and sat down. The beach staff, ever attentive, approached them almost imdiately with trays of refreshnts.
A waiter, dressed in a sharp white uniform, presented them with a selection of chilled drinks.
"Would you like sothing to drink, sir?"
Ethan took a mont, then pointed at a glass of fresh coconut water. "I'll take that."
lissa leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms. "Margarita for ."
The waiter nodded and disappeared to fetch their orders.
lissa glanced over at Ethan. "So, what did you actually do throughout the past few days?"
Ethan leaned back, exhaling. "Handled so business, checked out Silicon city, t a few people. Nothing too serious."
lissa raised a brow. "Nothing too serious? I believe you then but what I don't believe is that you were being lazy throughout the past week."
She wasn't wrong though.
...
Ethan stretched his legs out on the lounge chair, letting the soft ocean breeze brush against his skin.
He took another sip of his coconut water, the cool liquid refreshing against his throat.
lissa, sitting beside him with her margarita, swirled her drink before taking a small sip.
She seed thoughtful, her crimson hair catching the sunlight.
"What about the resort?" He asked, setting his drink down. "Zack told stuff, but I wanna hear how it's been from you."
lissa exhaled and adjusted his position slightly. "Well, everything seems to be running smoothly, There were so complications with drunk youths. Zack must have told you that."
Ethan sighed. "Of course he did, maybe we have to take down the drinks or sothing."
lissa shrugged. "Anyhow you do it, it'll be great."
lissa leaned in slightly, her voice softer now. "But still, I've been missing you, you know?"
Ethan felt his face heat up slightly at her words.
She inched closer, her eyes flickering down to his lips for just a second before returning to et his gaze.
He could feel the tension in the air. The soft roar of the ocean, the distant chatter of beachgoers — it all faded into the background.
Is she really about to —
"LISSA!"
A loud voice shattered the mont, cutting through the tension like a knife.
lissa groaned and pulled back, her expression imdiately shifting from warmth to irritation. Ethan blinked in confusion before turning his head towards the ocean.
Erging from the waves like so kind of overly dramatic action hero was a guy with wet, slicked-back hair and an infuriatingly confident smirk.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and annoyingly fit — soone who clearly spent more ti working out than Ethan did.
lissa sighed. "Oh, great. Of all the tis…"
Ethan arched a brow. "Who the hell is that?"
lissa gave him a look before muttering, "My brother. Adrian."
Ethan's lips parted slightly. "Oh, I forgot how he looked like."
Before Ethan could say anything else, Adrian stomped his way up the sand, completely ignoring Ethan as he flashed lissa a bright, almost too happy smile.
"Haven't seen you in a while, sis," Adrian said, shaking water out of his hair like a dog.
lissa forced a smile. "Yeah, yeah, Adrian. Great to see you."
Then, Adrian turned his head and finally acknowledged Ethan.
The mont their eyes t, Adrian's expression completely changed. The friendly, easygoing smile he had for lissa vanished, replaced by a sharp, almost predatory glare.
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