The woman from Luke's family stood by the seashore, mesmerized by the scene before her. She could not take her eyes off the beach in front of her. Fine white sand caressed her feet while blue waves sparkled in the orange sunlight, gently lapping against the shore.Behind her, the luxury hotel stood beautiful and large, with elegant architecture and balconies overlooking the sea. The endless swimming pool behind the hotel added to the glamour of her vacation. Of course, the price of staying at the hotel was costly."Wow, this place is really amazing. I can't believe we're here," said the woman, her eyes excitedly shining.The man standing next to her smiled broadly. He was also part of Luke's family but not the main family. Even so, they were close, and the two had previously annoyed Alison on the plane."Yes, look at the view. We should take a picture here. This could be the best photo to upload to social media." The man smiled even more comprehensively. "Thank you for taking me," he
Alison looked at the woman before her, puzzled, smiling slightly though awkwardly. "Yeah, we're... we're on vacation," she said softly, trying to end the conversation that was starting to feel uncomfortable.The woman in front of her, dressed in a luxurious gown and sparkling jewellery, frowned, clearly dissatisfied with that answer. Her attention was drawn to the waiter who brought Alison's family the finest wine and presented a small birthday cake with candles lit."Happy birthday, Miss!" the waiter exclaimed warmly.Alison's eyes sparkled with happiness. She smiled widely and thanked the waiter. Even though it wasn't her birthday, the small gesture made the atmosphere warm and pleasant. However, the woman who was watching them looked even more sullen. Her eyes narrowed, implying a feeling of envy and cynicism."Why are you guys getting such lavish treatment?" The woman snorted, her voice sharp with dissatisfaction. "It's not fair."Alison turned her head and smiled slightly, trying
Alison shook her head. "I'm not coming with you," she refused firmly.The two men laughed, the sound echoing around. They couldn't believe what Alison was saying. With her smooth, radiant face, Alison looked like an angel in her 20s. Her skin was fair, almost spotless, and her long hair glistened in the beautiful sunlight, a soft chestnut color. Her hazel-colored eyes exuded firmness but also held secrets that made her look even more mysterious. Although now filled with rejection, her smile still managed to make the hearts of the two men flutter."Don't pretend. We know you're just trying to avoid us by pretending to be married," said one of the men, whose name was Ethan. Ethan was tall and athletic, with tousled dark hair, as if he had just woken up from a nap. His facial lines were firm, with a prominent jaw and blue eyes that shone confidently. He held Alison's hand gently, but their tension was annoying."Come, come with us," she said urgently, pulling Alison a little closer to he
Ethan turned, surprised to see Carson's arrival. Carson's powerful, imposing figure emanated a terrifyingly intimidating aura that slightly shook Ethan's confidence."Oh, just a little conversation," he replied casually, though a trace of fear glimmered in his eyes.Carson glanced at Alison, ensuring she was okay before returning to Ethan. "Let her go now. She's my wife; don't bother her." Carson's voice was firm, showcasing a fierce determination to defend his wife. Although he appeared relaxed, his aura and intimidation were intense.Alison felt relieved to see Carson arrive as if all the tension within her was slowly dissipating. "Honey, I'm fine. Thank you," she said, trying to calm him.Seeing this, Carson appeared reassured. Meanwhile, Ethan felt embarrassed, realizing many eyes were on him. He suspected people whispering about him, feeding into his negative thoughts."Oh, so he's your husband?" Ethan looked Carson up and down repeatedly. "How unworthy. You settled for a husband
After Alison and Charlotte left, Carson could no longer hold back his emotions. He stepped forward and stood directly before Ethan, his face filled with anger. Carson clenched his fists and gave a small smile. His opponent was only a young man in his twenties—not a challenging adversary. The tension only grew as Ethan showed no signs of backing down.Seeing this, Ethan's friends felt compelled to intervene, surrounding Carson from all sides."You think you're a tough guy, huh? It's funny that you'd dare to challenge me here. You should know this place is like my second home," he said confidently.Ethan believed he could defeat Carson with the help of his friends. They were now a group of ten young men with strong and muscular builds. Fighting wasn't new to them; they often brawled on this beach and always won. This time, they felt equally confident."This won't change anything," Carson said.Ethan laughed. "You're too confident. I'm going to shatter that confidence," he said, brimming
They were in their room and sleeping soundly that night. They had received exceptional service. Before bed, they soaked in a hot tub and enjoyed expensive green tea. After that, the hotel staff gave them massages. Of course, their dinner was also provided with low-calorie food. There was also a free gym available for anyone to use. Carson planned to go there in the evening after Alison and Charlotte had slept. He wanted to keep his muscles trained. Most importantly, there was no one else on that floor. All the rooms were vacant because Carson had rented them out. He didn't want anyone disturbing his holiday, so he had booked the entire tenth floor for himself. His phone vibrated as he sat on the sofa, catching his breath after soaking. With a hip-hop ringtone from his favourite artist, he saw Darwis' name appear on the screen. He answered the call. "What's up?" Carson asked, trying to sound casual. "Sir, is there anything I can help you with? Or is there something I need to
As Alison was about to leave with Charlotte, the woman suddenly grabbed her hand. This made Alison turn around. "What is it?" she asked. "How about we go shopping? I know some nice stores here," she said enthusiastically. The woman was full of friendly smiles. "You'll love it. Trust me." She was trying to reassure Alison. At first, Alison was suspicious, but after thinking it over, she realized she didn't have any important plans. She considered that it wouldn't hurt to give this woman a chance. Finally, Alison nodded. "Alright, I guess it won't hurt to shop occasionally," she agreed to the woman's suggestion. They walked along the sidewalk toward a shopping area near the hotel. It was not far—about 100 meters away—but they just needed to walk a few meters, as the location was still within the hotel grounds. The woman glanced at Alison, who seemed to be keeping her distance. She began to introduce herself. "Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Victoria. Nic
Victoria finally arrived, but she was immediately surrounded by the thugs. Her expression turned to fear as she took in the situation around her. She had only intended to stop Alison because she hadn't finished exploiting her yet. Unfortunately, this action had led her into a much more serious predicament."What's going on here? What is this?" Victoria shouted, but her voice only added to the tension in the air.One of the thugs glared at Victoria with sharp eyes. They hadn't expected to get another victim. They weren't even looking for trouble; it just came to them. Moreover, this newly arrived woman was wearing what appeared to be luxurious clothing, which piqued their interest."Hand over your money. If you don't, we'll hurt you," he threatened, stepping closer to Alison and Victoria.Victoria assessed the increasingly threatening situation, causing her to panic even more. Of course, she didn't want to become a victim of these people. She quickly had an idea and shoved Alison forwa