Though Sean’s jacket was soaked, its dark color still provided decent coverage.“Cough... cough...” Emily’s face was flushed as she choked on the pool water, coughing repeatedly. Sean patted her back gently, helping her clear the water from her airways.“I’ll help you back,” Sean said once she’d caught her breath. “You should take a hot shower and change into some dry clothes.”“Alright...” Emily rasped, her voice a bit hoarse from the coughing.The server who had accidentally pulled Emily into the pool also swam to the edge and climbed out. He repeatedly bowing and apologizing. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see where I was going. I... I’ll cover the cost of your dress.”He didn’t seem to realize she had hurt her wrist. “Please, just don’t file a complaint. I’ll get into big trouble with my manager.”Holding Sean’s jacket close around her, Emily felt a sharp pain in her wrist from the earlier pull. Now that she was out of the water, the panic had faded, but the stares from the onlook
Emma walked away from the pool, her arm hooked around Justin’s, her steps light, and a smile playing on her lips.She was pleased. Rumors would spread quickly, and by the time they reached the Smith family, there would be no chance for someone like Emily to ever fit in. Emily was destined to be nothing more than a hidden mistress, someone who would never see the light of day.*In the hallway leading to their rooms, Emily walked side by side with Sean.“Thank you for helping me back there!” Emily said sincerely. Ever since her accident, she had been afraid of water, and the suffocating feeling of falling into the pool had really shaken her. She also hadn’t known that the Smith family was behind the resort’s development.“That server…” Emily began, unaware of the deal between the server and Emma. She thought it had been a simple accident and wanted to speak up for him.“That server will definitely be let go,” Sean interjected. “Not every guest is as forgiving as you are. If he
Justin stormed off, seething with anger. “Emily, you’re something else!”She could actually jump into bed with other men without any restraint. Acting all self-righteous in front of him, only to throw herself at someone else behind his back. Was she really incapable of being without a man?He tugged irritably at his collar, his strides long and furious as he made his way through the hallway. At the corner, he nearly collided with a woman dressed in a revealing outfit.She stumbled against him and silently cursed whoever was so careless. However, when she looked up and saw Justin, her expression softened, and a blush crept onto her cheeks. She had noticed him by the pool earlier and recognized him as the CEO of RC Corporation. However, he had another woman with him earlier. As the CEO of RC Corporation, he was a much bigger catch than any of the other guys around the resort.“Oh, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going and ran right into you!” she apologized sweetly.
“Mm.” Zac nodded, showing little reaction. He wasn’t buying Emma’s sweet act. The two of them had never gotten along well, and now they walked side by side in silence. The carpeted hallway muffled their footsteps, creating an awkward tension between them.Zac eventually broke the silence. “How’s your recovery going? You seem a bit weak, and you’ve got some sweat on your forehead. You should really focus on resting and eating well until you’re fully recovered. Don’t overexert yourself.”He didn’t particularly like Emma, but he knew how much Justin cared for her. If anything happened to her health, Justin would likely hold him, the attending doctor, responsible. And that would mean extra work and overtime for him. Justin was unreasonable when it came to the people he cared about, especially Emma, who was practically his one true love. Zac just hoped Emma would have some sense and stop pushing herself with her fragile, undernourished body. He wasn’t thrilled to see her out and ab
“Who…who bit you?” Emma’s voice trembled as she asked.Justin was at a loss for words, his face tense. He shot a glance at Zac, silently pleading for help. Zac, who had been enjoying the unfolding drama, raised an eyebrow in surprise.“Seriously, man?” Zac thought. “You ditched Emma, your supposed one true love, to sneak off with another woman and even got bitten as proof? Now you want me to cover for you?”Justin’s gaze didn’t waver, clearly hoping Zac would jump in.With a resigned sigh, Zac figured he would better step in. That was what good friends were for, after all. Adjusting his silver-framed glasses, he flashed a small smile and looked at Emma. “Emma, that mark on Justin’s neck? Yeah, that was me,” he said casually. “Hope you don’t mind,” he added with a hint of amusement.Justin’s eyes narrowed, shooting Zac a glare that could cut steel. “I needed you to cover for me, not make it worse!”Zac, unfazed, avoided Justin’s gaze, feigning innocence. “Hey, it was the best
After finishing with the iodine, Zac wrapped the bite mark with a large adhesive bandage. “You two really know how to make things complicated, don’t you?” he muttered, tossing the packaging and used swabs into the trash.Justin’s face darkened in irritation. “Is that it? You just came here to nag?”“Alright, alright, I’ll drop it,” Zac conceded, raising his hands in mock surrender.Just then, Zac’s phone pinged with a message. He checked it, a grin spreading across his face, “Hey, didn’t you get a bunch of sparklers for Emma? Where’d you stash them? I could use a few.”Still in a foul mood, Justin wasn’t interested in gossip. He gave a quick nod towards a suitcase, barely looking up. “The code’s four zeros.”Zac opened the suitcase, found the sparklers, and pocketed a few. “Thanks,” he said, making his way to the door. As he left, he looked back and added, “And, uh, you might want to change that shirt. There’s blood on it.”Although Zac wasn’t a fan of Emma, he couldn’t just le
Emily accepted the bag. “Thanks.” She hadn’t expected Sean to be so quick. She had only just added him on her contacts, and he had already arranged for the medicine to be delivered. Without fuss, she took the bag and sent him a quick thank-you message on her phone. As she opened the bag, she noticed it didn’t just contain anti-inflammatory ointment. There were also packets of cold medicine and some sleep aids. Cold medicine? Tonight was as warm as summer, unlike the past few days when it had been cooler at night. The water wasn’t cold either, so she didn’t see the need for it. But the sleep aid was thoughtful. After her accident, she had developed a lingering fear of water, and being suddenly pulled into the pool had shaken her. This might help her settle before bed. She was impressed at how thorough Sean had been.The doorbell rang again, and when she opened it, there stood Sean, holding another bag of medicine with a smile. “Sean!” Emily exclaimed, surprised. She had tho
Sometimes, the three of them played cards together, but other times, Helen would slip away to meet up with the new guy she had just met.Over the past couple of days, Emily had gone out of her way to avoid Justin, and luckily, they hadn’t crossed paths again.In the parking lot, Helen’s car was still damaged from the accident and had been towed for repairs. Sean offered to arrange a car and driver to take them home.Helen was impressed. “Wow, Sean! I didn’t expect this. You’re really stepping up!”Sean had been quick and generous with the compensation, and arranging a car for their ride home was a nice touch. After spending these last few days with him, Helen, who wasn’t one to hold a grudge, had completely forgiven him.Sean flashed a bright smile, his youthful face beaming. “It’s the least I could do.”He called his friends over to help load Emily and Helen’s suitcases into the trunk. If he hadn’t had plans with his buddies, he would have driven Emily home himself.Emily and H