“Such a beautiful lady. May I have the pleasure of inviting you to dance this evening?” A man extended his hand to Emily, bowing slightly. He was impeccably dressed, every bit the gentleman.Downstairs, Emily had just been approached with a dance invitation. To a suspicious onlooker, it might have looked like she was trying to catch the eye of a wealthy man.“Isn’t that Miss Yates? What is she doing here...” Emma’s voice trailed off, as though she had uncovered some unspeakable secret. Emma wasn’t the only one who noticed. Justin and Zac stood on the balcony above, watching the entire exchange. They had also caught bits and pieces of the gossip circulating among the women downstairs. Zac raised an eyebrow, a smile forming as he watched the scene below, as if a thought had just clicked into place.Hadn’t Emily been pestering Justin about going on a trip? And could it have been to this very place, the Westhill Peninsula Villa?And now, seeing they had broken up and Justin had inv
“Hey, Justin, Zac!” Sean greeted enthusiastically.“Ah, it’s Sean,” Zac replied casually.Justin gave a quick nod in acknowledgment.Emily’s eyes widened in surprise. She glanced back at the young man. “Do they know each other?” she wondered.Zac caught her expression and offered an explanation. “The Whites, the Yates, and the Smiths, are some of the Lincourt city’s old families. We all go way back.”Emily understood now. “Of course,” she thought, “rich kids... no wonder he’s driving around recklessly in a luxury car.”Sean noticed her expression and, as if reading her thoughts, quickly spoke up, his tone carrying a hint of apology. “Miss Emily,” he said softly.The way he called her "Miss Emily" made everyone around pause in surprise.Emma, who had been lingering nearby, wasn’t happy about being ignored. She stepped a little closer to Justin, positioning herself so it looked almost as if he was holding her. She looked up at him with an affectionate smile, as if to assert her p
Justin stood on the sandy shore, his tall frame relaxed, but his expression indifferent. Out of Mr. Gibson’s line of sight, he cast a glance at Emily, his gaze tinged with subtle mockery and skepticism. He had no intention of interrupting Mr. Gibson’s enthusiasm to expose her so-called painting skills, even though he had rarely seen her paint back at Villa One.Sure, Emily could paint, and she was enrolled in the city’s most prestigious art school. But to him, that didn’t necessarily equate to talent or any natural gift. After all, he had paid her way in, so it wasn’t as if she had gotten there solely on her own abilities.Dancing was a different story. She had surprised him tonight with her grace, but painting? That was another matter entirely. He just couldn’t picture her as an artist, no matter how hard he tried.Emily met his gaze briefly, sensing the challenge and doubt behind it. It was as if he were daring her to continue this “artist” act. But she simply turned away, rolli
“So, she was out there flirting with other guys the whole time?” Justin thought.As Emily listened to Mr. Gibson, a hint of confusion crossed her face. She sensed something was off. Was Mr. Gibson trying to set her up with Justin? The mere thought sent a chill down her spine, and she quickly found an excuse to leave. She still had to find Helen and give her a piece of her mind.“Mr. Gibson, I have something I need to take care of, so I’ll have to excuse myself for now,” Justin said politely, as he watched Emily leave.Mr. Gibson chuckled and waved him off, as if encouraging him to follow. “Go on, you young folks should enjoy yourselves. Me, I’m too old for all that excitement,” he said with a grin.Justin nodded respectfully before stepping away from the beach. He quickly caught up to Emily in a hallway corner, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. Justin then pinned her in the shadowy corner of the hallway.They were alone.“Move!” Emily snapped. The sudden shove against h
Sean grabbed Justin’s arm and yanked Emily’s wrist free from his grasp.Justin looked momentarily stunned, releasing her without a fight.Sean quickly pulled Emily behind him, stepping between them to shield her.“Bullying? Seriously?” Justin thought. She was the one who had slapped him. Who was bullying who here?And when did that even count as bullying?Back then, in those intimate moments with Emily, when things got passionate, was that bullying her?Those times he had been even more forceful making love to her, did that count as him bullying her?And what about the scratches she had left down his back? Was she bullying him then?Now she was huddled behind Sean, looking like she had been terribly wronged. What was that supposed to mean?Were she and Sean romantically involved now too?For the first time, Justin realized how well Emily could play the helpless, vulnerable card, putting on a pitiful act as if she had been mistreated. Watching her like that infuriated him. S
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.