Chapter 1

Penny Grimaldi approached her older brother when she noticed him packing two large suitcases.

“Hmmm, on vacation, Pen. It’s so boring here in New York. I keep seeing the same faces over and over again.” Pierce Grimaldi paused his packing and looked at his sister. “Plus, I closed a deal—the Dubai account. Dad gave me a one-month vacation as a reward. I don’t want to waste it here. Do you want to come with me?”

Penny smirked at what she heard from her brother but gently shook her head. “I don’t want to go with you. I know I’ll just get annoyed with the things you’ll do and your activities during that vacation.”

Penny stood up from where she was sitting on the edge of the bed and was about to leave when she suddenly turned back to her brother.

“Where are you planning to go? Are you leaving now? Dad’s not home yet. Have you told them?” Penny asked in quick succession.

Pierce chuckled softly at what he heard. Penny just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her laughing brother.

“Tell them? What am I? Twelve? I don’t need Dad’s permission when I leave the house. Maybe I’ll just send them a text saying I’m on vacation. After that, I’ll turn off my phone so no one can contact me and disturb my precious vacation. Don’t you think it’s a good idea?” Pierce smirked before grabbing the two suitcases he was taking with him.

He walked out of the room, but Penny followed him.

“Where exactly are you going, Pierce? Dad and Mom will surely ask me. I need to know what to say!” Penny insisted.

Pierce sighed and faced his sister. “Far away from the noisy cities. Away from New York. I don’t know yet. Stop asking me.”

Pierce bent down to look at his sister, now frowning.

“Be a good girl while big brother’s away, okay? Bye.” Pierce kissed his sister on the forehead after saying those words before heading out to the garage to get in his car.

As Pierce started the engine of his car, he saw the gate open. Wearing his expensive shades and a triumphant smile on his lips, he left their house and headed towards a distant place where he had decided to take his vacation.

After several hours of driving, Pierce finally arrived at the farthest part of Massachusetts, Boston.

His car turned onto a long road. Casa Grimaldi. That was the name of the luxurious farm and resort in Boston which was owned by Pierce’s family.

"Good morning, sir! How can I help you?" greeted a staff member at the front desk when Pierce approached. Another staff member handed him a welcome drink, which Pierce accepted.

"Hi, I made a reservation..." Pierce said as the staff waited for him to mention the name the reservation was under. "I made a reservation under the name of Pierce Grimaldi."

The woman was about to type the name on the touchscreen monitor when she realized who she was talking to.

She looked up, eyes wide in surprise. Pierce removed his shades so she could see him more clearly.

"S-Sir Pierce Grimaldi? G-Good morning, sir. You’ve arrived! We’ve been expecting you." The staff member suddenly became flustered, causing Pierce to chuckle softly. She turned to her colleague and said something, and the staff member quickly followed her instructions. "I’ll just call the manager, sir. We’ve already prepared your accommodation for your stay."

"No worries. I can wait—"

"Mr. Grimaldi, you’re here! We’re so sorry, sir. We should have greeted you properly," a woman, probably in her mid-40s, said as she hurriedly approached. "My name is Cori Abbott. I’m the resort manager. I’m also the one you spoke with on the phone when you made the reservation. We’ve made sure everything you need is ready."

The manager called over the staff to assist and take Pierce’s luggage to his room.

"This way, sir," the manager said as she guided Pierce to the room they had prepared for him.

As they were on their way to the private house where Pierce would be staying, the manager proudly showed off the facilities of their farm and resort. Pierce simply nodded in response. He realized that many things had changed in the area since his last visit.

The manager stopped speaking and even halted in his tracks when Pierce asked him that question. He turned to the young man before smiling.

“We have different bars, sir. There's a bar on the lower ground of the hotel, and there are bars at the beachfront as well.”

Before they made the turn to the private house, the manager paused again to highlight the beauty of the Boston beach.

“This is our beach, sir. Unlike other resorts, the waters here are not seaweed-filled, thanks to the care of the Grimaldi family. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay here.”

Pierce scoffed when he heard the manager’s remark. It was undeniable that the sea was indeed beautiful. There were many people enjoying the area, some riding jet skis, others on kayaks, and he even saw tourists on a boat heading toward a sandbar.

They finally arrived at the private house set aside for Pierce. The manager asked if Pierce needed anything else, but the young man didn’t respond.

“Ms. Cori…” Pierce turned to the manager after observing his accommodation. “Can you give me a regular hotel room instead?”

The manager blinked, clearly confused and puzzled by Pierce's request.

“Do you not want to stay here, sir?” she asked, surprised.

Pierce gave a meaningful smile before shaking his head. “Just for fun. You don’t expect me to bring girls to hook up with in this private house, do you? I need a hotel room for that...for my enjoyment.”

Ms. Cori was taken aback by Pierce’s words. She nodded, then forced a smile.

“Noted, sir. I will inform the hotel supervisor to give you a master keycard later, so you can access any hotel room that isn’t currently occupied by other guests.”

Pierce smiled in satisfaction. The manager and a few staff members bid him farewell before leaving him alone to rest.

As night fell, Pierce immediately sought out the bars the manager had mentioned earlier. He first went to the one on the lower ground of the hotel.

The grand double doors opened, and Pierce was immediately greeted by strobe lights and pounding music. While he hadn't expected the bar to be as noisy and wild as the ones he and his cousins frequented, he couldn't deny that it wasn’t too far off based on his observations.

Pierce walked over to the bar counter and sat on a high chair. He spoke to the bartender and placed his order.

The bartender quickly prepared Pierce's drink while the young man’s eyes wandered over the women dancing on the floor.

When the bartender handed him the whiskey, Pierce immediately felt the warmth in his throat and the heat spreading through his stomach. However, since he was so used to these kinds of drinks, it felt almost like drinking water.

"Hi!" A woman approached and greeted him. She had a slender body and creamy skin, with doe-like eyes and pouty lips. Pierce scanned her from head to toe, and a grin curved onto his lips. "Are you alone?"

The woman lightly stroked Pierce’s arm. He glanced down at her touch before returning his gaze to her face.

"No, not if you're joining me."

The woman laughed and sat next to Pierce. They chatted for a while before he led her into an empty room. There, they continued their heated conversation.

Pierce didn't bother placing the keycard in the holder, so the lights didn't turn on. Instead, he continued kissing the woman he had just met at the bar.

"Oh, gosh! You're so hot," she whispered between kisses.

"Let’s make this quick, hmm?" Pierce kissed her again, swiftly removing her clothing before pushing her down onto the bed and climbing on top of her.

He positioned himself between her legs, tracing a finger along her intimate area before pressing the tip of his own against it.

When the woman felt Pierce enter her quickly, a loud moan escaped her lips. She grabbed the bedsheet and closed her eyes to fully feel the size of the man inside her.

Caught up in their excitement for each other, they didn’t notice that the door to the room hadn’t been properly closed. It was slightly ajar, and anyone who passed by would wonder why it was open.

"Hmm, Arietta? Is something wrong?"

Two women walked past the room. One of them, named Arietta, immediately noticed the open door.

"The door’s ajar. I’ll just check if there’s no guest inside, and if not, I’ll clean it," Arietta said, pointing to another hotel room.

Her companion glanced over at the door and shrugged.

"Okay, I’m going to rest. I’m so tired today. This internship is crazy!" Her friend raised her arms to stretch and then quickly walked off, leaving Arietta in front of the room.

Arietta took hold of the door handle and gently pushed it wider. As soon as she entered, she immediately heard soft moans. A chill ran down her spine, but she quickly calmed herself.

"Calm down, Arietta. There’s no ghost here. It’s just your imagination, making all those noises," she muttered to herself. After reassuring herself, she continued walking.

—

All she could see was the dark surroundings, and if not for the light of the moon from outside, she wouldn't have been able to see anything at all.

“Ahh! Deeper, please! I want it deep inside me!”

Arietta dropped the cleaning tool she was holding, creating a soft noise, as she caught sight of two shadows on the bed engaged in something intimate. She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening in shock.

Pierce heard the noise of the object hitting the floor. He immediately looked in its direction and saw a woman staring at them. Instead of hastily dressing and stopping what he was doing, Pierce seemed to intensify his actions, all while locking eyes with Arietta.

Arietta saw clearly how the man repeatedly thrust his body into the woman lying on the bed. Both of them were completely unclothed.

Arietta swallowed hard as her eyes met Pierce's. Her heart pounded furiously as the woman cried out loudly, reaching the peak of pleasure that the man had given her. Only then did Arietta summon the courage to move and immediately ran out.