Xavier leaned close to Leia's ear and whispered teasingly, "Are you sure you want me to open the door for them now?""No!" Leia shook her head vigorously and grabbed his arms, stopping him from moving. "I'll kill you if you make a sound!" She'd be doomed if Santiago saw her in bed with Xavier like this. She didn't want things with Santiago to end so soon. She knew it was selfish of her, but she couldn't help it... Humans were greedy by nature."Is there someone in there? We're coming in if not!" Megan knocked more forcefully, and the fragile door looked like it was on the verge of breaking. Leia held her breath and clung to Xavier, shutting her eyes tight and wondering how she had gotten into this mess.Though he was feeling uneasy, Xavier couldn't help but be amused by Leia's guilty expression. Feeling cheeky, he decided to tickle her armpits."Ah! Haha!" Leia burst out laughing, then immediately clamped her mouth shut in horror. However, the damage had already been done as the
After Leia left from the side door of the cottage, she purposely took the long way around the beach before coming to the outdoor barbecue area. Everyone was excited to see her."Leia, there you are. We've been waiting for you!" Luna and Leia had become good friends because their houses were next to each other. Luna had tried to persuade Leia to come to the barbecue earlier, but Leia had refused, so she was happy to see her now."Hi! Yeah, I figured everyone would think I'm pretentious if I didn't show up," Leia laughed awkwardly, feeling guilty."Haha! That's right—the more, the merrier. By the way, Mr. Dalton has been roasting chicken wings for you all night because he knows how much you like them," Megan said, sounding slightly jealous as she gestured at the rows of chicken wings on the grill. "Thanks to Mr. Dalton, you get to pick from wings with New Orleans sauce, honey sauce, salt and pepper, and so on... If only we were so lucky!" Leia looked at Santiago, feeling touched. A
Leia held her hand out to Santiago. In her mind, Santiago had always been like an unreachable star in the sky that she could only admire from afar, but after actually spending time with him, she found he was even more bewitching up close. She admired him even more now and fantasized about spending a peaceful life with him, holding hands as they took long walks on the beach.Santiago looked at her hand, and all his unhappiness from earlier instantly faded. However, before Santiago could take her hand, Xavier appeared from behind them and grabbed her hand instead. "What are you both doing here? There's an important session tonight, and everyone is waiting for you," Xavier said, gave Santiago a challenging look, and pulled Leia to the outdoor barbecue area. "Let go of me! I don't want to hold your hand!" Leia yelled and glared at Xavier, furious at him for always ruining her time with Santiago. He always spoiled her efforts to get closer to Santiago, and she was getting very frustra
"Darling, I was charmed by your agility the first time I saw you. My heart beat fast every time I saw your radiance on TV…" Skylar was reading out Leia's letter when everyone looked at Santiago. Santiago was an actor, so he was probably the one Leia saw on TV. At that moment, Santiago's expression was soft, but Xavier's expression had turned murderous. He was clenching his fists, looking like he was seconds away from strangling someone."I want to say that my first crush is you... Skylar. I hope we can get closer to each other in the next few episodes!" After Skylar read out the last few words, he looked flustered. He scratched his head awkwardly and looked at Leia. "Lei, I didn't expect you to be interested in me." Everyone there was staring at Leia in disbelief. In the end, Leia's crush wasn't Xavier or Santiago… but Skylar? They'd barely even spoken![No, she must be fooling us!] [She's just making a scene...][No, I'm all for XavLeia love!][But Leia likes Santiago more...]
"Ahem!" Xavier didn't see Skylar as a threat, but got jealous when he saw Leia happily chatting with Skylar. Skylar immediately cleared his throat and said politely, "I'm sorry, Lei, I like someone else. Please pick another person.""It's okay, we're still in the process of choosing the person we like. Your crush can join us for snorkeling, I won't mind," Leia explained with a smile. She found Skylar very cute, so it was easy to flirt with him. Besides, he was the safest bet since it wouldn't complicate things with Santiago and Xavier. "Really? Miss Osborne, you don't mind going snorkeling with my crush and I tomorrow morning?" Skylar looked at Leia and asked innocently"Of course not! I'm a generous person, you know. We'll be a good trio," Leia remarked mischievously. She knew that her statement would make people hate her, but that was just how she was—outspoken and fun-loving."Okay, it's a promise. We'll go snorkeling as a group tomorrow. You'll go, right?" "Don't worry, I'
There was a hazy kind of beauty to the island at dawn the next day. Leia had a habit of going on morning runs, and tended to wake up when everyone was still asleep. She ran around a hill surrounded by the sea for almost two kilometers, feeling good after sweating. She stood at the observation deck on the hillside and stared at the sea as she caught her breath. As she was stretching, Leia suddenly heard a voice behind her."Morning!"Leia turned around in surprise and saw Santiago. "Mr. Dalton? What a coincidence! Did you come for a morning run too?" Leia waved at Santiago. Inexplicably, Santiago's fervent confession last night flashed in her mind, and her cheeks turned red. Leia pursed her lips and looked away, unsure of how to face him."It's no coincidence..." Santiago looked charming with his white shirt, jeans, and messy hair. He rested his hands on the railing and tilted his head to look at Leia, his intense gaze bewitching her. "I learned the other day that you have a habit
Leia scratched her head, not knowing what to do next."There's no rush, we have time. I know you wanted to mediate the conflict between Xavier and I when you chose Skylar last night, but I hope you'll follow your heart and pick the one you want tonight." Santiago didn't want to pressure Leia, but he didn't like the vague relationship they had right now. He wanted to be with her in the open, and he also didn't know if Leia could withstand Xavier's flirtatiousness for much longer. "Okay." Leia nodded firmly. "I'll follow my heart tonight and won't waver again." After spending this time with Santiago, she was more certain of her feelings. She wanted a relationship that was safe and peaceful, not an unstable roller-coaster ride.Xavier was already awake when Leia and Santiago came down from the hill. Currently, he had the most points, and had chosen to exchange his house with Leia. He had already moved his luggage to Leia's large villa, which came with two floors and four bedrooms faci
They went to a clear area near the island for snorkeling based on their agreement last night. As they arrived at the island, Billy explained, "This island is called Heart Island because it's heart-shaped, and thanks to its crystal-clear water, a lot of coral reefs and tropical fish are visible while snorkeling. It's a breathtaking view, and if you're lucky, you might even find the special moonstone of this island. Yes... it's the kind of moonstone that lights up at night that we thought only existed in movies.""Is there really a moonstone here?" Leia became excited when she heard that, and couldn't wait to go snorkeling. She'd heard that Heart Island housed oysters that made beautiful pearls that could be sold for sky-high prices, but the moonstone Billy talked about had always been just a legend. According to the tales, people who found the moonstone on Heart Island would live a smooth and happy life, and if it was true, Leia wanted to find it and give it to Renee."Of course! An i
Then, Stefan calmly placed the crab leg on the plate in front of Leia. Leia was flabbergasted. She did not dare to move. She wondered what he was doing, and if he wanted to sacrifice her."Why aren't you eating it?" Stefan looked at Leia, sounding composed. Yet, he was full of the dominance that could burn anyone.Leia swallowed and gnashed her teeth, asking Stefan, "How could you peel the crab for me? Isn't it inappropriate?" She was the most cowardly person. Usually, she looked fierce and indignant as if she wanted to punish Stefan severely. But when he came to her and looked at her, she would be very frightened. She would not dare to do anything."Why not? Someone said women shouldn't peel the prawns or crabs themselves. I'm just being a gentleman. It's nothing serious. It's just peeling the crab!" Stefan said. It was rare to see him speak so much. It was incompatible with his contradictory identity. However, it was clear that he was mocking Justin and saying how ridiculo
Both Stefan and Justin mocked each other, which made the atmosphere more awkward. Although Liam and Leia were simply watching the fun, they felt awkward, too. It made them restless.Renee was having a hard time, too. She smacked the table and said to Stefan and Justin, "You'd better stop eating. Go out and fight. The food got cold because of your endless fight."When she spoke, she sounded like a class teacher with absolute authority. Although both Stefan and Justin were dissatisfied, they fell silent and did not dare to say more. Everyone started enjoying the great food, but said nothing. It seemed a little gloomy.Renee was about to get a prawn, but Justin had already peeled it nicely for her. He dipped it in some sauce and put it in Renee's bowl. "I know you love prawns the best. I've peeled it for you. Of course, women can't peel the prawns themselves.""Oh, Mr. Baldwin. You're considerate. You're a role model among the men. Anyone who marries you will be very happy!" Le
Justin smiled and described the children's experiences, acting like a stepfather. When he talked about the children, he made it sound like they were his biological children. Stefan didn't look so good. He felt that the glass of wine was getting bitter."Well, I'm sure kids will find everything new and exciting when they go to a new place. But they'll get bored with it when time passes. They'll love their real home better." Stefan had wanted to act relaxed and casual, but he could not stop himself from refuting when he heard Justin's provocative words. "Mm?" Leia sat beside Liam and leaned against his arm, and whispered, "What are they doing? This is weird. Are they going to fight?""It's just a competition between men. They won't get into a fight." Liam kept eating and watching the fun. He merely found it amusing. As expected, Renee was greatly admired. Although she remained silent, she would always be in the limelight. Liam was amused to see people like Stefan or Justin
"How dare you!"Stefan's words instantly made Leia speechless. She had wanted to rebuke him, but he snatched the chance from her and struck her dumb.In short, he was an utter scumbag.After a moment, Leia finally managed to comment, "How shameless!" Justin had kept silent all the while. He looked at Stefan with a scrutinizing and mocking gaze. "Mr. Hunt, I admire your honesty and self-awareness. If that's the case, let's stop being reserved and have fun together!""Yes, let's have fun together. I'm shameless, too!" Liam joined in the effort to mock Stefan. He swayed his glass of wine and faked a smile. "I've known her a long time, so of course I know what shameless things Mr. Hunt has done. I think I'd better grab this chance to tell you all of them since everyone is here today."Standing at the door, Renee was worried that Liam might say more indecent things. She hurriedly stopped him. "Pipe down, Liam!" "Got it." Liam shrugged helplessly but obeyed her.Although he yea
"Do you want to leave?" Stefan saw Renee. He was calm, indifferent, and distant. His behavior stung Renee. Renee could easily recall their lovey-dovey memories. They had both risked their lives for each other and vowed to be together forever. They had two children, too. Yet, they ended up as strangers.Although Renee was heartbroken, she became competitive. She smoothed her hair and said in a similarly cold manner, "I'm going to the washroom." "Okay." Stefan did not have anything to say. He nodded and walked past Renee before heading to the dining table. "Hmph! I didn't expect you to come so boldly," Quinton sneered.At the sight of Stefan, Quinton subconsciously clenched his fists, acting like he was about to fight Stefan. On the surface, he wouldn't act aggressively because he knew Renee would stop him. "It's not easy for the few great families to get together. It's good and meaningful for us. If I refused to come, it would make me seem heartless."Stefan kept his co
Having said that, Renee lowered her head, about to leave. She didn't even have the time to bother about Adie and Abby, and told Quinton to take them home later. Her strange behavior filled Quinton with displeasure. He blocked Renee and said solemnly, "Are you afraid? Do you want to run away? People might think that you're guilty and have cheated on your husband!""No, I'm not!" Renee refuted him loudly, then explained seriously, "I'm busy. I need to handle something right away. Plus, I'm not guilty. I did nothing wrong. There's no reason for me to feel guilty." Quinton went straight to the point. "What are you afraid of since you know you're not guilty? Why do you want to run away? He should be afraid instead!""I told you. I'm not afraid of him. I'm just…" "What?" Quinton crossed his arms and looked at Renee coldly. He wanted to get to the bottom of it.Renee came up with a ridiculous yet normal excuse. "I… I recalled that the dessert shop that I want to head to is about to
Jovan called Stefan to sound the latter out. Anyway, it would be convenient for Stefan to rush over since they were both at the same spot. "I'll be right there," Stefan said. Then, he hung up.For a moment, silence washed over everyone, as if something terrible was about to happen.After taking in the new information, Leia said indignantly, "What's going on? Why does he want to come? Isn't he too shameless? How dare he come?" Although everything wasn't discussed openly, everyone knew why Stefan and Renee broke up all of a sudden, despite how lovey-dovey they were. The reason was that Stefan had cheated on Renee.Even if the adultery was faked, it was still the cause of their breakup. If Stefan were shameful or guilty, he wouldn't have agreed to come. He was going to face Renee there with their friends and family around. Certainly, it was embarrassing. "Hmph! Why not? He impersonated me, seized my business, and snatched away my woman. Plus, he led a steady life, got married
Jovan's words made the atmosphere quiet and bizarre. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? It's already very annoying to have someone like you here. Do you have to get another annoying guy?" Leia frowned, crossing her arms. She kept scolding him.Initially, the atmosphere was considered harmonious. It was still considered fine even if there was an annoying person like Jovan. Unexpectedly, he wanted to call another, more terrible person to come here. Things would certainly go wrong. "Ms. Osborne, you're famous for talking harshly, too. You're just like me. I love it." However, Jovan was not mad at all. He grinned while waiting for Stefan to answer the call. Generally, Stefan would not answer Jovan's call. Surprisingly, he picked it up that time."What's the matter?" Jovan purposely put it on speaker mode. Stefan sounded aloof and emotionless.Jovan sounded wicked as he calmly asked Stefan, "Do you want to join a gathering, Stefan?""I'm going to hang up if you don't say anythi
In the past, Jovan had always regarded Stefan as a coward. Stefan couldn't forget about Renee, but he kept pushing Renee to another man. It seemed like Justin was more responsible, considerate, and gentle. Of course, Renee would lead a very happy, steady, and comfortable life with such a man. At the very least, Jovan felt that he could not be that meticulous and considerate. He would only drive Renee mad just to get her attention. "Hmph! Are you trying to humiliate me or yourself?" Justin didn't find that a compliment. Instead, it sounded like smockery. Jovan made it sound like Justin was a nice guy, but would not be picked by Renee. Usually, people like that had to suffer and would not end up well."I'm praising you." Jovan was helpless because of his reputation as the villain. Although he had said a lot of annoying things, he did want to compliment Justin. His love was probably as deep as Justin's, but his and Stefan's ways of loving Renee were much inferior to Justin's.