As the sun hung high over the resort, casting a golden hue over the luxurious surroundings, Anita stood at the edge of the infinity pool, adjusting her sunglasses.The soft breeze carried the scent of the ocean, and the gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore provided the perfect ambiance.The setup for the video shoot was already in place.The resort's staff had ensured everything looked pristine — the cabanas were neatly arranged, the pool shimmered under the sunlight, and the lounge areas were decorated to enhance the tropical luxury of Salt Heaven Resort.Anita took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders back before looking toward her videographer. "Alright, let's get started."The videographer nodded, raising the camera as she stepped forward.The first few clips were simple — her walking through the resort's entrance, flashing a charming smile before turning her head slightly as if she were being caught candidly.She paused at the poolside bar, ordering a tropical drink an

He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He had more important things to do.Reaching over, he grabbed his laptop and flipped it open, fingers typing quickly as he accessed the backend of the Salt Haven website. Zack had handled most of the design, but Maximus still had to oversee operations.And right now? He needed to manage the reservations.He opened the dashboard, took a sip of his now-cold coffee, and nearly spit it out when he saw the number.[9,872 reservations.]Maximus blinked. Then he refreshed the page.[10,013 reservations.]"…You've gotta be kidding me."He rubbed his face with both hands.He hadn't even officially launched the resort yet.No press release, no grand announcement — just some marketing, a few videos, and boom — ten thousand people were already throwing their money at Salt Haven.Zack was gonna lose his mind when he saw this.Maximus exhaled, cracking his knuckles before getting to work.He had to sort out the reservations, assign rooms, and send out

Maximus had no idea how long Dressa had been asleep on him, but judging by the growing numbness in his leg, it had been too long.He wasn't complaining — yet — but she wasn't exactly light when she was dead weight.The only thing that finally saved him?The doorbell.He perked up instantly, remembering their lifeline to survival."Pizza."His stomach rumbled in agreement.The problem? Dressa was still sprawled across him like a cat who had decided he was her personal furniture.Maximus sighed. "Dressa. Dressa."She groaned, burying herself further into his shirt.He nudged her shoulder. "Get up. Food's here.""…Mmm.""That was not a real response."She peeked one eye open, looking up at him with the drowsy face of a woman who clearly did not care about his struggles.Maximus pointed at the door. "Move."Dressa clamped onto him like a koala. "No."Maximus exhaled through his nose, bracing himself."Alright, you asked for it."Before she could react, he grabbed her by the waist and roll

Maximus narrowed his eyes. "Uh-huh."She groaned internally.'Great. Now he was suspicious.'To distract him, she grabbed a drink from the mini fridge, cracked it open, and took a long sip.But instead of cooling her down, it only made her more restless.Maybe she should just… say it.Rip off the bandage, throw caution to the wind, stop being a coward for once in her life.She had already kissed him, how hard would asking him out be?She took a deep breath. "Hey, Maximus?"He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"Dressa opened her mouth… then immediately panicked."I — uh — think I left my charger in my car."Maximus blinked. "Your… charger.""Y-yeah," she stammered. "I should go get it."Maximus tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. "Dressa, you drive a sports car. Where the hell would you even plug in a charger?"Dressa froze.'Crap.'"I— uh—have a power bank?" she tried.Maximus gave her a deadpan look. "Right. And I'm the King of Englxnd."Dressa groaned, internally screaming at herself. "Fo

"Yeah, yeah," Zack said, still chuckling. "Go meet your date before another man hits her up."Maximus ignored him, already rushing upstairs.Once he reached his room, he yanked open his closet, grabbed a jacket, and threw it over his shoulder.He had no time to shower or even properly fix his hair.He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror — tired, slightly messy, but passable. Good enough.As he rushed back out into the hallway, he stopped by Dressa's room.Without much thought, he swung the door open.Dressa, who had been lying on her bed scrolling through her phone, sat up in surprise. "Uh — ?""I'm heading out," Maximus said quickly. "Keep yourself together."She blinked at him. "What does that even mean?"But before she could get an answer, he shut the door and ran downstairs.It was already dark outside, and a cool breeze hit his face as he stepped onto the porch.He pulled out his phone, quickly calling Lily.She picked up almost immediately. "Hey!""Hey, sorry I'm late," Ma