I sat in silence, pushing around the delicious food on the table that Alex had ordered for us. The dishes looked tempting, but I couldn't bring myself to taste any of it, lacking the appetite to eat.

I also noticed Alex's occasional glances my way, and I could sense his concern and confusion about my behavior. The food was exquisite, but I couldn't enjoy it, still preoccupied by what had happened earlier.

As much as I wanted to walk out earlier, I realized I had no right to do so. I needed to face the situation and have a proper conversation about what had transpired.

I thought you were hungry," he shattered the silence with a curious tone.

"Hmm... I was," I replied briefly, setting aside my nearly finished meal.

"You don't like the food? We can order another one," he suggested as I took a sip of water.

"No need, I'm already full. Just feeling a bit tired, Alex," I softly responded, and he nodded, wiping his own mouth with a napkin.

"In that case, I'll walk you back to your cabin. Ready to go?" He stood up, ready to assist me, but I swiftly passed him without a glance, my eyes fixated on the path ahead

Alex quietly followed me as I walked away, still fuming from his hurtful words. It stung that he didn't even attempt to stop himself from saying something so hurtful.

Once we reached my cabin, I couldn't contain my emotions any longer and slammed the door shut without a word. I knew he was probably wondering, but I couldn't hide my feelings. I leaped onto the bed and buried my face in the soft pillow.

Chelsei greeted me with a smile when she found me by the beach. She ran toward me, accompanied by a group of people, both men and women, who followed her.

"Isabella!" She embraced me tightly, and I felt a pang of embarrassment as the others stared.

"Guys, I want to introduce her to you. She is Isabella, the one I was referring to last night!" They all smiled at me, and I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. They looked like models with their curvaceous bodies and stunning looks. I seemed quite ordinary in comparison.

"Hi, Isabella. You look familiar," said the handsome mestizo guy with gray eyes and blond hair, a definite playboy vibe.

"Of course, she was at the wedding. I even heard she accompanied my brother," one of the girls said. I noticed her long, curly hair, bluish eyes, and slightly tanned skin. She bore a resemblance to Alex.

"You did not know what your brother was even doing. Are you not gonna scold him about dating poor women?" She rolled her eyes at me. Was she Alex's ex or something?

She was beautiful and fair-skinned, but her attitude was clearly unpleasant. Among the three girls, she was the most stunning but lacked the charm.

"What's wrong with that? You can't just accept the fact that my brother wasn't interested in you," the guy behind her chimed in. He had a masculine, gym-toned body, handsome with mestizo features and an unapproachable demeanor.

"What the hell? Are you all ganging up on me?" She crossed her arms and glared at her friends.

"Don't be rude, you know that brother's girlfriend is here, and you're saying those things," the curly-haired girl scolded her.

"Whatever," she said snootily and eyed me up and down. I was close to giving her a piece of my mind.

"Guys, I thought you wanted to meet Isabella? Why are you talking like that to her?" Chelsei's voice was soft, and I could tell she was hurt. The muscular guy approached her with tender eyes. Were they in a relationship?

"I-I'm okay, Chelsie. I'm used to it," I replied, moving closer to her. I was disappointed because I thought they were all like Chelsie, but it seemed that among the wealthy, similar attitudes prevailed.

A sudden gust of wind made me adjust my hat, causing the girls to shriek from the cold. We were all in swimsuits.

"What an absss!" the snooty girl exclaimed, looking in the distance. I followed her gaze and saw three figures approaching in the same direction.

They walked with some distance between them, but they were heading our way.

"What the... Why are those two here?" I asked, turning to Curly hair, who looked utterly shocked. Only Chelsie and the snooty girl didn't seem surprised.

"I-I don't know. I thought he had a business trip, so he couldn't make it," she replied.

"Even that playboy is here. What's he doing?" I casually glanced at the guy with tattoos, black hair, and natural skin. My eyes widened as I realized he was Oliver, the actor and Shena's crush. I knew he and Alex knew each other, but I didn't expect them to be close. It's a small world indeed. If I told Shena, she might cry with envy.

Except for Oliver and Alex, I scrutinized the other guy. He was handsome, with tan skin and grayish hair, but he was still in a suit, as if he'd just come from work.

"Do you not know that guy?" Chelsie must have noticed my confusion because she whispered to me. I shook my head and looked at her.

"He's a man who inherited his ancestors' wealth. I heard his father's company went bankrupt, but a month later, he revived it. He's also a successful billionaire with branches in the Philippines and companies in other countries."

Chelsie explained, admiring his business prowess. I nodded, impressed by his wealth and success, but he was the only one among them whom I didn't know well.

"Perhaps your lack of knowledge about him is due to his reclusive nature. He operates discreetly and is rarely seen at public gatherings. There are rumors suggesting that he resorts to violence when consumed by his obsessions." I blinked. Obsessed? The guy had a kind face, so that seemed impossible.

"Don't worry; it's only rumors. I really don't know why he's here," she added.

"Do you know him personally?" He smiled at me.

"Yes, he's my fiancé." I gaped. Was she joking? She covered my mouth. "He's my fiancé, but I don't think we're getting married," she said sadly. I followed her gaze and saw a woman struggling to carry luggage while following the guy. I hadn't noticed her earlier, probably because she was behind him.

She panted heavily as she placed her belongings in the sand and adjusted the round sunglasses over her eyes. It seemed like she had run a few meters because of her disheveled appearance. Strands of hair still clung to her despite her effort to fix them.

I glanced at the guy who had approached Chelsie earlier. He had moved away slightly, and they were no longer beside each other, but I couldn't miss the longing look he gave Chelsie. When he noticed me, he quickly averted his gaze. I sensed a love triangle brewing here.

"You're here," I said, looking up at Alex, who was now standing near me.

I also noticed the curious gazes of our companions. I felt a bit embarrassed to approach Alex. Chelsie moved away from us and joined her fiancé, while Oliver just sat down on a lounger as if he didn't care about the situation.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. I had left earlier without telling him anything, and I didn't mention that I would meet Chelsie today.

"I'm the one asking you that. I've been looking for you since earlier, and then I found you here with them. I didn't know you were close... When did you become close?" He sounded suspicious and kept staring at me.

"I only know Chelsie, and I just met her friends today. I met her during the wedding reception," I explained.

He nodded and didn't say anything more. I thought he had more to say, but luckily, he didn't, and I didn't have anything else to add.

I couldn't help but glance at Oliver. He was wearing just a white muscle tee and summer shorts, and his tattoos were visible on his skin. He was lying down with his eyes closed.

"Why are you staring at him?" I didn't realize I had been looking at Oliver this whole time. I turned to Alex, whose brow was now furrowed.

"Because I have eyes?" I retorted, trying to sound defiant. He suddenly looked serious.

"Fine... I'm just curious why you're together. What's your connection with them?" I quickly changed my tone.
"They're the kids of my parents' best friends—basically, my childhood buddies. I'm just three years older than them."

"It's rather fascinating that your friends are quite successful. Do you ever find yourselves at odds, considering you're all entrepreneurs? I presume Oliver is also engaged in his own venture?"

He just stared at me.

"What?"

"You can do American and British accents. I like hearing you talk like that." Amusement danced in his gaze.

I just scratched my head. "You're too expensive to speak in English, so I just used my hidden talent."

He softly chuckled. My cheeks flushed as he laughed again. He's really handsome when he laughs; it melts me.

He pinched my cheek and pulled me closer to hug me, but I quickly pulled away because his friends have been watching us. I feel embarrassed.

Alexander frowned when I looked at him, but I didn't pay attention to it. "Why are they here, by the way? Did you invite them?" I asked again.

"No idea why they showed up when I said I'm going to Hawaii," he scratched his head. "Hold on, are you into any of them? Oliver, perhaps?"

I made a sour face. Interested in Oliver? No way. "No, I'm not interested in handsome guys."

"Really? You don't like handsome guys like me?" he teased. I rolled my eyes and looked at him until my gaze wandered down to his toned body. Damn, he was topless.

I glanced at the snooty girl from earlier, who had been glaring at us. I thought she might confront Alex, but she didn't do anything.

"You're too handsome. I don't like that kind of look," I quipped, and he chuckled, drawing the attention of our friends, some of whom had their jaws drop in surprise.

"Nothing's funny, Alex," I told him, but he stopped laughing and looked at me seriously.

"Why were you mad last night?" he asked, and I was momentarily taken aback. Then I remembered what had happened the previous night. I had been furious with him. I had forgotten my anger as soon as I saw him.

I avoided his gaze. "It's nothing. Just forget it," I replied, and I heard him sigh.

"I probably shouldn't have brought up that topic. You can't read me," he said.

"I never asked you to read my emotions. You go back to your friends; I'll head inside the cabin," I retorted, annoyed that he had reminded me of what he had said last night.

I was about to leave when Chelsie pulled me back. "Isabella, let's go. There's an ice shave stall there. We should try it!" I couldn't resist as she dragged me away.

The other guys approached Alex, and they walked together. I couldn't hear their conversation anymore since we were quite a distance away from them.

When we reached the stall, we looked for a place to sit. Since there were many of us, and the available seats were limited, the guys changed tables, leaving only the girls and the woman in office attire.

I noticed that she seemed a bit uncomfortable in the group, with no one paying much attention to her. So, I decided to move closer to her.

"Hi," I greeted, and she turned to me, offering a faint smile.

"Hello," she replied briefly.

"Is this your first time in Hawaii too?" I asked, and she gave me a tentative smile.

"Yes," she replied softly. I smiled back, trying to offer a bit of cheerfulness.

"Same here! It's beautiful, isn't it? Did you know this is my first time ever coming here? If I hadn't met Alex, I'd probably be in my apartment right now, studying. My course is really exhausting," I shared.

She looked at me and smiled faintly, as if enjoying our conversation. But suddenly, she was pulled away by a guy named Dachiel.

"Why are you here? I told you to follow me," he said coldly, and I felt a chill in his words, as if there were hidden connections between them.

His attention seemed solely focused on the girl, with no care for the rest of us. I also noticed a change in Chelsie's expression when she saw them together. It sent a shiver of apprehension down my spine, as if there were secrets I didn't yet know, shrouding their group.

The girl tried to pull her arm back. "I'll just stay here, sir," she said, her voice trembling as she attempted to retrieve her arm from his grip.

"Celestia," Dachiel uttered, and she seemed frightened, quickly getting up and bowing her head. Dachiel took her hand and they moved to a different table. Chelsie's eyes betrayed her concern as she watched them walk away. It left me torn between amusement and sympathy, feeling like I was in the middle of a telenovela.

I couldn't help but glance at Alex, who was also watching me. I gave him a stern look and avoided his gaze. He quickly resumed his seat, and I shot him a warning look. If he intended to mimic what the guy did earlier, I wouldn't hesitate to kick him where it hurts.

He sat back down, and I widened my eyes at him. If he was trying to intimidate me, it wasn't working.

Then our orders arrived, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Chelsie regained her enthusiasm next to me, and we engaged in conversation for a while. I also chatted with the other two girls, except for the snooty one, and they asked me various questions. They seemed nice, especially Alex's younger sister, who bore a striking resemblance to him.