CHAPTER 1

Adela's Point of View

I was just staring out the window of my room while combing my hair.

I'll go back to the forest of this resort because the air there is cool, and I enjoy the quiet place more than crowded ones.

The resort isn't overly crowded, but because it's famous, quite a number of people come here because the sea is beautiful, very blue, and there are many other things to do.

The resort is owned by the Montero family. They are Archer's family. I think Archer was chosen to manage this resort because Primo is still studying, and I don't think managing a business is his line.

While I was daydreaming, my phone suddenly made noise; it was my alarm.

I set the alarm because I don't want to see Primo. The alarm is set thirty minutes after their class ends.

I know he will probably tease me again once he sees me anywhere. I got annoyed with what he said last week in the forest.

He said he's willing to marry me, duh, I'm not that foolish! I know he was just fooling around during those times, so I ignored it. But because I don't want it to happen again, I memorized his schedule so I know when to leave this room.

While I was walking, I thought about calling Mommy and telling her to stop the wedding, but I decided to wait until they arrive because I'm afraid of disturbing their work.

But I hadn't gone far when someone called me.

"Miss Adela, please have your breakfast first!" she said.

It's Demeter. She became one of my close friends when I arrived here. Her job is to watch over me, and I have no problem with that.

"Sure, let's go," I replied because I can't do anything if I insist on what I want.

After I finished eating, I excused myself to take a walk. Demeter wants to go with me, but I stopped her. I prefer to be alone for now.

I headed to the forest and searched for the swing I always visit, which I quickly found and stayed there for a while.

When I got bored, I moved to a cottage in the resort where there weren't many people. I just gazed at the sea until I was startled by some voices. They came from different directions.

I searched for the source and found Archer.

It seems like they were heading to the other cottage a few meters away from where I was.

I noticed Archer's girlfriend beside him. Archer had his arm around her, and she looked delicate. She's also pretty, with a beautiful figure.

I gasped and quickly looked away, "Cheer up, Adela, hurt yourself some more."

I almost jumped when a guy's eyes landed on my location.

"Oh, isn't that your visitor, Archer?" he asked loudly, and my eyes rolled.

I didn't want them to notice me and then this guy would make a fuss. Who is he? So talkative!

Archer just nodded as a response and glanced at his girlfriend. He smiled at her and whispered something. His girlfriend laughed, and I felt annoyed.

I hate it when I get jealous because it feels like everything I do comes with bitterness.

"Ask her to come with us!" one girl said to another guy with them, and he approached me.

"Hi! I'm Ares Montero, Archer's cousin. Let's go to the other cottage," he invited, and I had no choice but to follow.

It would be embarrassing to decline since they were all looking at me, seemingly waiting for my answer.

I smiled at the others, and some girls just glared at me.

What did I do?

I was surprised when Archer's girlfriend smiled at me, offering her hand for a handshake.

"I'm Margareth, and I heard your name is Adela, right?" she said, and I promptly accepted her hand.

She smiled as if she didn't care that I was Archer's fiancée. She seemed so unbothered, as if she knew exactly how much Archer loved her. Well, maybe she didn't know anything.

They chatted while eating snacks. I also ate, but not much, I think I only had some pizza.

They also went swimming in the sea, so I just watched them from the cottage.

Olivia Montero, Ares' sister, approached me and asked if I was bored.

"I'm not, it's fine," I replied.

"I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I'm Olivia Montero, Archer's cousin, and Ares' sister."

"Okay, I'll go back now," she said, and I nodded.

It was already 4 o'clock when they decided to leave. Actually, I went back to Archer's house during lunch because I had nothing better to do.

I heard they were going out again. Olivia invited me, but I declined because, as I said earlier, I don't have anyone close to them, and it would be awkward because my fiancé and his girlfriend would be there.

Perhaps the other girls didn't like me because of Margareth. The guys paid attention to me, but I'm not happy with them. Just by their looks, I know they're playboys.

At 4 PM, I thought of going out again from my hiding place. The sun's heat was not as intense, so I decided to play with the sand. I really had nothing to do.

I brought a small bucket and went to the less crowded and somewhat shaded part of the resort.

I immediately started making a sandcastle, just as I wanted. I copied the picture on my phone. When I finished, I took a picture of it.

I raised an eyebrow when I heard loud laughter.

I looked for the source and saw a cottage not far away. Many people were inside, and I'm sure they weren't Archer's group since they had just left. Maybe they were tourists in the resort?

I was about to leave when I heard someone scream, and I got curious.

"Oh my gosh! Primo is going to ask!" one girl excitedly said.

So, it was Primo. They were already home, and I didn't know. I forgot to check the time again.

I walked closer to their cottage.

I made sure they wouldn't notice me, so I walked slowly. I wanted to see what they were doing.

"It's Primo's turn, I'm so excited!" another girl said.

"Spin that bottle already, Marie," the guy commanded, making me raise an eyebrow.

Spin the bottle? Probably playing truth or dare? Maybe.

The bottle was spun, and I watched them from my hiding place behind a large sign.

I was quite close to them, so I could clearly see their faces. I confirmed that they weren't with Archer earlier; they must be Primo's friends. There were 9 of them, four girls and five boys, including Primo.

The bottle stopped, pointing at a stunningly beautiful girl. She had fair skin and a very attractive face. She adjusted her hair that was blown by the wind, highlighting her black tube top that emphasized her fairness.

"Truth or Dare?" Primo asked the girl while staring intensely at her.

"Oh, Dare!" the girl confidently replied as the bottle pointed directly at her, causing their group to cheer.

"Oh my gosh! Catherine, you're really good at picking!" one girl said.

"Hmm... dare?" Primo grinned back at her.

The girl raised an eyebrow and smiled playfully.

"Stay with me later then," Primo said, and their friends cheered and seemed ecstatic.

My cheeks burned at the dare I just heard.

What the hell?

I don't have a dirty mind, but it seems like I know what he meant.

Is my assumption right? Damn, this guy!

I lost my interest in staying there and was about to leave quietly when I accidentally bumped into the sign, making it fall. They all looked at it, and I also glanced at them.

This is not good.

I was ready to run away when our gazes met with Primo. He raised an eyebrow and smirked at me.

I glared at him, stood the sign back up, and turned away from them. I ignored them and continued walking.

When I had distanced myself a bit, I was surprised when someone held my waist.

My eyes widened as I saw who it was, it's Primo!

"Hi, Baby," he whispered to me, sending shivers down my spine. What kind of antics does he have in store now? Gosh, I'm getting nervous!

I tried to remove his hand from my waist, but he didn't let go, and he pressed it even closer.

Though it was firm, it didn't hurt.

"What are you doing there, huh?" he teasingly asked.

I glanced at his body, which was almost pressed against mine. He was wearing a white t-shirt. His body is almost as good as his brother's. I shook my head at the thought and gave him a stern look.

"Let me go," I calmly commanded, but he ignored it and moved his face closer to mine, making me notice his striking resemblance to Archer.

"You're watching us, aren't you?" he whispered.

"I just happened to pass by there. I didn't notice the sign, so I tripped. Okay now? Let me go," I explained.

I hit his arm, and he released me, but then he held my wrist. His reflexes were incredibly fast!

"Really? But I saw you," he murmured, and I glared at him.

"If you already saw, why bother asking? Let go of me! Go back to your friends, Primo!" I commanded, but he stayed there, looking at me as if trying to read my every move.

I got more irritated when he smiled slightly, making him look even more like Archer, and I didn't like it.

"You heard it right? My dare to her?" he said, so I rolled my eyes and remained silent. I was embarrassed by his dare.

"You did. And I chased after you because I got hit by the bottle and I chose dare. They told me to—" he stopped himself and held my waist again, our faces almost touching.

My eyes widened, damn, I don't know what to do!

I felt like a statue, and I wasn't happy about it. He might do something inappropriate, and I can't just let myself be like this. It's not allowed!

My eyes widened even more when he kissed my cheek. He let go of me, and I remained stunned for a few more seconds.

"That's the dare they asked me to do. To kiss the girl I like," he said with a smile, so I scowled at him and ran away to get some distance.

I could feel my cheeks slowly heating up. If I'm his target, then he better stop bothering me! I won't easily fall for his tricks. He's so annoying!

It's late at night, and I already had dinner by myself.

I touched my cheek where Primo kissed me earlier. I washed my face thoroughly to remove any traces from his lips.

I'm so annoyed! That kid really seems to enjoy bothering me!

I kept rolling around my bed, but I still couldn't sleep. Instead of feeling drowsy, I just felt dizzy from all the tossing around.

I went outside again for a moment despite already being in my pajamas and a white t-shirt, just so I could try to sleep. I walked along the seaside to tire myself and get sleepy. While walking, I blinked when I saw someone near a cottage. There was a small lamp lit inside the cottage, and the person had a laptop in front of them, so I recognized them immediately.

It's Archer.

He noticed me as I approached, so he quickly closed his laptop and looked at me.

"It's late, why are you still outside?" he calmly asked.

I reached for my phone in my pajama pocket and checked the time, it was only nine in the evening.

"I don't usually sleep at this hour, so I'm not feeling drowsy yet," I replied, and he nodded.

"Be careful, Adela. Just because this resort is private doesn't mean it's always trouble-free. Especially in the area you're heading to. There's a bar nearby."

I smiled and nodded.

I didn't bother asking him what he was doing and continued walking.

The only reason I went out was to tire myself, not to chat with Archer, whom I know no matter how many times I talk to, will never like me.

As I walked, I could only hear the sound of the sea waves.

It's quiet around here, and I've come quite far from the cottage where Archer was.

It seems like I'm getting close to the bar he mentioned earlier, so I was about to turn back, but I stopped when I heard a moan.

It seemed to come from a cottage nearby, with a different design from the others. This one looks like a traditional hut. Unlike the previous cottages, it has windows on both sides and a door facing the sea. When you close the door and windows, it becomes a closed-off space.

I involuntarily gasped when I heard the moan.

Indeed, it came from the cottage near me. I covered my mouth because I heard another groan. Oh no! Why would they do that in a cottage? Don't they want to do that in their room?

I turned to my back, since I do not have any plans to keep on listening to whatever they were doing. However, without even reaching three steps away from that cottage, I heard a voice coming from a woman.

"Oh please, Primo. Enter me now," the woman's voice begged, and my eyes became rounder when I realized that the voice seemed familiar. That voice is from that girl Catherine, the girl that was playing with Primo and his friends, and what the heck? They're doing it here?

"Don't tease me like that, babe," Primo retorted, with his flirty tone. I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes, as my hand reached for my ears to cover.

Now it is really confirmed that those two were inside that cottage and doing something I don't want to speak about.

It's frustrating to hear such unpleasant noises, so I decided to move away.

That kid is such a womanizer! He just told me he liked me earlier, and it seems like he quickly changed his mind.

Damn, Primo, get your act together!

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