23. With Him

"Anyway... I didn't disown them," I firmly said, choosing not to elaborate further.

The brunch ended in silence. Arik quickly changed the topic when he noticed I was uncomfortable with the discussion.

It was already late afternoon when I decided to take a dip in the beach area of the resort. I saw Oliver and Arik walking side by side ahead of us, seemingly engrossed in their conversation.

Arik's smile faded and his expression turned serious when Liam suddenly approached me, surprising me as well.

"Liam! You're here!" I exclaimed with excitement and quickly hugged him. When I pulled away from the hug, I noticed Arik's sharp gaze on the man in front of me.

"Celeste! I've been looking for you since last night, but I didn't see you around. I thought you came home early," he said and returned my kiss on his cheek. Arik didn't miss this and immediately stepped closer to me.