"Why did you rent another villa, and why were they willing to give it so quickly?" Aly finally asked, clearly curious.
Holly shrugged with a grin. "Jason figured there weren't enough parking spots and worried about the number of rooms, so he paid an extra five grand to rent the one next door. The owner couldn't say no to that kind of money."
Aly and Meg were stunned. Five grand on top of the usual price? In this part of California, a luxury villa for one night was two or three thousand at most. Throwing down five thousand extra just to make sure everyone was comfortable? That was ridiculous… in the kind of way only someone with serious money could manage.
No wonder the villa's owner had practically run over to hand him the keys.
Meg and Aly exchanged a look before glancing back at Jason. For a moment, their eyes lingered a little longer than they should have.
Meanwhile, Derek and Matt stood there, faces tight with frustration as Jason—again—stole the spotlight without even trying. The girls' admiration was obvious, and it grated on them like sandpaper.
With two villas secured, the sleeping arrangements became simple: one room per person. No crowding, no awkwardness.
Derek made sure to claim the biggest suite in the original villa. Jason didn't argue—he just took the master bedroom in the new one next door.
But the difference was crystal clear to everyone.
Derek looked like he was hoarding luxury for himself. Jason looked like he was making sure everyone was taken care of.
And people talked. In private, everyone admitted they were impressed.
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
Derek had planned for this whole trip to revolve around him—his car, his money, his charm. But Jason kept turning the tables without even trying.
It's fake, Derek told himself, jaw tight. No way he actually owns that G-Wagon, the Lamborghini, and the Rolls. He's renting them just to show off. He has to be. Give it time—people will see who's really got money and who doesn't.
He forced a smile, pretending none of it bothered him.
That evening, everyone hit the hot springs.
Tickets in hand, they split off into the changing rooms. When they regrouped outside, the girls had swapped jeans and hoodies for swimsuits—and every guy in the group forgot how to breathe for a second.
Meg and Aly turned heads. Quinn looked amazing too.
But Holly Larson…
She didn't just turn heads—she owned the whole room.
Her skin practically glowed under the warm lights, her figure… yeah, there was no competing with that.
Derek was just about to stroll over, confidence cranked to max—
When Holly walked straight past him and stopped in front of Jason.
She looked him up and down, eyes sparkling. "Huh. Didn't notice before… you actually have a pretty decent build."
Jason blinked. He wasn't huge or ripped—just lean, good proportions, a hint of muscle that had come in since he'd started training recently.
He smiled. "Been working out a little. But, uh… for the record? You're kinda perfect." He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Also, you've got an audience. Someone can't stop staring."
Holly didn't even have to look to know who he meant. She smirked, then casually stepped closer to Jason, close enough that her shoulder brushed against his arm.
"Then block the view for me," she said softly.
And just like that, she half-hid behind him, playful and shameless all at once.
Jason caught the faint scent of her perfume, felt the warmth of her skin.
Derek, watching from across the springs, nearly choked on his own pride.
Not only had Holly refused to ride in his car or stay in his villa… she was now using Jason as a shield against him.
The humiliation burned like acid.
But there was nothing he could do except stand there, smile frozen, fists clenched under the water.
What made Derek even more uncomfortable was that even Amelia's eyes seemed to drift toward Jason now and then.
Derek shifted, glancing down at his own midsection. He had a bit of a belly—not terrible, but nowhere near impressive. Compared to Jason's lean build and faintly defined abs, it wasn't even a contest.
"Pretty boy," Derek thought bitterly. "These women are all so shallow."
After everyone regrouped, they headed for the hot springs—a sprawling luxury resort tucked into the California hills. The pools were outdoors, terraced along the hillside, each carved into natural-looking rock formations with steam rising into the cool evening air.
Different pools had different temperatures, and guests could pick whichever suited them best.
Since they had a large group, they claimed one of the bigger pools. Jason and Holly Larson sat close together in a corner, talking quietly and laughing now and then. Their easy closeness only irritated Derek further; he wanted to interrupt but couldn't find an excuse.
After about ten minutes, a middle-aged man with thick black hair approached, scanning the pools like he was searching for the perfect spot.
The moment Derek saw him, he jumped up, plastering on a smile. "Mr. Lee! Hey, what brings you here?"
The man paused, studying Derek for a moment before recognition clicked. "Oh, Derek, right? Haven't seen you in a while." He glanced toward the other pools. "I'm just trying to find a good spot for Mr. William. He and his family just arrived."
Derek's smile widened the moment he heard that name. "Mr. William? Then you should just take our pool. It's perfect for him."
Mr. Lee looked over the group. "You've got a lot of people here already. It might feel a little cramped for his family."
"No worries, we'll make space," Derek said quickly, his tone all but dripping with eagerness. He turned toward the others and announced, "Guys, this is Mr. Lee—he manages a lot of the luxury properties around here. And Mr. William? He's a big-time real estate developer—net worth well into the hundreds of millions. Let's be respectful, yeah? We can give them the pool."
Matt was already standing, nodding eagerly. "Yeah, of course, let's give it up for them."
Aly, Chloe, Meg, and the rest exchanged hesitant looks. Nobody wanted to give up the best spot, but nobody wanted to risk offending some billionaire either.
Most people wavered, weighing their options—maybe a little inconvenience now could lead to some future opportunity.
Holly, however, stayed put, glancing at Jason. He, meanwhile, was leaning lazily against the edge of the pool, making no move to leave.
Derek's smile faltered. "Jason, come on, man. Just give them the pool—it doesn't hurt to make connections."
Jason didn't even look at him. "Why should we be the ones to give it up? You want to impress them, you give up your seat."
"You…" Derek's face darkened, but before he could argue, Mr. Lee raised a hand.
"No, no," Mr. Lee said calmly. "They were here first. We'll find another pool."
Still, Derek muttered under his breath, "Guy doesn't get how the world works. People like that never make it far."
"Right? Total rookie move," Matt added, trying to stay on Derek's side.
At that moment, a stylish middle-aged woman with a warm smile walked up, holding the hand of a teenage boy.
Mr. Lee immediately went to greet them, and Derek's eyes lit up—but he stayed quiet, waiting for the right chance to ingratiate himself.
As Mr. Lee led them past, a distinguished-looking man in his early fifties followed behind. He glanced toward the pool, eyes idly scanning the women—until his gaze landed on Holly and then Jason.
The man froze mid-step, surprise flashing across his face.
He suddenly changed direction, striding straight toward the pool.
"Jason," Mr. William said warmly, a smile spreading across his face. "I didn't expect to see you here."
There are 35 chapters ahead in my Patreon, with 2 daily chapters. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439