Ethan pulled on his clothes after his shorts had mostly dried, shaking out his damp hair before making his way back toward the resort office.

    The night air was cool against his skin, and the resort, now emptied of guests, had settled into a peaceful silence.

    The only sounds were the distant ocean waves and the occasional footsteps of the night security patrols making their rounds.

    The energy from the grand opening had finally died down, leaving behind the quiet hum of a successful first day.

    When he entered the office, Zack was slumped over the desk, arms folded under his head, lightly snoring.

    Ethan exhaled in amusement. The guy had been running around all day, organizing the launch, handling social media, and making sure everything was perfect.

    It was no surprise he''d passed out the moment he sat down.

    Ethan walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, wake up."

    Zack stirred, groaning as he lifted his head, his eyes still heavy with exhaustion. "Huh? What — "

    He blinked at Ethan, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

    "You should go home," Ethan told him. "The guards are patrolling now. You need some rest before tomorrow. The resort reopens at 8 a.m. sharp."

    Zack yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Ugh... yeah, yeah, you''re right."

    He checked his phone and winced. "Damn, it''s already past midnight?"

    "Yeah." Ethan grabbed his own phone from the desk, stuffing it into his pocket. "Get some sleep, man. I need you functioning tomorrow."

    Zack chuckled tiredly as he stood up, rolling his shoulders. "No promises, but I''ll try."

    Ethan smirked and watched as his friend gathered his things and dragged himself out of the office, disappearing into the night.

    Once Zack was gone, Ethan exhaled, rolling his neck to ease the stiffness that had settled there. He was just as exhausted, but unlike Zack, his night wasn''t over yet.

    He stepped outside, heading toward his Porsche parked near the main entrance.

    The sleek gray car stood out under the dim streetlights, its polished surface reflecting the glow of the resort''s exterior lights.

    He slid into the driver''s seat, shutting the door with a soft thud before finally pulling out his phone.

    Three missed calls.

    Lila.

    Vanessa.

    The same company Ethan had worked for.

    The same company that had fired him.

    The same company that had blamed him over a $500, 000 dollar shortage and had thrown him into dismay in trying to pay a debt that he hadn''t caused.

    His expression darkened, the easygoing nature he had while talking to Lila vanishing in an instant.

    "Ethan?" Lila''s voice called from the phone. "You still there?"

    Ethan didn''t take his eyes off the man outside his window.

    He reached for the call button and ended the conversation with a simple, detached reply.

    "I have something urgent to do."

    Click.

    The call ended, and silence settled in the car.

    Ethan rolled the window down, locking eyes with the man who had once been his colleague.

    "What do you want?" Ethan asked, his tone cool, unreadable.

    The Newton manager let out a small chuckle, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Long time no see, Ethan. We need to talk."

    Ethan''s jaw tightened. Whatever this was, it wasn''t going to be a friendly conversation.

    Ethan exhaled through his nose, gripping the steering wheel as he regarded the man standing outside his car.

    Newton Development Corp. — his old workplace, the company that had fired him without hesitation, the place he had once poured years of effort into only to be discarded like nothing.

    And now, here stood one of their managers, acting like they had unfinished business.

    Ethan rolled down the window just enough to speak but kept the engine running. "Say whatever you need to say," he said, his voice calm but distant.

    The man tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into something that was neither a smile nor a smirk. "I''d rather do this inside," he said, motioning toward the passenger seat. "It''s a bit of a long conversation."

    Ethan let out a short, humorless laugh. "Not happening."

    The man''s expression didn''t change, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—mild amusement? Or was it annoyance? Ethan didn''t care.

    "Come on," the man tried again, shifting his stance slightly. "You don''t trust me?"

    Ethan scoffed. "You''re from Newton. Trust is the last thing I''d give you."