The water hit his legs with force, but Ethan planted his feet, gripping them tightly and pulling them back toward dry sand.

    The moment they were clear, the three of them stumbled onto the ground, sand clinging to their wet clothes.

    For a moment, everything was still except for their heavy breaths.

    Then —

    "That was so cool!" Megan gasped, eyes shining with excitement. "You were like a superhero or something!"

    Julia, still holding onto her big brother, clutched his shirt like she had just survived the most thrilling ride of her life. "Big Brother, you saved us!"

    Ethan let out a breath, shaking some of the water off his arms before running a hand through his now-damp hair.

    "Yeah, well," he muttered, still catching his breath. "Wouldn''t have had to if you two weren''t playing right next to the water."

    Julia pouted. "But the castle — "

    "The castle is gone," Ethan pointed out, gesturing toward the shoreline.

    The girls turned and, sure enough, the once-proud structure was now nothing but a heap of wet sand.

    Megan''s mouth fell open in horror. "No! Our castle!"

    Julia''s shoulders slumped in pure devastation. "We worked so hard..."

    Ethan sighed, glancing between the two crestfallen girls.

    Then he nudged Julia''s side gently. "Hey."

    She peeked up at him, still pouting.

    "Next time," Ethan said, "we''ll build it higher up the beach. A fortress. One that no wave can touch."

    Julia sniffled before perking up slightly. "A fortress?"

    Megan, recovering from her own grief, gasped. "With towers?"

    "And a bridge," Ethan added with a smirk.

    "And a dragon!" Julia declared, suddenly excited again.

    Ethan chuckled. "Sure, a dragon too."

    Melissa, who had been watching the entire ordeal from a short distance away, finally stepped closer.

    Her arms were crossed, but there was a glimmer of amusement in her expression.

    "You just can''t help yourself, huh?" she said.

    Ethan raised a brow. "What?"

    "Go on, Meg. We''ll see you later," she said with a smile.

    Megan nodded eagerly. "Bye, Jules! Bye, Bit brother!"

    Julia waved back excitedly as Ethan carried her toward the VIP lounge.

    The moment they stepped in, Margaret''s voice rang out.

    "There you are! I was starting to wonder if you had disappeared into the ocean."

    Ethan turned, immediately spotting his mother sitting at a lavishly arranged table, a fresh fruit platter and cold drinks in front of her.

    Harold sat beside her, calmly sipping a cocktail while Claire scrolled through her phone, seemingly unfazed by everything.

    Ethan smirked. "Sorry, got caught up saving a sandcastle from certain doom."

    Margaret smiled knowingly. "Let me guess. Julia roped you into it?"

    Julia beamed proudly. "It was our castle, and we made it super strong!"

    Ethan set Julia down gently as she ran over to their mother, immediately climbing into her lap.

    Margaret hugged her before giving Ethan a once-over. "You didn''t even text to let us know you were back."

    "I was busy," Ethan defended.

    Claire finally looked up from her phone. "Too busy to send a quick ''Hey, I''m alive''?"

    Ethan rolled his eyes. "I was with Jules. She can confirm I''m alive."

    Julia nodded dramatically. "I saw him the whole time!"

    Melissa chuckled as she took a seat, and Ethan finally relaxed, sinking into a cushioned lounge chair.

    A waiter promptly approached, offering him a drink, which he gratefully accepted.

    Harold finally spoke, setting his glass down. "How''s business?"

    Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It''s... fine. Just been trying a new kind of investment,"

    Harold frowned. "What kind are you planning to do?"

    Ethan nodded. "Well that''s a surprise for later when it actually blows up,"

    Claire, uninterested in the business talk, glanced at Melissa. "So, how''s the spa renovation going?"

    Melissa paused. Then, very deliberately, turned to stare at Ethan.

    Ethan, mid-sip, slowly lowered his glass.

    Margaret looked between them. "Did... something happen?" Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire