Melissa smiled sweetly.

    "Oh, nothing much. Just that your son completely ignored my messages about it."

    Margaret''s gaze immediately shifted to Ethan, who groaned. "I didn''t do it on purpose."

    What was it with women and spas though?

    Melissa crossed her arms. "Mhm. Sure."

    Claire smirked. "Wow, Ethan. Ghosting people now?"

    Ethan shot her a flat look. "Claire, you ignore people all the time."

    "Yes, but I''m upfront about it," she said, shrugging.

    Harold chuckled while Margaret sighed.

    "Ethan, you need to keep up with everything. Especially if it''s something as important as the spa."

    "I know, I know," Ethan muttered. "I''ll check the messages later."

    Melissa leaned back. "Good. Because I have several updates."

    Ethan groaned again, already knowing he was in for a long debriefing.

    Julia, sensing the shift in mood, suddenly perked up. "Ooh Me and Meg saw a crab!"

    Margaret looked intrigued. "A crab?"

    Julia nodded excitedly. "A crab tried to steal our shells! We chased it away!"

    Ethan smirked. "That''s my girl."

    Ethan and Melissa soon walked away from the restaurant section of the resort, leaving his parents behind to enjoy their meal.

    Julia had whined about wanting to stay with him, but Margaret had quickly distracted her with the promise of dessert.

    "She''s got you wrapped around her little finger, huh?" Melissa smirked as they made their way toward the office.

    Ethan huffed. "Jules? Always. Kid knows exactly how to get what she wants."

    Melissa chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed."

    The walk to the office was short, but as they neared the door, faint music drifted from inside.

    Ethan recognized the bass-heavy beat immediately and sighed.

    "Let me guess," Melissa said, glancing at him. "Zack?"

    But if they reorganized some of the lesser-used spaces...

    "We could convert the storage room next to the massage suites," he mused. "It''s barely being used for anything important. Just some excess inventory we could easily relocate."

    Melissa snapped her fingers. "Exactly what I was thinking."

    Zack grinned. "I like it. Upscale spa, fancy lounge, rich people chilling in bathrobes... Sounds like a hit."

    Ethan chuckled. "We''ll need to run the numbers, but I think it''s doable."

    Melissa nodded, already jotting down notes. "I''ll handle that. I also want to update the treatment menu — bring in some specialty massages, maybe a few unique skincare treatments."

    "Like what?" Zack asked, leaning back again.

    Melissa tapped her pen against her notepad. "Ever heard of a gold-infused facial?"

    Zack''s eyebrows shot up. "Like... actual gold?"

    "Yep."

    Ethan gave her a skeptical look. "And people pay for that?"

    Melissa smirked. "Oh, they pay big. Rich clients love luxury treatments, and gold facials are a thing. If we add something high-end and exclusive, we''ll bring in a whole new level of clientele."

    Zack whistled. "Damn. I mean, I''d try it."

    Melissa snorted. "Not for free, you wouldn''t." Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

    Ethan chuckled but nodded. "Alright, let''s do it. We''ll need to hire more specialists, though."

    Melissa waved a hand. "I''ll handle that, too."

    Zack smirked. "Damn, Melissa, if you keep this up, you''re gonna take my job."

    Melissa grinned. "Don''t tempt me."

    Ethan shook his head, amused. "Alright, we''ll move forward with the spa plans steadily."

    Melissa exhaled, closing her notebook. "Well, I think that covers everything on my end."

    Ethan stretched. "Not bad for a day''s work."

    Zack groaned. "Man, I need another break already."

    Melissa shot him a glare. "You just had a break."

    Zack grinned. "And it wasn''t long enough."

    Ethan shook his head but let out a small laugh.