CHAPTER 88: THE VACATION HOUSE.

The moment Victoria, her brothers, Darius, and Anna finished eating, they immediately made their way to the beach house, which belonged to the three ruling Alphas and Anna.

The ride there felt like forever. The winding road seemed to stretch endlessly, and the low hum of the engine only made time drag. Still, it wasn’t entirely boring. Victoria had already called her friends—Blonde, Joe, Dickson, and Rose—so they were all here with her. The only one missing from their usual group was Jamaila, who had to go home right after school because of her parents.

Even with her friends around, Victoria had her earbuds in, the music drowning out most of the chatter. She leaned back in her seat, staring at the scenery passing by the window, letting the beat in her ears keep her company.

"How many days are we spending at the vacation house, though?" Rose was the first to break the silence, leaning forward with an excited gleam in her eyes.

"How many days do you expect? We have to attend school tomorrow, girl," Blonde replied with a light chuckle, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "But honestly, I don’t even care if it’s just for one day. I’ve never been on a vacation before until now, so I’m excited either way."

Joe smirked and added, "Have you forgotten that the school is ruled by the three Alphas? And those three actually followed us up here. I wouldn’t be surprised if they tell us we’re staying for two, three... maybe even a whole week."

"I doubt it," Rose scoffed, crossing her arms. "Those Alphas don’t even want us here, if not for Anna. I’m sure they’ll want us gone as soon as possible." Blonde and Joe exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

"How come, though?" Dickson suddenly asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "You’re saying you’ve never been on a vacation before? Isn’t your father rich? Even if his mistress has taken over his properties now... at least you must have gone on different vacations in the past. In fact, you could’ve had your own private vacation house, couldn’t you?"

Blonde swallowed hard and straightened in her seat. Her expression tightened. "You’re right, Dickson. I only went on vacations when my dad still had only me in his life... when he was still alive. But now..." Her voice wavered, though she tried to mask it with a bitter smile. "Now his mistress owns everything. Everything that once belonged to me personally has been snatched away by that evil woman and my stepbrother."

Rose reached over and gave her a reassuring pat on the knee. "I understand you, girl, but trust me... those monsters will regret their actions one day. It’s just a matter of time," she said firmly, letting out a heavy sigh afterward.

"What different countries have you been to, then? Or the different packs?" Dickson asked, his earlier confusion replaced with an eager curiosity. His eyebrows shot up, and there was a glimmer of excitement in his voice as he leaned forward, waiting for her answer.

But just then, the car jerked forward as it pulled up in front of a massive wooden gate, prompting Victoria and her friends to look up from whatever they were doing.

"We’ve arrived!" Anna’s cheerful voice rang out from the second car, where she sat alongside Darius—who had followed reluctantly, unwilling to let Anna have all the fun without him—Callum, Theo, Lucian, and Damien.

A third car rolled up behind them, carrying Zephyr, Auren, and Nicole.

One after another, everyone climbed out of the cars. They stood before the towering gate, the warm breeze carrying the faint scent of saltwater.

"Welcome to the Rich Island!" Anna announced with theatrical flair, pointing toward the large golden title mounted high above the gate. Her grin widened as the doors began to swing open, revealing an expanse of pristine sand stretching far into the distance, with the glittering sea shimmering at the far end.

Anna, Darius, Nicole, Zephyr, and Auren immediately made their way inside, their figures framed against the sunlit horizon. Victoria, her brothers, and her friends followed closely behind.

"Woohoo! It’s been so long since we’ve been here!" Nicole exclaimed, breaking into a run with Auren, who grabbed her hand so they could sprint together toward the shoreline like overexcited children.

"I still wonder why that bitch Nicole is even invited here," Rose muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing.

"Just ignore her," Blonde replied with a light chuckle, walking beside Victoria and matching her pace. "As long as she doesn’t cross her boundaries with us, we’ll be fine. And besides, she’s the sister of the Alphas. It’s only natural she’s invited."

Rose scoffed, tossing her hair back. "People like her will always cross boundaries, and when she does, I’ll be ready to put her in her place." Her tone sharpened, then softened again as she added with a mischievous grin, "Anyway, my focus is on Victoria’s brother, Damien. He looks so sexy."

Blonde, Joe, and Dickson all exchanged glances, shaking their heads in visible disgust. Still, they kept following Anna and the Alphas as the group moved deeper onto the island.

Soon, they arrived at an exclusive house set farther inland, away from the main beach.

"Welcome to the Rich Island, ladies and gentlemen," chorused a line of servants dressed immaculately in black suits and pencil skirts, while the male staff wore neatly pressed black trousers. All of them bowed their heads respectfully.

Without wasting time, everyone stepped inside. Gasps of awe echoed through the high-ceilinged space—except from Darius, Anna, Zephyr, Auren, and Nicole, who were far too used to the place to be impressed.

The living room was a vision of elegance. The walls were a clean, crisp white, but several sections were made entirely of glass, offering sweeping views of the surrounding island. The furniture was a perfect marriage of sleek black and glimmering gold, each piece screaming luxury.

Everything in the building radiated wealth and exclusivity.

"There are different rooms in this building where you can relax," Anna said with a bright smile. "We still have at least seven hours to enjoy ourselves here before we return to our various houses. You should all go in and do whatever you want—maybe catch up with each other—before the food is ready and we head to the beach."

"Woohoo!" Nicole shouted again, her voice brimming with excitement. Then she turned her gaze sharply toward Victoria and her crew, her tone shifting to one of warning. "You’d better not spoil anything in here. Everything here is worth a fortune, so be careful."

"Remember what we agreed on, Nicole, or you can leave the vacation house immediately," Anna cut in firmly, her voice holding a sharp edge. She had spoken before Victoria—or her brothers—could even open their mouths to defend her. "I don’t want to have another episode of settling fights."

Anna’s expression softened for a brief second before she continued, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "Besides... now that I think about it, we’re not going to make use of all the rooms."

Her sudden shift in tone made several eyebrows shoot up in confusion. Even Victoria, who had been mostly tuned out, slid one earbud out—only to be startled when Leo, materializing from her pendant, tapped her sharply on the arm to make her pay attention.

"What do you mean by we’re not going to be making use of all the rooms?" Darius was the first to ask, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I hope you’re not about to bring up another absurd suggestion, Anna. I’m already getting sick and tired of your schemes, sister."

"I wasn’t even expecting this setup of coming to the vacation house with these people," Auren said lazily, his arms draped over the back of a chair. "But just as you’ve said... I don’t want to get roped into another round of drama either. So I might as well enjoy my stay here and fuck off later." He rolled his eyes toward Victoria and her brothers with deliberate rudeness.

"I really don’t want to be the only one witnessing all these hence the reason why I called you and Zephyr over. " Darius voiced out with a scoff all while he folded his arms over his chest.

"Like I said," Anna continued, the lightheartedness fading from her voice, replaced by a tone of finality all while ignoring her brother and his friends remarks, "we’re not going to use all the rooms here....only two. We’re only staying for few hours, not even sleeping here so we can all share. There’s nothing bad in sharing anyways."

"Huh?" Nicole’s brows furrowed, her confusion plain. I really don’t understand you please. What exactly are you trying to say here?"

"The girls will be staying in one room," Anna declared with a smirk, "and the guys will be in another."

The statement sent a ripple of shock through the group, Victoria included.