Just as the warm moment settled between Ethan and his family, something — or rather, someone — disrupted it entirely with her presence.
A blur of movement caught Ethan's attention just before he felt a pair of arms wrap around him.
Melissa Sinclair.
She had practically sprinted across the resort the moment she saw him, throwing herself into an overly enthusiastic hug as if they had been apart for years.
"Ethan!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with exaggerated excitement. "I missed you!"
The entire Grey family froze in collective shock.
Harold Grey's expression remained stoic, but his sharp gaze narrowed ever so slightly.
Margaret's lips pressed into a thin line, her brows lifting as if trying to assess the situation.
Claire — no, Julia — gaped at them with wide eyes, while Claire raised an eyebrow, her arms still crossed, but an amused smirk forming on her lips.
Ethan, however, reacted immediately.
With a firm but careful push, he put space between himself and Melissa. His jaw clenched, but he forced a polite smile.
"She's just a business partner," he quickly assured his family, making sure to emphasize those last two words.
Melissa pouted slightly but didn't argue. Before she could say anything else, another voice cut through the tension.
"Melissa," a deep, exasperated voice called out.
Adrian Sinclair.
Her older brother was approaching with long strides, his expression a mix of mild irritation and resigned amusement — as if he had expected this exact situation to happen.
"Come on," Adrian sighed, grabbing his sister's wrist. "We're getting ice cream."
Melissa let out a dramatic sigh but didn't resist as Adrian began leading her away.
Still, before disappearing from sight, she threw Ethan a sly grin. "We should catch up later, Ethan."
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, his expression half-exasperated, half-relieved.
"Right. Sure. Have fun with your ice cream," he muttered, shaking his head as the Sinclair siblings disappeared into the crowd.
Margaret, standing beside Harold, finally broke the silence.
"…Business partner, you say?"
Ethan turned to her, already knowing that his explanation had done little to ease the suspicion in his mother's eyes.
"That's all she is," he confirmed, firmly.
Claire snickered, obviously enjoying the scene. "Sure. I totally believe that."
Harold, despite his usual composed demeanor, simply gave Ethan a long, measuring look before letting out a hum that could mean anything.
Julia, meanwhile, broke into giggles at the entire exchange.
She suddenly latched onto Ethan's trousers, gripping the fabric in her small hands.
"I wanna go with you!" she declared with bright eyes, looking up at him expectantly.
Ethan grinned down at her. "Yeah? You wanna hang out with your big brother?"
Harold, however, immediately spoke up. "No."
Ethan, at the exact same time, said, "Sure."
A brief silence.
Then, Julia giggled even more, clearly amused by how completely opposite their responses had been.
Margaret sighed, a fond smile tugging at her lips. "You two are unbelievable."
Harold pinched the bridge of his nose but didn't argue further.
Instead, he simply shook his head before turning to Claire.
"Come," he said. "Let's look around."
Claire shrugged. "Fine with me."
Margaret nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the resort with clear interest. "There's quite a bit to see. We'll meet you later, Ethan."
And just like that, the rest of the Grey family went off to explore, leaving Ethan and Julia behind.
She tugged on his hand, her expression bright with excitement.
"Let's go, let's go! You have to show me everything!"
Ethan chuckled. "Alright, alright. Tour starts now."
With Julia happily following beside him, Ethan began walking through the resort, pointing out different areas as they went.
Ethan led Julia past the grand entrance hall, where guests were checking in, some holding drinks already being served by attentive staff.
"Whoa," Julia breathed out, her gaze darting from one extravagant display to another. "This place is HUGE!"
Ethan smirked. "It's alright."
Julia shot him a look. "Ethan. This place has waterfalls inside. Inside."
"Yeah," Ethan admitted. "That part is kinda cool."
They moved toward the outdoor pools, where several guests were already lounging by the water. Some swam while others relaxed in private cabanas, sipping on cocktails.
Julia's eyes sparkled. "Can we go swimming later?"
Ethan grinned. "If we have time, sure."
They continued, passing by the spa and wellness center, the luxury boutiques, and even the mini-golf course, where a few kids were already playing.
Ethan didn't rush the tour, letting Julia take in everything at her own pace. She asked questions about how things worked, and he answered with as much detail as he could.
They finally stopped near one of the outdoor lounges, where Julia plopped onto a cushioned seat, her legs swinging as she sipped a glass of fruit juice a staff member had handed her.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, watching her with a smirk. "So, what do you think?"
Julia grinned up at him. "It's the coolest place ever."
Ethan chuckled. "Glad you think so."
There was a brief pause, and then Julia looked at him with a curious tilt of her head.
"…Do you like it?"
Ethan blinked at the question.
Julia swung her legs again. "You and Mr. Zack built all this, right? So, do you like it?"
Ethan glanced around, taking in the bustling resort, the laughter and chatter, the luxury he had worked so hard to create.
"…Yeah," he said finally, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I do."
Julia beamed at his answer, clearly pleased.
Then, after a moment, she tugged on his sleeve again.
"Can we get ice cream too?"
Ethan laughed. "Sure. Why not?"
With that, he stood up, helping Julia to her feet, and the two of them made their way toward the resort's dessert lounge, where a variety of artisan ice creams were served.
As they walked, Julia held onto his hand, chattering away about all the things she still wanted to see.
Maybe spending the day with his little sister wasn't such a bad idea after all.