Days had passed on the island...
Lola stood under a palm tree, staring at Haji lying paralyzed on the lounge chair near the beach. The man didn’t even have the big umbrella unfolded, getting himself toasted under the midday sun. She couldn’t blame him, though.
The man had just finished the triathlon held on the neighboring island, and before that, he had to train extensively just so he wouldn’t die.
"I feel sorry for him," she whispered, dragging herself out of the shade and approaching him.
When she stood next to him, her shadow stretched over his face and chest.
Haji peeked from his one eye, his face twisting as he rested his arm over his face.
"Ouch..." he grumbled, because even lifting his arm felt like torture. "I fucking hate you."
Yet Lola smiled despite being cursed out. After all, Haji was the last person she expected to tag along on this honeymoon. Atlas’s siblings’ joining was no surprise. But Haji? Never.
And yet, he came because her children signed him up for a triathlon without his permission. Fortunately for Lola, running was part of her regular exercise, so she managed just fine.
But what touched her most was that even though Haji complained nonstop, he still showed up for the event for her children. He always said the twins were born to make him suffer, but he still did everything they asked. It only proved he liked them more than he would ever admit.
"Stop whining," she said. "At least you got a medal."
Haji reluctantly opened his eye, too drained to summon more hatred. He only clicked his tongue and shut his eye again, covering it with his arm.
"Why don’t you leave me alone?" he grumbled. "I need a break."
Lola pressed her lips together, staring at him before turning to face the ocean.
"In about a week, this vacation is over," she said. "And I’ll have to go back to Novera for some things. After all, the filming had problems again, and after thinking about it, I should at least finish the project."
Fortunately, Director Sarian had already shot many of Lola’s scenes. She made it so easy for the production that they had plenty of usable footage. With a few script revisions, she only needed to film a handful of scenes. Lola agreed mostly because she had a bet riding on this film.
She was not about to lose.
"Then Silo — that crazy one — agreed to manage Pixie and Megan. And I know Amala can run the company, but I still need to close some deals," she continued. "I can’t leave the company hanging — not when I was planning a partnership with Summit Partners."
This wasn’t just a matter of romance or marriage — it was strategy. A business move Lola wouldn’t give up. Although she made the decision after the wedding and on this island, she maintained a professional stance during her meeting with her husband.
She couldn’t say the same for Atlas.
The man who always looked collected, talking business, preferred discussing deals with her sitting on his lap. How unprofessional!
Lola grinned, crossing her arms as she pondered her plans for the following week.
"So, there’s that," she hummed, eyes fixed on the glittering waves and the blinding reflection of the midday sun on the water.
Haji peeked at her again, only to find her still standing near him, staring into the horizon. "Why are you telling me this?"



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