Realizing he was up to no good, Eve Vaughn blushed and said, "If we don’t go out soon, the snow will stop."

Mason Lawson leaned in and whispered, word by word, into her ear, "Remember, I only want to be your man!"

The blush on the young woman’s cheeks spread all the way to the tips of her ears.

’But sometimes, the way he cares for me really is like a doting father!’

Eve Vaughn agreed awkwardly, "I know, I know! Let’s just go out now!"

And so, only after he had her bundled up tightly from head to toe did he accompany her outside.

There were quite a few tourists having a snowball fight outside, many of them young couples.

But they all seemed so young.

Mason Lawson, dressed in an overcoat and suit with leather shoes, looked utterly out of place for an activity like a snowball fight.

But the moment Eve Vaughn ran into the snow, she lit up with excitement.

Although her cream-colored down jacket seemed to blend in with the snowy scenery, Mason Lawson could still spot his girl in the crowd at a single glance.

Just then, Eve Vaughn crouched down, packed a snowball, and threw it at Mason Lawson.

The white snow scattered across Mason Lawson’s black overcoat.

He gazed dotingly at the lively young woman before him.

Back at the office, he couldn’t stand the green, naive university students just entering the workforce—the kind who needed a single sentence explained over and over before they could understand.

Their movements were clumsy and stiff, full of a timid caution.

Mason Lawson was not, in fact, a patient man. Having been put on a pedestal for so long, his patience had worn thin.

But with Eve Vaughn alone, he found patience. And only when he was with her did he feel that naivete and youth were actually rather nice.

Just like this moment—everything was perfect.

Not wanting to spoil her fun, Mason Lawson had no choice but to join in her antics.

On a nearby veranda, a few people stood watching the scene unfold, their faces a mixture of confusion and surprise.

Eric Kendall and the others had likely never imagined that Mason Lawson—always so lofty, noble, and self-possessed—would be out in the snow, fooling around with Eve Vaughn.

Mia Kendall and Regina Shaw, having returned from the stables due to the snow, were also completely bewildered by the sight.

Mia Kendall sighed. "You know, you’d think Mason Lawson wasn’t serious about Evie, but then you see this, and he looks like he is. But if he’s so serious, why won’t he give her any kind of commitment? Evie’s an innocent young woman who’s given him everything. If this all turns out to be for nothing, who will she even have to cry to?"

Regina Shaw watched Eve Vaughn’s uninhibited laughter in the distance and said with a sudden twinge of envy, "Do you think Mason Lawson is really that charming? Evie looks genuinely happy!"

Just then, Hamilton Hale, who was standing to the side, commented meaningfully, "Let’s just hope she can stay this happy forever."

Only then did Regina Shaw realize that Hamilton Hale had come to stand beside her at some point.

She quickly seized the opportunity. "Mr. Hale, after I graduate with my PhD next year, would it be possible for me to join your team?"

Hamilton Hale’s expression remained blank as he said coolly, "Sorry, my team doesn’t take women."

"Uh..."

Regina Shaw was taken aback. ’Isn’t this just blatant sexism?’ she fumed internally. ’Why can’t women do what men can do?’

So, she asked cautiously, "May I ask why? I could understand if it was for interventional surgery, where you might prefer men. But I’ve done my research, Mr. Hale, and it seems your team works on more than just that."

A shadow passed over Hamilton Hale’s eyes, as if he’d suddenly recalled someone or something unpleasant.

His tone wasn’t heavy, but his words were frigid. "First, you’re not on my team, so there’s no need to call me Mr. Hale. Second, I don’t need to explain my rules to you. Rivaster University has plenty of other professors doing excellent research. Miss Shaw, you don’t need to be so fixated on me."

Regina Shaw stared at him, speechless. ’What is with this guy?’

’As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling face.’ She’d only called him ’Mr. Hale’ to build some rapport, thinking it would make it easier to join his team once they were more familiar.

But she never expected him to shut her down so completely and be so nasty about it.

If it were any other reason—even if he’d said she wasn’t skilled enough for his team—she would have accepted it!

But this?

All because of her gender?

She’d never encountered such blatant sexism before.

Hamilton Hale clearly had no desire to speak with her further. After saying his piece, he simply walked away.

Regina Shaw stared at his back, secretly resolving that she absolutely had to get onto his team.

Unless it was a matter of her skills not being up to par, she would not accept any other reason!

...

That evening, the snow stopped. The resort had a designated area for guests to have cookouts.

Mia Kendall, always the most fun-loving of the group, suggested, "Hey, why don’t we have an outdoor barbecue? Eating grilled meat outside in this weather would be so romantic. Plus, it won’t be cold with a fire going!"

The others thought it sounded like a hassle. After all, starting a fire and grilling the meat themselves was hardly as convenient as just having a meal served to them.

But Eric Kendall agreed and ordered his staff to prepare grills along with fresh meat and vegetables.

Regina Shaw had only recently gotten to know Mia Kendall, so she was unaware of how terribly the relationship between Mia and Eric Kendall had once deteriorated. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

So, she said with a smile, "Mia, your brother is so good to you. My own brother does nothing but oppose me all day!"

Mia Kendall never thought the day would come when she’d be envied because of Eric Kendall.

She couldn’t help but glance in Eric Kendall’s direction.

His gray cashmere overcoat accentuated his tall, lean figure. With one hand in his pocket, he used the other to point toward a distant, undeveloped plot of land while speaking with Hamilton Hale and Jonah Spencer.

In that moment, Mia Kendall felt the saying was true: a focused man is the most handsome.

She’d never denied that Eric Kendall was handsome, but now, she felt he possessed another kind of charm entirely.

Just then, Regina Shaw nudged her. "What’s wrong? Why is your face all red?"

Mia Kendall quickly averted her gaze, covering her warm cheeks as she stammered, "Is... is it red? I’m probably just hot. I think I’m wearing too many layers."

Regina Shaw had always been a bit dense when it came to romance.

She studied Mia Kendall’s clothes seriously. "Your outfit doesn’t look that thick."

"Oh, forget it! Come on, let’s figure out what we want to eat first, then we can write it down and tell Eric Kendall."

With that, Mia Kendall went and pulled Eve Vaughn along with them.

...

An hour later, they had all the ingredients and tools ready and were having a barbecue in the resort’s bonfire area.

It was called a barbecue, but the three women mostly spent their time chatting, having another snowball fight, and occasionally tidying the table.

The four men, meanwhile, were so engulfed in smoke they could barely open their eyes.

Jonah Spencer griped, "I can’t believe this. I came here this weekend to relax, and now I’ve gone from a lawyer to a kebab vendor!"

Though Eric Kendall didn’t show it, he was just as annoyed internally.

’That Mia Kendall just had to open her mouth about barbecue,’ he thought. Now, here they were, freezing in the snow and getting smoked out like they were running a kebab stand.

Just a moment ago, they’d finally managed to grill a few skewers, only for Eve Vaughn to complain they were undercooked.

Among the four men, Mason Lawson was the one grilling with the most concentration.

Hamilton Hale reminded him, "Mason, you can’t cook it like that. It’s been on too long; it’ll burn."

Jonah Spencer snorted. "Haven’t you figured it out? His precious Evie said it was undercooked, so now he’s grilling it a bit longer. He’s afraid his little darling will get an upset stomach."

Hamilton Hale looked as if he’d just had an epiphany.

Eric Kendall felt a wave of scorn for Mason Lawson. ’Looks like this guy is in it for real,’ he thought.

He had always believed that anyone, man or woman, who made love the center of their life was not far from ruin.

Just like his mother. To marry his father, she had broken ties with her own family and used her entire dowry to help the Kendall Family survive a crisis.

And what did she get in the end?

At this thought, Eric Kendall’s gaze grew darker, and his eyes fell upon Mia Kendall with an unreadable expression.

Meanwhile, Mia Kendall was still chatting happily with her friends, oblivious.

Before long, a pile of grilled lamb skewers and vegetables was brought over.

As Regina Shaw ate with gusto, she remarked with a hint of regret, "I wish my brother could be here. He’d love this sort of activity."

Mia Kendall snorted with laughter. "That would just mean one more person for the free labor pool!"

Eve Vaughn felt bad that Mason Lawson had been grilling for her the whole time and hadn’t eaten anything himself.

She grabbed a few finished skewers, ran to Mason Lawson’s side, and fed a piece to him.

The other single guys in the group couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

Seeing how much she was enjoying the outdoor activity, Mason Lawson said, "If you think this is fun, we can come every week."

"Really?"

Eve Vaughn asked, her eyes sparkling as she nibbled on a skewer.

Hamilton Hale and Jonah Spencer exchanged a look of horror. ’We’re never doing this again,’ they both thought. ’Or if we do, we’ll make sure to come when they aren’t here.’

Mason Lawson might be winning his girl’s heart by grilling, but what did that make them?

Just free labor, plain and simple.

Just then, Eve Vaughn clutched her stomach, her face twisting in discomfort.

Mason Lawson immediately dropped what he was doing, helped her to one side, and asked softly, "What’s wrong?"

"I think I have an upset stomach..."

Eve Vaughn said in embarrassment, "It really hurts now. Is there a restroom around here?"

Mason Lawson scanned the area but saw no sign of a restroom.

This was a more remote, undeveloped part of the resort.

He asked Eric Kendall and found out the nearest restroom was several hundred meters away.

Mason Lawson was about to walk Eve Vaughn there, but Eric Kendall and the others started to heckle him.

"Really? She’s just going to the restroom," Eric Kendall said. "You’re babying her too much!"

Jonah Spencer chimed in, "Exactly. Any more of this and Eve Vaughn will forget how to feed herself."

Hamilton Hale didn’t say anything, but he felt a little sorry for Eve Vaughn.

’The happier she is now, the more she’ll suffer later,’ he mused.

Amidst all the teasing, Eve Vaughn’s face turned bright red. She didn’t want to be the center of their jokes.

So, she told Mason Lawson, "I know the way, don’t worry."

With that, she grabbed some tissues and ran off in the direction of the restroom.

Mason Lawson’s gaze remained fixed on the direction Eve Vaughn had disappeared in.

Eric Kendall tugged his sleeve. "Come on, really? You can’t stand being apart for even a minute? She’s just going to the bathroom!"

However, a full twenty minutes passed, and Eve Vaughn still hadn’t returned.

Mason Lawson was starting to get anxious. He was about to call Eve Vaughn, but Mia Kendall pointed to a phone on the picnic blanket and said, "Looks like Evie left her phone here."

So, Mason Lawson said to Eric Kendall, "You guys go ahead and eat. I’m going to look for her. What if she got lost?"

Eric Kendall was exasperated. He pointed to a lit-up building in the distance. "That’s the restroom over there. It’s a straight shot from here. How could she get lost?"

But this time, Mason Lawson was firm. "It’s already dark, and this area is isolated. I don’t feel right about it."

And with that, he went off to find her himself.

Eric Kendall and the others were still laughing at him for being so overprotective of Eve Vaughn.

But a moment later, a call came from Mason Lawson, and the color drained from everyone’s faces.

"Evie’s not in the restroom. Eric Kendall, pull up the resort’s security footage right now. I want to know where she is!"

Eric Kendall was stunned.

Just a moment ago he’d thought Mason Lawson was making a big deal out of nothing, but hearing the sheer urgency in his voice, he knew this was serious.

All thoughts of the barbecue forgotten, the group rushed to the security room.

To their surprise, the security room was in chaos.

"Young Mr. Kendall, just a moment ago, our surveillance system was hacked. We can’t see anything."

Eric Kendall was stunned. Their surveillance system used top-of-the-line equipment; an ordinary hacker shouldn’t have been able to breach it.

This meant the perpetrator had come prepared—specifically for Eve Vaughn.

Everything had happened so fast. Eric Kendall looked at Mason Lawson’s dark expression and said guiltily, "I’m sorry, Mason. I never imagined something like this could happen at my resort."

After all, the resort had surveillance, 24-hour security patrols, and was a largely closed environment. There had never been a single case of someone going missing.

Regina Shaw and Mia Kendall, realizing the gravity of the situation, began to panic.

Mia Kendall burst into tears. "What are we going to do? This has to be deliberate... Was Evie kidnapped?"

Regina Shaw said, blaming herself, "I should have gone to the restroom with her."

Mason Lawson was desperately trying to remain calm, but his voice was trembling as he commanded, "Lock down the resort, effective immediately. No one gets out."

Jonah Spencer suggested, "We should call the police! We have to do it now. How are we supposed to control all these guests by ourselves? They’re here on vacation. If you try to lock them in, the difficult ones will never agree."

Hamilton Hale agreed. "We have to call the police. People will only cooperate with an investigation if the authorities are involved. And about the surveillance footage, Eric Kendall, is there any way you can restore the last half hour?"

"I’ll contact a technical expert."

Eric Kendall was already stepping aside to make the call as he spoke.

Mason Lawson was about to call the police when his phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number.

The call came so suddenly he had no time to prepare, no way to even get technicians to trace the signal.

But he was too worried about Eve Vaughn’s safety. Mason Lawson had to answer.

A distorted voice came through the receiver. "Hello, Mr. Lawson. We have no intention of harming Miss Vaughn. We’ve simply invited her over to propose a trade."

Mason Lawson gritted his teeth and spat out a single word: "Speak."

"Tanya Thorne isn’t dead. If we’re not mistaken, she’s in your possession right now, Mr. Lawson. If you want to save Miss Vaughn, it’s quite simple. You will trade Tanya Thorne for her. That is the only way."

Mason Lawson gripped his phone so tightly it seemed it might shatter in his hand.

He never imagined their condition would be for him to trade his own mother for Eve Vaughn.