There were only four of them for lunch, so they chose a small square table.

Mia Kendall had wanted to sit with Eve Vaughn, but Mason Lawson pulled Eve right to his side.

Mia Kendall was a little unhappy about it, but Mason Lawson’s presence was so imposing that she didn’t dare object.

And so, Eric and Mia Kendall reluctantly sat next to each other.

The disgust and revulsion they felt for each other were written all over their faces. Eve Vaughn was afraid they were going to start a fight right there at the table.

So, she picked up the pitcher of iced orange juice and poured some into their glasses. "Here, drink something cold. Cool off a little."

Mia Kendall snapped, "He can’t drink orange juice."

Eve Vaughn paused and asked, puzzled, "You mean Young Mr. Kendall can’t drink orange juice?"

Seeing her confusion, Mason Lawson explained for Mia, "Eric is allergic to oranges."

Eve Vaughn smiled and said to Mia Kendall, "You seem to know Young Mr. Kendall pretty well!"

Mia Kendall’s face flushed with embarrassment. ’I shouldn’t have said anything! I should’ve just let that jerk Eric have a reaction and itch himself to death!’

’And now, to top it all off, even my best friend is mercilessly teasing me!’

Even Eric Kendall looked a bit embarrassed.

He quickly changed the subject. "Eve Vaughn, are you going to renovate that villa of yours or not? I found a designer for you, and then you said you weren’t going through with it. Are you just messing with me?"

Eve Vaughn had previously decided against redecorating because she was planning to sell the villa.

But now that Mason Lawson had helped her with her financial difficulties, she no longer needed to sell it.

So, Eve Vaughn looked toward Mason Lawson, as if seeking his opinion.

’After all, I hadn’t even told him when I was planning to sell it before, and he seemed upset that I’d made such a big decision on my own.’

That’s why this time, her first instinct was to ask for his opinion.

Mason Lawson seemed to appreciate the young woman’s deference. A corner of his mouth lifted as he said softly, "If you want to renovate it, let him do it for you. There’s no need to save him money. But that villa was left to you by your father. I imagine you’d want to restore it to how it looked when he was still with you."

Their exchange filled the air with the cloying sweetness of a budding romance, much to the chagrin of the other two singles at the table.

Mia Kendall thought, ’Older men really do seem to be more considerate.’

She remembered how, back when Julian Lawson was dating Eve Vaughn, he’d been head over heels in love with her, but he was emotionally unstable and always needed a woman to coddle him.

In the end, Eve Vaughn decided to go ahead with the renovation.

Eric Kendall said, "Then it’s settled. Don’t you dare back out again, or the designer will think I’m crazy."

「That evening」

They finally got to experience the resort’s famous hot springs.

Eric Kendall suggested, "Mason, how about we get a private spring for you and Eve Vaughn?"

Mason Lawson, of course, had no objections. In fact, he couldn’t have been happier about the idea.

But Mia Kendall immediately stepped in to shield Eve Vaughn, saying to Eric, "You think everyone’s a dirty scoundrel like you? President Lawson is a true gentleman!"

Her pointed comment completely blocked off that path for Mason Lawson. ’How am I supposed to say I want to be in the hot spring with Eve now?’

And just like that, Mia Kendall dragged Eve Vaughn off to their own private pool, with several large screens separating them from Eric Kendall and Mason Lawson.

Mason Lawson was fuming! He didn’t even get to see the tantalizing sight of Eve Vaughn in a swimsuit.

Meanwhile, Eve Vaughn and Mia Kendall were relaxing and enjoying themselves in their own steaming hot spring pool.

A nearby stone table was laden with fresh, seasonal fruit.

The two of them couldn’t have been more content, sharing secrets like the best friends they were.

Just then, Mia Kendall suddenly thought of something. "Evie," she asked, "at lunch, did Eric really say he’d pay to renovate your villa? Since when are you two so close?"

Eve Vaughn quickly replied, "Who’s close with him? It was just because of what happened at Mason Lawson’s birthday party. He messed up so badly that Mason almost cut ties with him. He only offered to do this because he wanted me to put in a good word for him."

Mia Kendall’s eyes lit up in understanding. A moment later, she said thoughtfully, "In that case, we should really take him for a ride!"

"Should we really do that?"

Eve Vaughn said hesitantly, "I already feel bad enough that he’s willing to pay for my renovation. After all, redoing that whole villa is probably going to cost a fortune."

"What’s there to be afraid of?" Mia Kendall said. "He has so much money, this is less than a drop in the bucket to him. Besides... hehe, I actually have a secret of my own, and I need your help with it."

"Tell me," Eve Vaughn said, waiting curiously for her to continue.

Mia Kendall said, enunciating each word, "I bought a house."

"Wha—what? You bought a house?" Eve Vaughn asked in astonishment. "But you’ve always lived at home. Did you buy it yourself, or did your mother pay for it?"

"I did, of course!" Mia Kendall said proudly. "I saved up all my New Year’s money and the cash from other red envelopes over the years. I scraped together two million. Housing prices in Rivaster are too high, so for now I just bought a small, old, run-down place. But since all my money went into buying the house, I don’t have anything left for renovations."

Following her train of thought, Eve Vaughn said, "So you’re saying... while Eric is renovating my place, he could renovate yours at the same time?"

Mia Kendall nodded her head eagerly, like a woodpecker pecking at a tree. "Exactly! When the time comes, for the renovation materials—like latex paint and all that—you just order a little extra and give me the surplus. It should be enough for my place."

Although Eve Vaughn felt it wasn’t right, Mia Kendall was her best friend, and she couldn’t bring herself to refuse her.

"But I don’t get it. Why buy a house all of a sudden? Are you planning to move out and be on your own?" Eve Vaughn asked, voicing her confusion. "Does your mother know? Did she approve?"

At the mention of this, Mia Kendall’s eyes fell, and a hint of melancholy crept into her voice. "Of course I kept it from her. I’m graduating from the Film Academy next year, right? But now, every time I go home, my mom warns me not to become some lowly actress and bring shame to the Kendall Family. She’s only given me two options. The first is to go on blind dates and find a husband from a family of similar standing so that when Baby Kendall grows up, I can help support him. The second is to go intern at the Kendall Group. She said she’d talk to Mr. Kendall and get me an official position."

Eve Vaughn seemed to understand. "So your mother means you have to start paving the way for your brother’s future now? Whether it’s the blind dates or working at the Kendall Group, it’s all to lay the foundation for Baby Kendall’s future."

"Exactly. So, sometimes I can’t even blame Eric for hating my mom so much. She brings it all on herself!"

Mia Kendall heaved a deep sigh. "I’m not even related by blood to the Kendall family. How could I have the nerve to work at Mr. Kendall’s company? The Kendall Group is a Fortune 500 enterprise. With my degree, wouldn’t I just be a laughingstock? That’s why I think I have to move out. If I have my own place, I can avoid going home every day and listening to my mom’s nagging."

Eve Vaughn’s heart ached for her. In the end, she agreed to Mia Kendall’s request, wanting to help her escape that troubled home as soon as possible.

’Still, she felt that secretly fleecing Eric Kendall like this was a bit dishonorable.’

’But if Eric knew it was to help Mia, he definitely wouldn’t pay a single extra cent!’

「Meanwhile」

In another hot spring pool, Eric Kendall and Mason Lawson were talking business.

"Mason, what do you think of my resort? Got potential?"

Eric Kendall proudly laid out his grand blueprint for the project, concluding with, "Next year, I plan to buy that plot of land nearby and build a horse ranch. The profits could double! It’s just... I’m a little short on capital."

Mason Lawson picked up a glass of red wine, took an unhurried sip, and said, "I knew it. You were so insistent that I come and experience this for myself. Turns out you just want me to invest?"

"It’s a partnership, okay?" Eric Kendall said indignantly. "Do you have any idea how many people have their eyes on this project? Countless people have come to me begging for a partnership, and I turned them all down, saving this opportunity for my best friend. And you go and misunderstand me like this. That’s cold, man!"

Over the years, Mason Lawson had become well aware of Eric Kendall’s capabilities.

It was often a matter of Eric not wanting to do something, rather than being unable to do it.

Take this resort, for example. Eric had only started planning it last year, but once he got serious, it took him just over a year to turn it into a nationally renowned vacation destination.

Even now, outside of the holidays, there was no shortage of tourists vacationing at the Crimson Spring Resort.

"Investing isn’t out of the question," Mason Lawson said, shooting Eric a meaningful glance. "But you invited me to bring Eve Vaughn here for a getaway, and yet here I am, soaking in a pool with you. What’s the deal with that?"

Eric Kendall paused for a second, then burst out laughing. "Right, right, I get it. But you can’t blame me for this. Weren’t you two the ones who brought that little brat along?"

Mason Lawson never would have guessed that Mia Kendall would be so clingy. She stuck to Eve Vaughn so closely she probably followed her to the bathroom.

He shot a look at Eric Kendall. "So what’s the plan?"

"I have a plan. I’ll make sure you have a warm, beautiful woman in your arms tonight. Don’t worry!"

Eric Kendall winked at him. "You keep soaking. I’ll be right back."

He then walked to the door, called over a staff member, and whispered something in their ear.