Meanwhile, Mia Kendall was on the verge of a complete breakdown.

It was bad enough that Mason Lawson had taken Eve Vaughn and disappeared, but now that jerk Eric Kendall had left too, completely ignoring the rat problem.

Mia Kendall ran to the front desk herself and asked if there were any other rooms available.

The answer was no. There were no vacant rooms left.

Furious, Mia Kendall ran to Eric Kendall’s room and pounded on the door.

The door was opened by an unfamiliar woman, likely Eric Kendall’s latest conquest.

She had the innocent look of a delicate flower, but her words were sharp enough to choke someone. "Who are you? Young Mr. Kendall said it would just be me tonight. Don’t tell me you’re here for a threesome?"

"Threesome my ass!" Mia Kendall cursed. "Get Eric Kendall out here now!"

The "delicate flower" smirked, sizing her up. "Last year, Young Mr. Kendall might have been into the fiery type, but this year, he’s into the innocent look. Your whole persona is way out of date."

Mia Kendall couldn’t be bothered to waste her breath on the woman. She shoved her aside and stormed into the suite.

Eric Kendall was just stepping out of the bathroom. Seeing Mia Kendall in his room, he immediately clutched his bathrobe tighter and snapped, "Mia Kendall, don’t tell me you got the room number wrong again? What are you doing in my room?"

Mia Kendall froze for a second. She’d just realized that Eric Kendall’s physique was actually quite good.

It was no wonder; after all, he worked out regularly.

’Besides, if he didn’t keep his body in good shape, how could he possibly sleep with so many women?’

Just then, the "delicate flower" ran over and snuggled up against Eric Kendall, asking in a whiny, coquettish voice, "Young Mr. Kendall, who is this? How do you know such a vulgar woman?"

Eric Kendall snorted coldly. "Don’t mind her. Mia Kendall, if you know what’s good for you, get the hell out of my room now!"

Mia Kendall shot him a contemptuous look. "You think I want to be here? The rat problem in my room—you’re just going to ignore it, is that right? Eric Kendall, don’t you forget, you’re the owner of Crimson Spring Resort!"

Eric Kendall couldn’t be bothered with her nonsense. ’What a stupid girl,’ he thought. ’She still hasn’t figured out that I did it on purpose!’

’I’m going to teach her a good lesson, so she’ll learn not to mess with me again. She needs to learn her place!’

With that, Eric Kendall dragged Mia Kendall out the door and threw her out, then viciously slammed the door shut.

"Eric Kendall!"

Mia Kendall pounded on his door with all her might, but it was useless.

Defeated, Mia Kendall had no choice but to call a cab in the middle of the night and make a miserable retreat from Crimson Spring Resort.

She simply couldn’t stay in a place like that. Just thinking about those huge rats made her skin crawl.

Before she left, however, she took a video of the rats in her room.

Tomorrow, she was going to file a complaint with the consumer protection hotline.

If she just let this go and forgave Eric Kendall, she wouldn’t be Mia Kendall!

...

Mason Lawson was still wrapped up with Eve Vaughn, tangled together on the soft, large bed.

Even without taking full possession of her, he had his ways of leaving her suspended in a state of longing, her whole body flushed with a captivating blush.

How could an innocent, inexperienced young woman like Eve Vaughn possibly be his match?

Soon, she was utterly defeated, looking up at him with helpless, innocent, and reddened eyes. "Little Uncle... sob..."

"What do you want?"

The man nibbled her earlobe, his fingers moving with malicious intent.

Eve Vaughn felt like she was going to lose her mind. She could only hide in his arms, whimpering softly, too embarrassed to say it out loud.

Mason Lawson kissed her reddened earlobe. "I just told you not to call me ’Little Uncle.’ Call me something that pleases me, and I’ll make you feel good, alright?"

"Mr. Lawson... Mason Lawson..." Eve Vaughn’s voice was as faint as a buzzing mosquito. "Please..."

Mason Lawson kissed her lips again, giving her the satisfaction she craved.

The two of them whispered intimately and shared tender moments until the early hours of the morning before finally falling asleep.

The next day, the sun was already high in the sky when Eve Vaughn finally woke up.

By then, Mason Lawson had already finished a morning run around the resort and returned with breakfast for her.

"You’re awake?"

Mason Lawson placed the breakfast on the coffee table, kissed her forehead, and said, "Go freshen up. Come out and eat when you’re done."

Eve Vaughn stared at him in a daze. ’This man always looks so dapper and distinguished during the day, but at night, he says such lewd things and forces me to say them too.’

Just then, Mason Lawson narrowed his eyes at her. "I’ve noticed you blush at the drop of a hat lately. Tell me, what are you thinking about, hmm?"

Eve Vaughn quickly averted her gaze and scurried into the bathroom to freshen up, startled.

After washing up, she felt more awake and clear-headed, and she remembered Mia Kendall.

Eve Vaughn wanted to find Mia Kendall immediately, thinking that Eric Kendall must have given her a different room yesterday.

Unexpectedly, Mason Lawson said, "I heard from Eric Kendall this morning that Mia Kendall has already gone home. Don’t go looking for her. Sit down and eat first."

"Gone home?"

Eve Vaughn asked in disbelief, "When did she leave? Even if she went home, she would have told me."

Mason Lawson sounded slightly guilty as he said, "I heard there were no other rooms available yesterday, so Mia Kendall refused to sleep in her original room and left in the middle of the night."

Hearing this, Eve Vaughn was overwhelmed with guilt.

Last night, while she was here lost in romance with Mason Lawson, her best friend had gone home all alone.

It was painful just to think about.

She quickly called Mia Kendall, only to be met with a complaint from the other end. "Eve Vaughn, you’d ditch your best friend for a guy in a heartbeat! I don’t want to talk to you ever again."

She then told Eve Vaughn about how Eric Kendall had thrown her out of his room the night before.

"Mia, I’m so sorry..." Eve Vaughn said guiltily. "I never imagined Eric Kendall could be such a bastard."

Mia Kendall said furiously, "That damn jerk, I won’t let him get away with this! Anyway, I can’t talk right now, I’m still at the Administration for Market Regulation."

"The Administration for Market Regulation?" Eve Vaughn asked, startled. "What are you doing there?"

Mia Kendall gave a sly laugh. "You’ll find out in a few days!"

With Mia Kendall gone, Eve Vaughn had no desire to stay at the Crimson Spring Resort any longer.

And so, after breakfast, Mason Lawson took her home.

...

「A week later.」

Officials from the Administration for Market Regulation visited Crimson Spring Resort and issued an order for Eric Kendall to ’suspend operations for rectification.’

Since there were still many guests at the resort at the time, word quickly spread that Crimson Spring Resort was infested with rats and that its glamorous appearance was just a facade.

The rumor spread like wildfire, and just like that, the reputation of what was once Rivaster’s most glamorous hot spring resort was ruined.

「The Kendall Estate.」

Mia Kendall had just reached the front door of the house when she heard a furious roar from inside. It was Eric Kendall’s father, Philip Kendall. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"You damn bastard! You demanded so much investment from the main company to open some hot spring resort. Fine, I gave it to you! You said you’d turn a profit within a year, and now look! The resort has barely been open and it’s already been reported and shut down!"

Eric Kendall stood in the center of the living room, his usual breezy and cheerful demeanor gone.

The handsome lines of his face were drawn tight, and the hands at his sides were clenched into fists. He didn’t say a word.

Philip Kendall continued to rail against him. "I’ve said it before, a good-for-nothing like you is unworthy of our Kendall family bloodline! You’re useless at everything! Besides messing around with women, tell me, what else can you do?"

Eric Kendall suddenly looked up at his father, his eyes bloodshot, revealing a flicker of defiance and resentment.

"What are you looking at!"

Philip Kendall pointed at him. "You can’t accomplish anything on your own, and when I criticize you, you have the nerve to glare at me?"

Eric Kendall let out a scornful laugh. "You shouldn’t have brought me into this world in the first place. Or rather, you shouldn’t have ruined my mother’s life! If she had found another man, she wouldn’t have died and gone to heaven so young. I’d rather have never been born. Do you really think I want to be your son?"

Hearing this, Philip Kendall strode over in a few steps and slapped him hard across the face.

"Bastard!" Philip Kendall yelled, furious. "Your mother died of an illness!"

At that moment, Mrs. Kendall, who had been watching the spectacle from the side, feigned concern and walked over to her husband’s side. "Kendall, dear, let it go. Calm down," she said softly. "It’s not the first time Eric has been like this. If you get angry all the time, it will affect your health."

Eric Kendall endured the stinging pain on his cheek, narrowing his eyes at the hypocritical woman. The chilling look in his eyes genuinely startled Mrs. Kendall.

’Could it be?’ she wondered. ’Does this young wolf know something?’

Seeing that his son still refused to yield, Philip Kendall declared harshly, "From this day on, you are not to set foot in the Kendall Group again! And you won’t get another cent from this family. When you finally realize you were wrong and sincerely admit your mistake to me, only then will I consider restoring your position at the company!"

Expressionless, Eric Kendall said nothing. He turned and walked straight out, as if he couldn’t bear to stay in that house a second longer.

As he reached the doorway, he happened to see Mia Kendall standing in the entryway.

A vicious glint flashed in Eric Kendall’s dark eyes. Others might not know who filed the report, but he knew perfectly well.

An inexplicable wave of guilt washed over Mia Kendall. She quickly lowered her head, for the first time unable to meet Eric Kendall’s gaze with her usual righteous confidence.