"It wasn't me who bought it. One of the resort's shareholders decided to sell his stake and bought it under his own name. People outside are suspicious of me, but why would you doubt me? If I really wanted to buy it, I would have asked for your opinion first."
"Really?"
"No. Maybe at first, people would speculate, but it really wasn't me who bought it, and anyone can check," Jayson said calmly, not showing any anger or emotion.
"Then why are you in such a hurry to get me out?"
"Are you questioning me now? Am I really that untrustworthy?" Jayson looked into her eyes, a trace of helplessness in his gaze.
"I'm not questioning you, I just have too many questions I want answers to." Sidney realized she was too agitated, her tone wasn't great, so she softened it.
"Don't you already know? Outsiders have dragged you into this, and the Calderon family believes her death is tied to you. I don't want you staying in such a toxic place—what's wrong with taking you away?"
"She's still my dad's wife. Shouldn't I show some respect? To everyone else, she's my mom."
"You don't get it, they are out for blood. You really think they'd let you go? Do you know what she wrote in her will? She cursed us—said she'd make sure we never had peace, even in death. Why put yourself through that? If they want to turn things ugly, let them. Why be scared? You've got me. As long as I'm around, they won't lay a finger on you!"
"So you think the best thing for me right now is to go abroad?"
"Yes, I've taken care of everything here. The goal is for you to not worry about anything, just follow me and relax. When the Calderon family settles things, if you still want to go, I'll take you to offer incense."
Sidney sat there, thinking for a long time, unsure whether she should agree. But without his help, she didn't know how she would handle this situation.
After a long while, she sighed.
"Alright, I'll do it your way." She stood up, quickly changed into something more appropriate for going out, bent down to grab her suitcase, and stood there in silence, not saying another word.
Jayson stood up, gathered his things, changed clothes, then took her suitcase and carried it downstairs.
As they got into the car, he gently rubbed her cheek. "Don't worry, just enjoy yourself. I've got everything handled here."
To avoid being recognized, they didn't take Jayson's own car but instead a van they had never seen before. They grabbed their passports, passed through security with ease, and soon settled into their first-class seats, leaving everything behind as the plane took off.
When they arrived in Sunny Bay, Sidney really wasn't in the mood to enjoy the scenery. However, Jayson acted as if nothing was wrong, pulling her from one craft store to another, then dragging her to buy some local clothes, trying hard to distract her from the unhappy things.
At the villa, they were warmly welcomed with fruit and pastries. Sidney barely ate some fruit before saying she felt dizzy and wanted to rest in her room.
Jayson led her to their private suite, a spacious area complete with a large room, a pool, and a stunning observation deck.
The scenery was beautiful, everything seemed so perfect—if only that incident hadn't happened. Sidney thought to herself.
She sat inside the princess tent, looking up at the cream-colored fabric. It truly was as dreamy as a fairy tale. A sudden thought crossed her mind—what if she could stay here forever, escape it all, and never have to go back?
After confirming that she was physically fine, Jayson stripped off his clothes and jumped into the pool in just his swim trunks, swimming around leisurely.
Sidney turned and watched the man under the bright sunlight. As he swam the butterfly stroke, his back tattoos appeared and disappeared. She lifted her feet, walked to the edge of the pool, sat down, dipped her feet in the water, and admired his graceful swimming style.
Suddenly, he swam aggressively toward her, grabbing her ankles and pulling her into the water. Sidney was startled, letting out a loud scream. She instinctively clung to his neck, wrapping herself around him like a koala.
He smiled.
He whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I've got you. I won't let anything hurt you. Trust me."
His words carried two meanings for her: one, to trust him now and not be afraid; and two, to stop thinking about anything else.
She slapped his back nervously. "That was terrifying, do you know that? What if I had a miscarriage from being scared by you?!"
"Come on! The water is so shallow! What's there to be afraid of? And besides, I'm here!"
"I don't care! I'm mad!" Sidney was drenched, desperately pushing him to let her get to shore.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong. Don't be mad, my dear wife. Can I not pamper you enough?" Jayson spoke with a tone of playful pleading, something Sidney had never heard from him before, sending shivers down her spine.
