Collide Into Ruin

Chapter 40 The Art of Interference

Three weeks had passed since the casting for Jason Kingsley's latest film was announced. To the surprise of absolutely no one—except maybe Sabrina Rae herself—she had landed only a minor role. A small bruise to her ego, but nothing that could keep her down for long.

Now, gathered around a long table for the first read-through, scripts in hand and egos barely contained, the cast was interrupted by the telltale chime of a group message.

Sabrina's voice practically leaped off the screen:

"Darlings, pack your bags and bring your most fabulous selves—because this birthday weekend is about to be legendary!"

Her words rang through like a golden bell of mischief, dripping with excess and promise.

Roxanne barely glanced at her phone before rolling her eyes. "Oh boy. What fresh chaos is she stirring up now?"

Lily, however, sucked in a sharp breath and grabbed Roxanne's arm. "No, listen! It's at the Emerald Bay Resort. The Emerald Bay, Roxy!" Her voice was teetering on scandalized awe. "This isn't just some overpriced hotel—it's basically paradise wrapped in exclusivity. The beaches, the colors, the stones—Roxy, the stones."

Roxanne gave her a sidelong glance. "And here we go with your obsession with shiny things."

"You don't understand!" Lily pressed on, practically vibrating. "These aren't just beach pebbles. They're polished by the tide until the entire shoreline looks like some magical, adults-only Disneyland." She turned pleading eyes on Roxanne. "You have to come. And so does Emilia. If she's marrying into the Kingsley family, she probably has VIP access, right?"

Roxanne arched a brow. "So now we're using Em's engagement as a glorified all-access pass?"

Lily didn't even blink. "I mean... isn't that what friends are for?"

"You're diabolical."

"And yet, here we are."

Meanwhile, across the table, Sabrina was still radiating pure smugness over her own big announcement. "Oh, and guess who's joining us?" She barely gave anyone time to blink before dramatically answering herself. "The Ryder Evans. Marvel's finest superhero and, more importantly, a certified snack. I basically willed this into existence with the sheer power of my badass-ness."

Roxanne sighed. "Of course, you did. And let me guess, you've cooked up some extravagant, over-the-top scheme that will either end in VIP luxury or us getting politely escorted out of a five-star resort?"

Sabrina gasped, clutching her chest like she'd just been personally attacked. "Roxy, how dare you doubt me?"

"Easily."

Lily grinned. "Come on, Roxy. If you don't come, who's going to roll their eyes at Sabrina in real-time?"

Roxanne groaned, then smirked. "Fine. But if this turns into some ridiculous, rich-people soap opera, I reserve the right to stand dramatically by a window and whisper, 'I told you so.'"

Sabrina clapped her hands together. "Honey, it's already a soap opera. Now, let's get packing!"

Right on cue, the door swung open, and in walked Jason Kingsley, all effortless swagger and hair that somehow looked professionally tousled by angels. He barely had time to say hello before Sabrina's eyes lit up like she'd just spotted a designer handbag on clearance.

Straightening her posture, she practically purred, "Well, well, if it isn't my favorite Kingsley." She flashed a dazzling smile. "Jason, darling, you are coming to my birthday weekend, right?"

Jason arched a brow. "That depends. Will there be cake?"

Sabrina gasped, scandalized. "Will there be cake? You wound me! Of course, there will be cake. And champagne. And fireworks. But most importantly—me." She batted her lashes, all but draping herself in manufactured charm. "You wouldn't dare say no."

From the couch, Lily snorted. Roxanne barely contained a laugh.

Jason glanced at them before turning back to Sabrina, lips quirking in amusement. "Alright, I'll come. But only if I can bring some friends."

For just a fraction of a second, Sabrina's mask slipped. She already knew exactly who he meant.

"Oh." She recovered quickly, a tight smile smoothing over her features. "You mean Emilia, don't you?"

Jason smirked. "Among others."

Sabrina let out a dramatic sigh but waved a dismissive hand. "Fine, fine. Bring your plus one or whatever."

"Appreciate it," Jason said, winking before turning to leave.

As he passed Lily and Roxanne, he gave them both an amused glance. "So... should I let my sister-in-law know she's been summoned, or will you?" His grin was downright devilish.

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'll do it. I live for watching Sabrina suffer."

Lily beamed. "And I live for the beach stones! Everybody wins."

Jason chuckled. "You guys are something else."

Sabrina huffed, flipping her hair with dramatic flair. "I don't suffer, Roxy. I thrive."

And with that, the countdown to chaos officially began.

________________________________________

A few minutes later, Roxanne pulled out her phone and shot Emilia a quick text. Come to Emerald Bay with me this weekend. It'll be fun.

Emilia's reply was almost immediate. Not sure. I have so much wedding stuff to do.

Roxanne frowned, showing the message to Lily and Jason. "She's drowning in wedding planning."

Jason huffed, already pulling out his own phone. "Alright, time to call dear big brother and fix this."

He put the phone on speaker, and after a few rings, Henry's voice came through, amused and suspicious. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this call?"

Jason smirked. "Because you know me so well."

"What do you want?"

"Can I take Emilia to one of her many new locations this weekend?"

There was a pause. "Her locations?"

Jason leaned back smugly. "Yeah, you know-since we've already given her about five to eight of our stocks, she should at least see some of them."

Henry exhaled a laugh. "Are you trying to steal my fiancée, little brother?"

Jason grinned. "Tempting, but no. She just gets me. I like her. She's cool people."

Henry snorted. "Fine. But make sure she actually relaxes. No stressing over wedding nonsense."

Jason smirked at Roxanne and Lily. "Oh, don't worry. We've got that covered."

Henry sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Jason leaned back with a satisfied smirk, tossing his phone onto the couch. "Alright, that's handled. Emilia's in."

Roxanne arched an eyebrow. "You didn't really give her a choice."

"Exactly," Jason said, grinning. "It's called looking out for family. Something Henry should appreciate."

As if on cue, Henry's voice rang out from Jason's phone, still on speaker. "I'm still here, you idiot."

Lily snorted. "How does it feel knowing your little brother just ran circles around you?"

"Oh, trust me, I've had years to get used to it." Henry's tone was dry. "Doesn't mean I enjoy it."

Jason stretched out on the couch, looking far too pleased with himself. "Hey, don't think of it as me outmaneuvering you. Think of it as me generously keeping your future wife from a wedding-induced meltdown. You should be thanking me."

Henry hummed. "Mm. Fine. Thank you, Jason, for interfering with my fiancée's meticulous planning."

Jason shot Roxanne a knowing look. "See? That sounded heartfelt."

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Sure. Very touching."

Henry sighed. "Just don't let her come back more stressed than when she left."

"Dude, have some faith," Jason said, feigning offense. "Lily, back me up here."

Lily, who had been watching the exchange like an amused spectator, shrugged. "You're not exactly known for calming influences, Jace."

Jason scoffed. "Harsh."

Roxanne smirked. "Accurate."

Henry's chuckle came through the speaker. "Alright, I'll leave you to it. Try not to get her arrested."

Jason grinned. "No promises. Oh, and by the way-since Emilia's going, maybe you should tag along. You know, keep your bride company, make sure she doesn't run away after spending a weekend with us."

There was a beat of silence. Then, Henry groaned. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jason said smoothly. "I'm just saying, you work too much. A little getaway wouldn't kill you."

"And being stuck with you wouldn't kill you?" Henry countered.

Jason shrugged. "No one's died yet."

"Yet," Henry repeated, sighing. "Fine. I'll think about it."

Jason smirked at Roxanne and Lily as he hung up. "That means yes."

Lily laughed. "You really do play him like a fiddle."

Jason grinned. "That's what little brothers are for."

______________________________________

Henry shook his head as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple before pulling out his phone. With a sigh, he dialed Levi, his ever-efficient secretary.

"Sir?" Levi's crisp voice answered immediately.

"Go over my schedule for this weekend," Henry instructed, already suspecting the issue.

There was a pause before Levi responded. "You have a meeting with the Blackwoods scheduled for Saturday morning."

Henry exhaled sharply. "Right. Call their office and reschedule it. Make arrangements to hold it at the Kingsley Resort instead. If necessary, offer to cover their boat fare."

"Understood," Levi replied, promptly making the call. A few minutes later, he returned with an update. "Sir, the Blackwoods have agreed to the new location. They declined the offer to cover the boat fare and said it wasn't necessary. They even chuckled and assured me they'd be there."

Henry shook his head, smirking. "Of course they did. Alright, good work, Levi."

"Thank you, sir. I'll adjust the schedule accordingly."

Henry hung up and leaned back in his chair, muttering to himself. "Jason better appreciate this."

With another sigh, Henry pulled out his phone again and dialed his mother.

"Henry!" Linda's voice rang out warmly as she answered almost immediately. "You never call just to chat. What's going on?"

Henry chuckled. "Nice to hear from you too, Mom. Listen, are you and Dad going to be at the Emerald Bay this weekend?"

"Oh, we were thinking about it," Linda said, excitement creeping into her voice. "Why? Are you finally taking a break?"

"Something like that. I'm bringing Emilia, and I'd love to have dinner with you and Dad if you're around."

There was a delighted gasp. "Henry, that's wonderful! Oh, I've been wanting to spend more time with Emilia. She's such a sweetheart. Are you sure you're not just calling to butter me up?"

Henry shook his head with a smirk. "Mom, I'm not Jason. I don't need to butter you up."

Linda laughed. "True, true. But this makes me so happy! We'll absolutely be there. I'll make sure your father knows-it's been too long since we had a proper family dinner."

Henry smiled despite himself. "Thanks, Mom. Looking forward to it."

"Me too, sweetheart. Now, don't work too hard before then, alright? And try to actually enjoy yourself."

"No promises," Henry teased before hanging up.

As he set his phone down, he couldn't help but feel a little lighter. Maybe Jason had a point after all.

_____________________

Meanwhile, Emilia sat in their newly renovated kitchen, surrounded by an organized mess of wedding notes, checklists, and her laptop. A pen was tucked behind her ear, and her hair was haphazardly pinned up, the clear sign of someone deep in planning mode. She looked like a college student cramming for finals as she meticulously typed out details while simultaneously checking things off her never-ending list.

The sudden ping of a new text message pulled her out of her daze. Blinking, she reached for her phone, and as soon as she saw Henry's name on the screen, a slow smile spread across her lips.

She bit her lip, already knowing where this was going.

Emilia shook her head, chuckling. This has Jason's brainless brain scheme written all over it.

Henry smirked at his phone, satisfaction flooding his chest. As he got ready to leave the office, he sent another quick message.

Henry chuckled to himself as he grabbed his coat, turning to his assistant. "Cayden, go pick up everything I need for the lamb dish. I want everything perfect."

Cayden nodded. "Right away, sir."

Oh, Henry was more than ready to go home.

Before heading out, Henry sent one last text to Jason.