Chapter 68 Tick, Tick, Boom
Henry lay sprawled across the bed, one arm lazily draped over his forehead, his other hand idly scrolling through his phone. The curtains billowed slightly from the warm island breeze, carrying the distant sounds of the resort below. His lips twisted into a smirk as he read through a few messages from Jason—something about swim trunks being a "life-defining choice." Idiot. He huffed a small laugh and tossed the phone onto the nightstand.
The door creaked open, and he barely had time to glance up before Emilia stepped inside. Sun-kissed, her hair slightly damp from the ocean air, she looked effortlessly stunning. His smirk deepened.
"Hey, baby."
"Hey, yourself," she smiles, kicking off her sandals before making her way over to him. "Miss me?"
Henry rolled onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow. "Not even a little bit," he teased, reaching for her wrist and pulling her onto the bed with ease.
Emilia let out a soft squeal as she landed against his chest, his arms locking around her waist. She lifted her head to meet his gaze, the playful glint in his blue eyes sending warmth curling through her stomach.
"Liar," she accused, tracing a slow finger down the center of his bare chest.
Henry's hand slid up her back, fingers toying with the loose strap of her sundress. "Maybe a little," he murmured, his lips brushing against her jawline. "You smell like the ocean."
"Sabrina and I went exploring, after chatting" she admitted, breath hitching as he kissed just beneath her ear. "But now I want to go to the Emerald Oasis."
Henry groaned, letting his head fall back onto the pillow dramatically. "Or... hear me out... we stay here. Just us. No chlorine. No screaming Jason. No one bothering us."
Emilia laughed, poking his side. "But I want to swim! Everyone's going. It'll be fun."
He sighed, rolling them over so she was pinned beneath him, his weight deliciously warm. "We could have fun right here," he suggested, his voice husky as he brushed a strand of hair from her face.
Emilia's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Tempting." She trailed her fingers over his shoulders before pushing lightly at his chest. "But I really want to go."
Henry groaned again, this time in defeat, burying his face against her neck. "You're cruel."
She giggled, running her hands through his hair. "I'll make it up to you later."
His lips found hers in a slow, teasing kiss, as if testing whether she might change her mind. When she pulled away with a playful arch of her brow, he sighed and pulled back. "Fine. But if Jason or Beau does anything stupid, I'm dragging you back here."
"Deal." She grinned and slid out from under him, heading toward her bag. "Now go put on your swim trunks."
Henry watched her for a moment before shaking his head with a smirk. "You better be glad you're cute."
She turned to wink at him. "Oh, I am."
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The natural pools were even more breathtaking than Emilia imagined. Towering waterfalls cascaded into the water, their misty spray cooling the warm air. Vibrant wildflowers lined the rocky ledges, and ivy-covered caves peeked out from behind the falls, making the entire place feel like something out of a dream.
Jason was already in the water, dramatically flipping his wet hair back like some kind of magazine model. "Oh yeah," he said smugly. "That was definitely hot."
"Yeah, if you're into drowning," Beau shot back, standing at the edge of the pool with his arms crossed. "What the hell was that?"
Jason pointed at him. "Jealousy looks ugly on you, brother."
Beau rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, Lily ran past him and shoved Jason straight back into the water.
He surfaced with a splutter. "LILY!"
She beamed, hands on her hips. "Oops?"
Henry snorted as he and Emilia approached, fingers laced together. His parents were already settled under a shaded pavilion, chatting with the others.
For now, nothing else mattered.
It was the perfect day.
Roxanne stood at the water's edge, laughing as Jason wiped his soaked face. "That was the most ungraceful thing I've ever seen."
Jason turned to her, brows furrowing. "Okay, but was it—" He flexed his arms dramatically. "—hot?"
Roxanne pursed her lips as if contemplating. "Mmm... no."
Jason groaned, sinking back into the water. "Tragic."
Beau shook his head. "You're literally the worst."
Jason suddenly perked up, glancing between his brother and Lily. "You know what's tragic?" He smirked. "How oblivious you are to Lily's many charms."
Lily, mid-drink from a soda can, choked. "Excuse me?"
Beau turned to Jason, deadpan. "Do not."
Jason grinned. "Oh, I will." He waggled his eyebrows. "Admit it, Beau. You think Lily's cute."
Beau scoffed. "She's like a sister to me."
Jason gasped theatrically, turning to Lily. "Oh no. You've been sister-zoned."
Lily narrowed her eyes before smirking. "Your funeral." She leaped at Jason, sending him underwater once more.
Henry chuckled, pulling Emilia closer. "You sure you wanted to come to this circus?"
She smiled up at him. "Absolutely."
He sighed dramatically before pressing a kiss to her temple. "Fine. But next time, I'm keeping you all to myself."
She squeezed his hand, grinning. "We'll see."
Jason was standing waist-deep in the pool, running his hands through his wet hair like he was in some kind of slow-motion shampoo commercial.
Roxanne, floating lazily nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Oh, absolutely," she purred, swimming a little closer.
Jason smirked. "Knew you'd see it my way."
She tilted her head, trailing a finger through the water, her voice all honey and mischief. "You know, Jason... I never really noticed before, but up close, you've got really nice eyes."
Jason blinked, taken off guard. "I—wait, really?" He grinned, leaning in slightly. "Well, I do get compliments—"
SPLASH.
Lily popped up right behind him, grinning like a shark. "Gotcha."
Before Jason could react, Roxanne grabbed his shoulder, Lily grabbed the other, and with a synchronized shove, they dunked him straight underwater.
A chaotic mess of bubbles and flailing arms followed before Jason resurfaced, gasping. "BETRAYAL!" he sputtered, blinking water out of his eyes.
Roxanne was already laughing, high-fiving Lily. "Textbook execution."
Lily nodded. "Flawless teamwork."
Jason wiped his soaked face, glaring between them. "Flirting was a TRAP?"
Roxanne smirked. "Oh, honey." She patted his cheek condescendingly. "Flirting is always a trap."
Lily beamed. "And you always fall for it."
Jason groaned, dunking himself back under the water to hide his shame.
Jason was still sulking, floating in the water like a sad starfish. "You people are menaces."
Beau, still dry, smirked from the ledge. "Says the guy who just tried—and failed—to smolder his way into a modeling contract."
Jason pointed at him. "You're just mad because—"
Lily cut him off by casually dumping an entire bottle of water over his head.
Jason flailed, spluttering. "LILY!"
She gasped in mock innocence. "Oh no! Did you get wetter? In the water? Tragic!"
Roxanne cackled as Jason dramatically rolled over, floating belly-down like a drowned cat. "Your suffering fuels me," she said gleefully.
Beau snorted. "I second that."
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Meanwhile, Henry had been quietly enjoying the view—his arm wrapped around Emilia, whose smile was as radiant as the sun above them—until Sabrina suddenly whistled.
"Alright, we're all thinking it," she said, hands on her hips. "Who wants to see Henry get dunked?"
Henry straightened. "Excuse me?"
Emilia looked up at him, considering. Then, very sweetly, she whispered, "For the greater good?"
Henry turned to her, eyes narrowing. "Et tu, Em?"
That was all it took.
Lily and Roxanne lunged first, but Henry was quick—years of dodging his chaotic family had given him expert survival skills. He spun, ducking Lily's grasp and sidestepping Roxanne, narrowly avoiding their attempts to push him in.
But he didn't account for Sabrina.
She tackled him from behind like a linebacker, and before he could react, he was airborne.
SPLASH!
The entire pool erupted with laughter as Henry surfaced, shaking his head, water dripping down his face.
Beau wiped a tear from his face. "That was beautiful."
Jason, finally feeling avenged, threw his arms up. "JUSTICE!"
Then—
Linda, from her seat under the pavilion, clapped her hands together, beaming. "Oh, I do love seeing my future daughter-in-law enjoy herself!"
Silence.
Then absolute chaos.
Jason wheezed. Beau nearly doubled over laughing. Roxanne had to physically lean on Lily for support, while Sabrina just pointed at Emilia's stunned expression, cackling.
Emilia, face bright red, covered her mouth. "Oh my god."
Jason was on the verge of tears. "Dude. You didn't even get a proposal—Mom just skipped straight to the in-laws part."
Beau grinned. "You're doomed, man. No escape."
Sabrina wiped at her eyes. "Honestly, this is better than any wedding announcement could have been."
Roxanne leaned toward Emilia, wiggling her eyebrows. "Sooo, how does it feel to be officially claimed?"
But instead of looking mortified, Henry just smirked.
"Actually," he said, voice smooth and full of quiet amusement, "Mom's not wrong."
The laughter faltered.
Jason frowned. "Wait. What?"
Emilia turned to Henry, eyes widening. "Henry—"
He reached for her hand, lifting it gently—and that's when they all saw it.
A delicate, stunning ring glittered on Emilia's finger, catching the sunlight.
A collective gasp rippled through the group.
Scarlett dropped her drink. Roxanne actually smacked Jason in the chest, too shocked to form words. Lily clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide, and Roxanne just let out a dramatic screech.
"YOU'RE ENGAGED?!"
Emilia, still a little dazed, laughed softly. "Uh... surprise?"
The response was instant chaos.
Roxanne and Lily launched themselves at her, squealing. Jason splashed over to Henry, grabbing his shoulders. "YOU WERE GONNA LET ME DROWN YOU AND NOT TELL ME?!"
Henry just smirked. "You deserved it."
"Unbelievable."
Beau, still processing, pointed at them. "Wait. When? HOW?"
Henry turned back to Emilia, his gaze softening. "Last night," he said simply.
Emilia smiled, squeezing his hand. "It was perfect. Just the two of us under the stars."
Roxanne groaned dramatically. "That is so unfairly romantic, I might vomit."
Jason threw his hands up. "I THOUGHT I WAS THE DRAMATIC ONE."
Henry ignored them all, still looking at Emilia like she was the only thing that mattered. "We wanted to enjoy the moment before the madness started."
Linda, misty-eyed but looking very smug, raised her glass. "Well, the madness has officially started. Congratulations, my dears."
Emilia laughed, cheeks flushed. "Thank you. We're planning an official dinner soon to celebrate."
Lily gasped. "An excuse to dress up? Say less."
Sabrina sniffled. "If I don't get to cry dramatically at this dinner, I will be personally offended."
Beau shook his head, grinning. "Man, what a day."
Jason, ever the troublemaker, cleared his throat. "So... does this mean I get to be the best man?"
Henry snorted. "Absolutely not."
And just like that, the teasing, laughter, and chaos resumed—only now, it was filled with the extra joy of celebrating Henry and Emilia's engagement.
For now, nothing else mattered. It was the perfect day.
Laughter still echoed through the air, the warm glow of the setting sun casting golden ripples across the water. Jason, still sulking from his betrayal by flirtation, floated on his back, muttering about trust issues. Lily and Roxanne high-fived over their successful attack, and Henry and Emilia remained in their own little world, fingers laced together, eyes full of something deep and unspoken.
It was one of those rare, perfect moments—carefree, filled with joy.
Miles away, inside the grand estate, the room remained eerily quiet.
A soft ticking sound filled the air.
At first, it was barely noticeable—just a faint, rhythmic clicking, coming from the small package still sitting untouched on Sabrina's dresser.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The resort estate seemed to breathe with it. The wind outside had stilled. The house, so often alive with chatter, felt unnaturally hushed. No footsteps. No distant voices. Just the relentless, unbroken ticking.
A slow, creeping unease settled into the space, though there was no one there to feel it.
Ten minutes passed.
Then—
BOOM.
The explosion tore through the room, a monstrous roar of fire and force shattering the silence. Windows burst outward in a storm of glass. Flames billowed hungrily into the night sky, casting a hellish glow over the estate. The shockwave rattled through the halls, knocking paintings from walls, setting off alarms that shrieked in panic.
Screams erupted from the lower floors.
In the distance, guards sprinted toward the source of the blast, shouting orders, their radios crackling with chaos.
But in that moment, as fire licked hungrily at the remains of the shattered room, only one thing was clear—
The perfect day was over.
And hell had just begun.