Evelyn raised an eyebrow at Ruby. "You seem distant; what's on your mind?"

Ruby just tightened her grip on her teacup, her fingers white from the pressure. They wouldn't have the chance to see each other, right?

In the hot springs area, Lilah slipped into her swimsuit and eased into the steaming water, letting its warmth melt her stresses away.

She heard soft footsteps and assumed it was Phoebe joining her.

"Oh, you made it," she murmured, her eyes still closed. "This place is as serene as you said. It's doing wonders for my aching head."

Instead of a reply, gentle fingers began to massage her scalp. The sensation was so delightful that Lilah almost purred. "You have quite the touch. When did you learn to massage like that?"

Lilah let herself drift, lulled by the skilled fingers, and soon, sleep claimed her. When she stirred awake, the hot springs were silent; Phoebe was nowhere in sight.

Realizing she'd stayed in the water too long, Lilah hurried out, grabbed her phone, and noticed a new message waiting for her from Phoebe.

“Ugh, nature's surprises! Had to run for some emergency supplies," the message read.

It was sent just right after she entered the hot spring. That left Lilah pondering. If Phoebe hadn't been there, then who was that mysterious masseuse?

Shaking off her confusion, she was soon distracted by Phoebe's call.

They were having a spontaneous barbecue, and Phoebe was urging her to come join them.

As Lilah approached the sizzling aroma of grilled meats, the vibrant chatter grew louder. Her colleagues seemed to be surrounding something or somebody. She came closer and noticed a familiar face—

Jerrold.

"Hey, buddy. Do you want some grilled food?" Phoebe waved a tempting lamb skewer toward the boy.

Jerrold looked up from his contemplation and, spotting Lilah, his face transformed with joy. He rushed over, his every step echoing his excitement.

“Hey, what are you doing here?" Lilah leaned down, whispering to him.

“It's my day off," he murmured, eyes darting around.

It made sense; this resort was owned by the Harris family. It wasn't unusual for Jerrold to spend his free days here. Lilah's eyes naturally gravitated toward the grill. There, with an air of casual elegance, sat Gerard, clad in a crisp black ensemble.

Spotting Lilah's glance, Phoebe grinned. "Oh, look who's here! Your client from the other day. I saw them sitting solo and thought, why not invite them over? And, can we just appreciate how dashing he looks?"

Before Lilah could respond, a female colleague, fueled by bravery, walked over to Gerard. “Hey there," she started, a touch of flirtation in her voice. "Mind if we exchange our contact information?"

Phoebe leaned in, her voice a hushed secret. "Seems your client has quite the fan club."

Lilah merely raised an eyebrow, her face an ocean of calm, but her eyes were fixated on Gerard.

Engrossed in grilling the food, Gerard finally broke his silence, his voice a touch icy. "I'm already interested in someone else."