Ethan stood near the grand entrance of the resort, adjusting the cuffs of his blazer as he glanced at his watch.

    The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the pristine property, but he barely noticed.

    His mind was elsewhere, running over every detail of the upcoming meeting.

    Zack stood beside him, leaning against one of the polished pillars, looking far more relaxed than Ethan felt.

    He took a lazy sip from a bottle of water and smirked. "Man, you''re acting like we''re about to meet the president."

    Ethan shot him a look. "We''re about to meet Adrian Sinclair. That''s worse."

    He had done some digging and what he found... was mind blowing.

    Zack chuckled. "Oh, come on. The guy''s already invested. This is just a courtesy tour."

    "Yeah, because billionaires just throw money at things without checking them first," Ethan muttered.

    He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "This isn''t a done deal yet. He might''ve paid for two suites, but if he doesn''t like what he sees, he could back out. And that wouldn''t just be bad — it would be catastrophic."

    Zack whistled low. "No pressure, huh?"

    Ethan didn''t dignify that with a response. Instead, he focused on the sleek black car pulling up the long driveway.

    The vehicle slowed to a stop, and within moments, a driver stepped out and walked around to open the door.

    And then, there he was.

    Adrian Sinclair exited the car with the ease of someone who had done this a thousand times.

    He was tall, poised, and exuded an effortless authority that made even the most confident men second-guess themselves.

    His navy-blue suit was tailored to perfection, and his sharp gray eyes scanned the entrance of the resort with a cool, unreadable expression.

    Ethan stepped forward, offering his hand. "Mr. Sinclair, it''s a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

    The high ceilings, the adaptable lighting, the state-of-the-art acoustics —. it was designed to host everything from exclusive galas to private concerts.

    Adrian crossed his arms, nodding slightly. "So, what''s the plan for opening night?"

    Ethan didn''t miss a beat. "A private event for our top investors and early VIP guests. Exclusive entertainment, world-class catering, and a showcase of everything the resort has to offer."

    Adrian seemed satisfied. "And security?"

    Ethan met his gaze. "Top priority. We''re implementing a multi-tiered system — physical security, digital encryption for transactions, and round-the-clock monitoring. Privacy and discretion are non-negotiable."

    Adrian held his stare for a moment longer before nodding. "Good. Then I have only one remaining question."

    Ethan waited.

    Adrian''s lips quirked into a barely-there smirk. "How soon can are you going to take to launch?"

    Zack let out a low whistle. "Damn, that''s what I like to hear."

    Ethan finally allowed himself to relax a fraction. "We''ll launch at the end of the month,."

    With that, the tension that had been lingering in the air finally eased.

    The tour concluded, and Adrian shook both of their hands before heading back toward his car, leaving Ethan and Zack standing by the entrance once more.

    The moment Adrian''s car disappeared down the driveway, Zack let out a dramatic sigh. "Dude, I think I forgot to breathe for, like, half of that."

    Ethan exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Tell me about it."

    Zack grinned, clapping him on the back. "But you killed it, man. That was solid. The guy''s in."

    Ethan allowed himself a small smile. "Yeah. He is."

    They needed to make as much as possible, the ATLAS resort was already hyped, they had to make sure it lived up to it''s name.

    "Now I can be stress free from Melissa calling some more," Ethan muttered with a sigh, she was a cute girl, that much was certain but she disturbed him too much for his own good and he was getting tired of it.

    Maybe this would calm her down for a while