Ethan laughed. "That''s... actually not a bad idea."

    At that moment, Megan came running back, her hands overflowing with tiny shells. "Guys! I got the best ones!"

    She dumped her treasure onto the sand, and the three of them sorted through the collection, carefully pressing shells into the castle''s walls.

    Some were arranged in spirals, others lined up like tiny soldiers guarding the fortress.

    With every handful of sand they packed into place, the castle took better shape than before.

    Smoother walls. Taller towers. A sturdier moat.

    They had learned from their mistakes, and their second attempt was undeniably stronger.

    But as Ethan stepped back to admire their work, a small voice in the back of his head reminded him of something very important —

    They were still too close to the water.

    Another wave, even slightly bigger than the last one, would wipe it all away again.

    He considered mentioning it, but as he glanced at Julia and Megan — both beaming with pride at their creation — he decided against it.

    What was the fun in that?

    Sure, the ocean was unpredictable, and their beautiful sandcastle might not last long... but wasn''t that the point? To build something, knowing it wouldn''t be permanent, and to enjoy the process anyway?

    So instead of warning them, Ethan just smiled. "Alright, architects. Looks like we''ve built something worthy of legend."

    Julia and Megan cheered, raising their hands in victory.

    "This time," Julia declared, "the ocean won''t win!"

    Megan nodded fiercely. "Yeah! No wave can break this castle!"

    Ethan chuckled under his breath. They were definitely tempting fate.

    With the project complete, Ethan dusted the sand off his hands and stretched. "Alright, girls, you keep watch over the kingdom. I''m gonna grab a seat before my back gives out."

    "Old man," Julia teased.

    "Hey," Ethan shot her a look, "I just helped build a fortress. I earned this break."

    Julia giggled but waved him off, already engrossed in castle-guarding duties with Megan.

    Ethan made his way toward one of the many lounge chairs scattered along the shore.

    The sun was warm but not overwhelming, and the sound of the waves — despite their destructive tendencies — was relaxing.

    Something was off.

    A prickle of awareness ran up his spine, that instinctual feeling that someone was watching him.

    Ethan''s brows furrowed slightly, and he cracked one eye open, scanning the area.

    That''s when he saw her.

    Melissa.

    She stood a short distance away, arms crossed over her chest, looking directly at him.

    And she did not look happy.

    Ethan lifted a hand in a casual wave. A peace offering.

    Melissa, however, didn''t wave back.

    Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line, an expression that very clearly said:

    "Oh, now you notice me?"

    Ethan sighed internally.

    ''Great.''

    He sat up slightly in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

    Melissa''s annoyed expression didn''t waver, and the longer she stared, the more certain he became that he had, somehow, pissed her off.

    He just wasn''t sure how yet.

    With a resigned sigh, he pushed himself up from the lounge chair and dusted off the sand clinging to his shorts.

    The girls were still fixated on their castle restoration, so he took the opportunity to walk toward Melissa.

    "Alright," Ethan said as he stopped a few steps away from her. "I can tell you''re mad about something, and I have a feeling it''s about me."

    Melissa raised an unimpressed brow. "Oh, you think?"

    Yeah, definitely about him.

    He folded his arms loosely. "Want to tell me what I did this time?"

    Melissa scoffed, shifting her weight to one hip. "What you did?" she repeated, shaking her head before letting out a short laugh. "That''s rich, Ethan. You know, for someone who runs a whole resort, you really suck at noticing things."

    Ethan blinked. "What?"