章 10: Chapter 9

As Jace, Laszlo, Linus, and Ryker went out of the room, they were greeted by a stunning sight. The sandy shoreline stretched out before them, with crystal-clear waters lapping gently at the shore. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm, golden glow across the landscape.

In the distance, they could see a few sailboats bobbing on the water and a flock of seagulls circling overhead. Palm trees dotted the beach, swaying gently in the ocean breeze. A few small crabs scurried along the sand, and the occasional wave would wash up a shell or piece of driftwood.

As they walked further along the beach, they could see a rocky outcropping jutting out into the water, and a few people were perched on top, taking in the view. To the left, a small pier extended out into the water, and a few fishermen were casting their lines into the sea.

When they grew tired, they decided to take a seat on the beach. As they admired the stunning view in front of them, passersby couldn't help but gaze upon their beauty.

Despite their casual attire, it was impossible to ignore their striking looks. They were attracted to their bodies and beauties, even though they were dressed well. What more if they saw these four naked? Maybe they won't take their eyes off them.

They had chiseled features, strong jawlines, and piercing eyes that seemed to reflect the colors of the ocean. Their hair was tousled by the salty breeze, adding to their effortlessly cool demeanor.

Ryker cleared his throat and mustered up the courage to ask Jace about his attitude towards Itzy. After a few moments of contemplation, Ryker finally spoke up. "Jace, forgive me for asking, but why do you speak to Ma'am Itzy as if she were on the same level as us? Have you forgotten that we are here to serve her and her family?"

After Ryker's question, Laszlo and Linus couldn't help but glance at the two. They were also waiting for Jace to respond, as they had also noticed his disrespectful behavior towards the girl.

Jace gazed out at the waves in the sea, his expression intense as he spoke. "How can I respect her when she doesn't even show respect for our work?" he said.

Laszlo looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?" He didn't understand what Jace was trying to say.

Meanwhile, Linus wore a sad expression on his face and asked, "Does she really hate us?" The thought of being disliked by someone made him feel unhappy.

Jace casually shrugged and revealed, "She specifically asked me not to tell her father about what I witnessed on our first day."

Intrigued, Ryker probed, "What did you see exactly?"

Without hesitation, Jace disclosed, "I saw her coming from the restroom with her lunch box in hand." This statement left all three of them in disbelief.

After a brief moment of silence, Ryker posed another question, "So she came out carrying her lunch box? What was her lunch box doing there?"

Linus covered his mouth, as if struck by a realization, and said, "I think I know where this is going..."

Laszlo's voice carried a sense of gravity as he said, "Given what we've just witnessed, it seems likely that Ma'am Itzy was hiding something from us."

Jace responded with confidence, "That's obvious."

Ryker leaned forward, curious. "So, what did you say to Ma'am Itzy when she asked you not to tell her dad?"

"I refused, even though she offered me a tip," Jace explained.

Linus furrowed his brow, trying to remember. "But based on what I remember, when we first reported to Sir Gerard, you didn't mention anything about Ma'am Itzy, did you?"

Jace nodded and admitted, "I didn't tell Mr. Gerard about it because I knew she had her reasons, but she assumed that I had spilled the information to him."

Curious, Laszlo asked, "What do you think could be the reason?"

Jace took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding, "That's... exactly what our job was—to find out. What was stopping her from reporting everything that happened during her day? And what really happened to her three days ago?

Linus asked, "Damn, do you think Ma'am Itzy has an enemy at school?"

Ryker sighed and responded, "It's unlikely that she has an enemy. Ma'am Itzy seems like a nice person."

Laszlo interjected, "Regardless, our focus needs to be on Ma'am Itzy. We may not be able to get all the answers we need from her, as she may not be willing to disclose everything. Therefore, we must do everything in our power to find out the truth."

"Yeah, let's do our job well," Linus said and smiled.

The sky was painted with a beautiful array of pink, orange, and purple hues. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore provided a soothing background to their conversation.

As they talked, they couldn't help but notice the curious glances of passersby. Some even stopped in their tracks to get a better look, causing Laszlo and Linus to exchange a knowing smile.

It wasn't the first time they had experienced this kind of attention. Their beauty was something that had always been a part of them, and while it could be daunting at times, they had learned to embrace it.

As the night grew darker, they reluctantly stood up to leave, bidding the ocean goodbye. As they walked away, the eyes of onlookers followed them, their beauty lingering in the minds of those who had been lucky enough to witness it.

As they entered the room, they found Itzy watching television. Itzy turned to look at them, surprised by their sudden entrance. When she tried to stand up and return to her own room, her legs gave way beneath her.

"Damn," she cursed under her breath, frustrated with her own physical limitations. She remained seated, looking up at the four men with a mix of embarrassment and disappointment.

"Ma'am, are you hungry?" Linus asked as he approached her. Initially, he had intended to sit next to Itzy, but he remembered how she had pushed Laszlo and changed his mind.

Itzy shook her head in response and returned her gaze to the television, but her focus was not on the television. She couldn't focus on what she was watching because she could feel the four pairs of eyes staring at her.

After she couldn't take it anymore, she glared at the four of them, her brows furrowing in irritation. "What? Do you have something to say? You keep staring at me like that, and I'll end up with holes in my face."

The four immediately averted their gazes. Jace headed to the kitchen to start cooking; Ryker grabbed a broom and began sweeping the sparkling floor; Laszlo sat on the other sofa and feigned interest in the TV; while Linus turned around and absentmindedly scratched his sideburns, unsure of what to do.

Itzy clicked her tongue in frustration. "Are you just going to pretend that nothing happened?" she demanded. "Didn't you hear my question? Why aren't you answering me?"

Several minutes passed in tense silence, and no one responded to her query. Itzy let out a heavy sigh, crossed her arms, leaned back, and redirected her focus to the television.

The news program that Itzy had been watching ended just as Jace finished cooking. Once the food was ready on the table, Jace called out to his companions to come and eat. The dinner table was quiet, with Itzy initially hesitant to eat due to her lack of trust in Jace's cooking. However, seeing how eagerly Linus was digging in, she decided to give it a try. After tasting the food, she couldn't deny that Jace had a talent for cooking, but instead of complimenting him, she ate quietly. The four exchanged glances after noticing that Itzy had eaten the food that Jace had prepared.

The silence was eventually broken when Itzy asked, "So, how long are we going to stay here?"

The four looked at each other before Jace replied, "We'll stay until your wounds heal and the bruises fade."

"But what if it takes a month? Won't my dad become suspicious?" she asked, her concern for what her father would think evident in her voice.

"Don't worry, Miss. Laszlo informed Mr. Gerard that you requested this vacation to unwind," Ryker reassured her.

Linus agreed with Ryker and said, "No one else can reveal any information about this matter, as only the four of us are aware of it."

Itzy stopped eating and looked at the group suspiciously. "How can I be sure that you are telling the truth?"

Laszlo replied, attempting to convince her to trust them, "If we wanted your father to find out, we would not have brought you here and kept your condition a secret."

Itzy scoffed and said, "But didn't you bring me here to save yourselves? You don't want to lose your jobs. If my father discovers that I was injured because you failed to do your job correctly, you will be fired. Am I wrong?"

The four of them were taken aback by her statement. They couldn't deny the truth in her words, but they also knew deep down that they had helped her out of genuine concern.

After a brief silence, Jace spoke up. "You're right, we didn't want to lose our jobs."

Ryker interrupted, "Jace, maybe we should—"

But Jace continued, "But it's not just about us. We also did it to protect you. You have a secret that you're hiding from your parents, right? That's why they hired us—to find out that secret."

"W-What are you trying to say?" She asked, her voice trembling with nervousness.

Jace leaned back and crossed his legs. "But here's the thing, even if we didn't hide you here, we already had a clue about your secret. And if we didn't intervene, your parents might have found out about it too."

The group fell silent as they processed what had been said. After a moment, Jace spoke again, "We're not saying what we did was right, but we did it for a reason. We care about you, and we didn't want to see you get hurt."

Itzy broke into a cold sweat and was unable to answer. She hastily stood up and left the four, returning to her room with a chest full of nervousness. Meanwhile, the remaining four in the dining area were surrounded by a deafening silence.

The other three couldn't oppose what Jace had said, as they knew he only said it to prevent Itzy from belittling them. He wanted the girl to see that they were not that easy to manipulate and control.

However, what will happen to them after this conversation? Has Jace's message managed to penetrate Itzy's mind? Will she finally learn to trust them?