Julia giggled as she splashed water at her new friend, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The other girl gasped dramatically before retaliating, sending a small wave of water back in Julia’s direction.
The two of them laughed, completely absorbed in their own little world, talking about things that probably made no sense to anyone but them.
Ethan leaned back on his lounge chair, letting out a quiet sigh.
It was good to see Julia having fun. She deserved that much.
His gaze briefly shifted toward his phone, and after a moment of hesitation, he pulled it out and opened Postgram.
His account had grown significantly over the past day, and his follower count had already surpassed 100,000.
He wasn’t even particularly active, yet the numbers kept climbing, mostly thanks to his association with ATLAS.
As expected, his DMs were flooded with messages, many of them from brands or influencers trying to collaborate.
Some of the offers weren’t half-bad, but he wasn’t interested in handling all of that.
Zack could take care of this.
They already had a partnership in place with someone who was supposed to arrive later today, and it wouldn’t be smart to jump into another one so soon.
Ethan locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
Turning his attention back to the pool, he noticed that Julia and her friend were still busy playing, completely oblivious to everything else.
He pushed himself up from the lounge chair and walked over to the edge of the pool.
"Julia," he called.
She immediately perked up, paddling toward him with an eager expression. "Yeah?"
"It’s time to eat."
Julia blinked before turning toward her friend, who was floating beside her. "Can she come too?"
The girl, who had been listening the entire time, immediately nodded. "Yeah! I wanna eat with you!"
Ethan glanced past them, spotting the girl’s mother sitting a little further away.
She had been watching them from a comfortable distance, not interfering but keeping an eye on things.
When she noticed him looking, she smiled and gave a polite wave, silently giving permission.
Ethan returned the nod, giving a subtle thumbs-up before looking back at the girls. "Alright, but dry off first."
Julia cheered, climbing out of the pool while her friend followed right behind her.
Water dripped from their hair and clothes, forming small puddles on the tiles beneath them.
Ethan grabbed the towel he had set aside earlier and threw it over Julia’s head, ruffling her damp hair to dry it off.
"Hey!" she protested, laughing as she pushed the towel off her face.
Ethan smirked. "Dry yourself properly."
Julia rolled her eyes but obediently wiped herself down, handing the towel over to her friend so she could do the same.
Meanwhile, Ethan walked over to where Julia’s wet clothes were and made sure to hang them up.
They weren’t going to dry immediately, but it was better than leaving them in a heap.
He glanced back at Julia, who was now standing in her Atlas-brand swimsuit, looking completely unbothered by the fact that she wasn’t in regular clothes.
"Are we going now?" she asked.
Ethan nodded. "Yeah. Let’s go."
The three of them made their way toward the VIP restaurant, a quiet and elegant space reserved for the resort’s more exclusive guests.
Unlike the main dining hall, which was always buzzing with chatter and activity, this area had a much more refined atmosphere.
The air smelled of freshly baked bread and grilled meat, making it clear that the chefs here didn’t hold back.
Everything was fancy in here.
A waiter approached as soon as they entered, greeting them with a respectful nod. "Welcome. Will you be dining inside or on the terrace?"
"Terrace," Ethan answered without much thought.
Julia and her friend were already whispering to each other excitedly, likely discussing what they were going to order.
Ethan guided them to a private outdoor table, overlooking a beautifully maintained garden.
The view was nice, with the sun casting a warm glow over the scene, and a gentle breeze carrying the scent of the ocean from the nearby shore.
The girls plopped down into their seats, eagerly flipping through the menu, their small fingers tracing over the different items.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, casually scanning the menu himself.
He wasn’t particularly picky about food, but he made sure to check the quality, especially when it came to Julia.
A waiter soon returned, ready to take their orders.
Julia went first, practically bouncing in her seat. "I want the chicken nuggets and fries! And a strawberry smoothie!"
Her friend nodded quickly. "Same! Oh, but I want chocolate milk instead."
Ethan raised a brow. "That’s a lot of sugar."
Julia pouted. "But it’s vacation food!"
He sighed. "Fine."
He turned to the waiter. "I’ll have the grilled salmon with vegetables."
The waiter nodded, jotting everything down before heading off.
As they waited, Julia and her friend continued their conversation, shifting from one random topic to another.
At one point, they started debating over which cartoon character would win in a fight, and Ethan had to tune them out before he lost brain cells.
The food arrived not long after, each plate carefully arranged and steaming with fresh flavors.
Julia practically sparkled with excitement, immediately grabbing a nugget and taking a big bite.
Her friend did the same, the two of them giggling between bites as they enjoyed their meal.
Ethan ate at a slower pace, his eyes occasionally scanning the area around them.
The VIP section was peaceful, a stark contrast to the more crowded parts of the resort.
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A few other high-profile guests were present, some engaged in quiet conversations, others simply enjoying their meals.
At some point, Julia’s friend turned to him with a curious look. "Mister Ethan, do you work for ATLAS?"
Ethan raised a brow. "Something like that."
"My mom says ATLAS is really cool. She said they do all kinds of important stuff."
Ethan nodded. "They do."
The girl tilted her head. "Are you a scientist?"
Julia burst into laughter, nearly choking on her drink. "Big brother? A scientist?"
Ethan smirked. "You think I can’t be one?"
Julia giggled. "You don’t look like one!"
Ethan shrugged. "Looks can be deceiving."
The girl hummed. "So what do you actually do?"
"Nothing a kid needs to worry about."
Julia’s friend pouted. "That means it’s something cool, doesn’t it?"
Ethan smirked but didn’t answer.
Julia and her friend shared a look before whispering to each other, likely forming some wild theories about what he actually did.
By the time they finished eating, the sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the terrace.
Julia stretched her arms above her head, letting out a satisfied sigh. "That was good!"
Her friend nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Best meal ever!"
Ethan signaled for the check, but the waiter didn’t let him, he was the owner after all.
The girls were still chatting away, and he let them enjoy their time together.
As they got up to leave, Julia’s friend looked up at him again. "Can I play with Julia again later?"
Ethan glanced toward her mother, who had been watching from a distance.
The woman smiled and gave a small nod of approval.
Ethan turned back to the girl. "We’ll see."
"That means yes!" she cheered, running off toward her mother.
Julia grinned, turning to Ethan with bright eyes. "Can we go back to the pool now?"
Ethan sighed. "You just ate. Wait a little."
Julia groaned but didn’t argue, knowing she wouldn’t win.