Skip a beat.

His eyes sparkled when he spotted Eliza. "Oh, my! Young lady!" Jacob exclaimed, flashing a wide smile.

Natalie frowned, her expression unimpressed. "Who invited you here, Jacob? Isn't being a doctor a busy job?"

Jacob's smile faltered, and he looked taken aback. "Can't you speak in a warm tone? I heard your friends were hosting a farewell party at my resort, so I offered a discount. You should be thanking me, not being rude."

Eliza couldn't help but smile at Jacob's antics, finding him amusing. But Natalie was not amused. "Don't laugh!" she scolded, turning to Eliza. She pushed Jacob away, dragging Eliza along with her.

Jacob, still sporting a mischievous grin, quickly snapped a photo and sent it to someone. His phone buzzed with an incoming message, and he beamed with a wide smile as he read it.

The air was filled with the lively sound of music, and the savory aromas of cooking wafted through the air. Natalie's friends were busy cooking and dancing to the beat, clearly enjoying themselves as they moved to the rhythm.

Damon cracked a joke, and Eliza burst into a hearty, crisp chuckle that was almost musical. The sound was so infectious that a guy watching from afar tapped his lap absentmindedly, a hint of a smile on his face.

Just then, Jacob approached him, phone now hung up, and whispered, "Dex, that girl certainly draws a crowd. Did you really...?" Dexter's expression remained impassive, but his eyes darted back to the trio, his thoughts racing. Jacob smirked, sensing a story, but said no more.

The atmosphere shifted as a voice announced, "Natalie, your Uncle Dex asked for you." Natalie, Eliza, Damon, and the others turned to stare at Dexter, their eyes wide with surprise, as if they had seen a ghost.

"Uncle Dex, are you sure it's him?" Damon asked, his voice tinged with skepticism.

Natalie shook her head, a hint of surprise still on her face. "No... Maybe Jacob told him, but it's very unusual for him to come."

Damon and Natalie exchanged a weighted glance, before Damon asked, "Did you do something wrong?"

Natalie sneered, a playful spark in her eyes. "No... I'm not like you."

Composing herself with a bright smile, Natalie turned to greet Dexter.

Eliza's eyes met Dexter's, and for a brief, awkward moment, they locked gazes. Her eyes clouded with discomfort, and she hastily looked away, breaking the uneasy connection.

----

The air was alive with music, and Natalie and her friends were lost in its rhythm, their faces aglow with joy as they reveled in the lively atmosphere.

Eliza, not quite in the mood to dance, opted to sit down on a worn wooden couch, where she watched her friends with a warm, gentle smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Eliza reached for the can of coconut juice, But her palms, sweaty from clenching her fists earlier, refused to cooperate. She struggled to open the can, frustration mounting as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Just as she was about to give up, a hand, holding a cigarette between slender fingers, reached out from beside her and gently took the can away. With an elegant movement, Dexter opened the can and handed it back to her.

"Why don't you join them?" he asked, his voice smooth.

Eliza shrugged, feigning nonchalance as she accepted the can. "I'm not really the dancing type," she said, her eyes downcast.

She raised the can to her lips, taking a small sip, her gaze still lowered, as if savoring the refreshing drink and the subtle tension that lingered between them.

"You're not tense around me anymore?" Dexter asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Eliza's expression.

Eliza's brow furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"

Dexter's gaze deepened, his voice taking on a hint of intimacy. "You're always so uptight around me, like you're uncomfortable in my presence."

Eliza's cheeks flushed as she hastened to explain. "Ha ha, no, it's just that you're Natalie's uncle, and our company is trying to land a project with—"

But before she could finish, Dexter leaned in, his face inches from hers. "Are you saying I'm old?" he asked, his voice low and charming, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

Eliza's eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly, taken aback by the sudden proximity. "No, I didn't mean that," she stammered, her face growing hotter by the second.

Dexter noticed Eliza's panic and straightened up, moving his head away. "Are you going to keep calling me 'Sir'?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Eliza glanced at him, her response barely above a whisper. "Yes... you're the CEO of NextB Group."

Dexter's smile grew as he puffed on his cigarette, his eyes glinting with mirth. Eliza wondered what she had said that was so funny.

"Okay then," Dexter said, his voice low and smooth. "You're Natalie's friend, so I'll call you by your name. Is that okay?"

Their eyes locked, and Eliza felt a shiver run down her spine. "Yes... you can call me Eli. That's my nickname."

Dexter's lips parted, and he licked his teeth lightly before calling out, "Eli."

Eliza's heart skipped a beat as her ears burned red. Why did she feel so weak at the knees when he said her name?