On a remote island. On the coast.
A bonfire blazed, replacing the sun after it had gone to sleep.
There were three large tents separated into two sides. One was exclusively for the dive guides, who were men. The other two were for Vincent's family, including Vincent.
Actually, one tent belonged to Vincent because his private tent was small, but Vivian and Selena carried him into the large tent specifically for the girls. And they used him as a sleeping bolster.
It was night, the moon and its starry flock were on duty, guarding the night sky.
Meanwhile, the four dive guides sat with their knees hugged, looking awkward. There was a hint of envy on their faces seeing Vincent being hugged by those beautiful, sexy women all day.
Vincent was like a prince. After diving and hearing the news that the ship had disappeared somewhere and the communication equipment was left on board, Vincent's family didn't seem too surprised or concerned.
They were more concerned with their catch from the sea and began to feast on various seafood. Grilling it over the fire, it became a full day seafood barbecue party.
Vincent and the guides prepared the seafood barbecue. However, Vincent got all the enjoyment.
He was forcibly fed by the sexy and beautiful women. When food stuck to his cheek, Selena would take the opportunity to lick his cheek.
That made the guides feel very envious and at the same time self-aware that their lives were very, very, very different from Vincent's. Although their genders were the same, their popularity among women was like heaven and earth. The women barely even acknowledged the four dive guides after they set foot on the island.
"What are we, really? I'm starting to doubt if I'm the same creature as that kid." The head dive guide looked down, playing with the sand with his toes. In front of the bonfire, the four of them decided not to turn their head to the women's tent because that would only pouring salt into their envy.
"There are six women that kid brought, and all of them cling to him without caring about our existence. So being a rich kid is really nice, huh? Their lives must be like heaven every day. No need to worry about anything. Wealth, women, throne, he gets it all so easily."
The other dive guides also complained. They sighed heavily, it was very, very clear to realize how different their lives were in status.
"At least acknowledge our existence and smile gratefully at us! We also work hard in life!" Another dive guide raised the beer bottle he was holding. It was beer they had brought, and it happened to be left on the beach. He shared it with his friends who were starting to shed tears of envy.
"Those women... Sooooo sexy! Their faces are also beautiful like famous celebrities... I really want to try squeezing their breasts. Especially the big breasts of that motherly woman... Uwogh! I can't imagine how soft that woman's breasts would be in my hands!"
The thuggish-looking dive guide said enthusiastically, imagining squeezing something in both hands. Meanwhile, the other dive guides shivered, pointing behind his back.
"What are you talking about?" Vincent stood among them.
Immediately, the four dive guides put on angry faces like cats whose food had been stolen, but a second later their faces changed into obedient puppies as they realized it was Vincent asking them.
"Ah haha, we were just lamenting our fate. What's up, young master? Why bother sitting with us?" The head guide tried to hide the annoyed twitch on his forehead from Vincent. He was annoyed because a boy like him should be sleeping comfortably among sexy and beautiful women, not hanging out with failed men like them!
Vincent gestured to lower their voices so the girls, who were sound asleep in the tent, wouldn't wake up. They were sleeping only in their underwear because their clothes bags were on the ship, which was now gone somewhere. They were covered with thick blankets.
"You kid! You should be enjoying this night's sleep with them! We are here to guard you as our responsibility for losing the ship and getting you stranded here! Go sleep and have fun with those beautiful women, don't mind us huhuu huuuhuuu!"
One of the dive guides cried while venting his frustrations to Vincent, who was sitting next to him. He was quite drunk from drinking too much beer.
"Dave had too much drink." His friend forcibly took the beer bottle from Dave, who was still pouting at Vincent. He was like a baby trying to get his beer back from his friend's hand.
"Stop it, Stuart, Dave. Uh, hehe, please forgive his words, young master. Sometimes he can't control his words when he's drunk." The boss of the dive guides flicked the head of his subordinate, who was fighting like a child over a toy. Then he put on a pleading face at Vincent.
Vincent nodded slightly. "I appreciate the advice. But I have a question. We don't need to worry about going home because one of my family members was left behind at the hotel. She will come to pick us up. Maybe tomorrow or the day after. We can only wait.
"The thing I want to ask is, about the one dive team member who left. Was he working with you from the beginning? And also the captain of that ship, I don't know him at all. I know my father's favorite captain, and every time we board a ship, that captain is always the number one we book from our company. What actually happened?"
Grace, who woke up because she needed to pee, faintly heard Vincent talking to the dive guides. She peeked through the tent entrance to listen to Vincent's conversation.
"Um.." The dive guide boss seemed hesitant to say it. "Well.. actually, that dive guide was a volunteer to replace our friend who was on vacation, and the ship's captain was his friend who was also replacing the real ship's captain who was sick. Besides, they also gave us a pretty tempting payment, so we let them work with us. We really didn't expect them intending to steal the ship. This is all my fault for trusting them. I'm sorry."
The dive guide boss prostrated himself in the sand before Vincent. Vincent patted the boss's shoulder and told him to sit down and act normal.
"I told you not to worry. I'm not thinking too much about it. It's just, do you know who those two people are?"
The dive guide boss shook his head. Vincent turned to the other dive guides, and they all shook their heads except for one. Drunk Dave. He nodded, recognizing them.
"I..." Dave said, moving his hand in the air like Jack Sparrow. "Once met them on the Black Pearl..."
"Black Pearl?" Vincent and the three dive guides echoed. Grace, who was peeking through the tent entrance, also echoed. She had heard that name before.
Dave nodded and began to act like a famous pirate captain. Pouring beer into the bonfire to make the flames grow instantly.
"Black Pearl... Is the most luxurious yacht in the entire Pacific Ocean. It sails the seas carrying hundreds of rich people on its back... At that time... I was working there... Then I went to the bar to drink after work...
"Many rich men and women spend money to experience a night on a giant luxury yacht... One of them was a famous lawyer named Tug and his friend, whom I remember the lawyer called Zain... They were drinking together at the bar and I was next to them... They talked about many things but I don't really remember much.
"But... there's one thing! That I still remember to this day... Tug! That famous lawyer liked women's feet! He asked the female bar host to pour his drink with her feet... And he asked for his drink to flow from her feet first before being poured into his glass!"
"Hmm... a foot fetish. I wonder what the drink would taste like." The dive guide named Stuart next to Dave commented. The boss of the dive guides told him to shut up after flicking his head.
"So the dive guide and the ship's captain from yesterday, who are now stealing my ship, are the famous lawyer named Tug and his friend Zain?" Vincent asked for confirmation.
But Dave was like a madman, twisting his face as if he was possessed.
Then the next second he fell lying on the sand. His mouth immediately started snoring loudly.
"Tug? Tug Denchante?" Grace immediately remembered the name, who was none other than her rival in the courtroom. "Him?" Grace put on an annoyed smile. Thinking of settling the score with that man later.
***
Tuut! Tuuuttt!
The next morning, everyone on the remote island was finally picked up by someone.
Valian stood at the end of the ship with her arms crossed under her chest. She smiled proudly seeing Vincent and her family just waking up and coming out of their tent to hear the sound of the approaching ship. The sun had just risen from the ocean as Valian's ship arrived.
Everyone immediately packed up, bringing their camping gear to the ship. Assisted by Hubert and the hotel staff who knew the location of the remote island.
Vincent was chewing on dried octopus tentacles from yesterday and offered them to Valian.
"Want some, sis Vali?"
Seeing the disgusting object in Vincent's hand, Valian shuddered in disgust. She didn't like octopus.
"I went through so much trouble to pick you up, where's the thanks?"
The Fortis family girls said "Thank you" to Valian with sleepy faces. They went down to the ship's hull and slept in the cabins there.
"You girls..." Valian made an annoyed face because she felt unappreciated. Then she turned to Vincent who was chewing on dried tentacles.
"Well, that's not my goal anyway." She put on her Dracula smile. Vincent, realizing this, slowly stepped back.
"Um... Sis Vali?"
"Vincent, two days ago you didn't give me blood as usual. Today I'm going to collect your debt. So, three times the usual amount." She licked her lips sexily.
Vincent swallowed all the dried tentacles in his mouth. He choked. But he didn't cough because he felt a threatening aura coming from Valian.
"Seagull!" Vincent pointed to the sky behind Valian. Unconsciously, Valian reflexively turned around.
As soon as she turned back to face forward. Vincent had disappeared from in front of her.
"Vincent!!!"
***
The third day of vacation ended after the yacht docked at the hotel pier.
Vincent, pale-faced as if his blood had just been squeezed dry (literally), got off the bus driven by Mia. His paleness was doubled due to the extreme bus drive.
After arriving home and eating instant food for breakfast. Selena and Grace said goodbye to return to their respective lives.
"We will come back here every week. Our vacation became quite colorful because of you. Thank you."
Selena and Grace bowed in front of the Fortis house where all family members, including the pale Vincent, were standing.
"Ara~ We will always welcome you whenever you come here. I even hope you two can stay here with us. It will be even more fun if this house has more occupants."
Vivian and Vani nodded. While Vittoria and Valian shook their heads in disagreement, because if that happened, Selena would stick to Vincent every day!
"Before that, there's something I want to discuss with Vincent alone." Grace, the serious and elegant woman, looked at Vincent.
Vincent met Grace's serious gaze. It seemed like there was a rather serious problem.
Vincent and Grace then walked to the backyard of the Fortis house.
"Vincent. Last night. You talked to the dive guide and asked about the perpetrator of the boat theft—no, calling it theft doesn't feel right. Let's consider this case a small-scale fraud case due to personal interests."
"Personal interests?" Vincent asked.
Grace nodded. "Tug is my rival in court. As a lawyer, he's always on the opposite side of me and tries to defeat me by any means necessary. This incident also seems to be caused by him. Perhaps he wants me to be stranded on a remote island for some time so he can dominate the courtroom alone without me. I'm sorry, Vincent. This is all my fault."
Grace bowed 90 degrees. Vincent gently touched Grace's shoulder.
"Aunt Grace is not fault at all. Besides, we were only stranded there for one night. We also enjoyed that day together, didn't we? Roasting crabs, fish, octopus, and snails that we found from underwater and eating them with smiles.
"If auntie wants to apologize, she should retaliate against that man in court tomorrow." Vincent winked.
Grace, who had just straightened up and smiled, had her heels step on a rock and her body fell forward towards Vincent.
"Ah?"
Making their lips accidentally collide.
"Grace, let's hurry home—ehhhhhhhh????????????"
Selena, who followed to the backyard, saw Vincent and Grace kissing.
Vincent's and Grace's faces turned red like boiled crabs.
"YOU TWO! THAT'S CHEATING!"
***