Aryana entered the cottage ignoring Alex. Denise, Cindy, Alice and Ryan were there.
All of them looked at Aryana in surprise. Alex and Ryan looked at her in a different ways and they were drooling. The chiffon white dress she was wearing did not hide the beautiful figure clad in a black swimsuit beneath. In fact, her beautiful figure was highlighted and she looked alluring.
Denise was the first to recover.
"You finally find the sense to come back." She shouted as she let her gaze travel from her head to toe. She was jealous of her beauty.
"Looks like you found a sugar daddy overnight judging by the clothes you are wearing." She hated her. She hated the fact that she was more beautiful than her. Even her boyfriend Ryan was gawking at her like it was the first time he really saw her.
Alex scrambled to his feet.
"Aryana, please forgive me. I was drunk last night and wasn't myself." He said pitifully as he tried to grasp Aryana's hand.
Aryana recoiled from his touch.
"Don't touch me. I just need to get my stuff." She said in a disgusted voice.
She gathered her backpack and her laptop bag and was about to leave when Denise yanked at her hair and pulled her back. Her scalp hurt a lot. She turned around and held the hand that was grabbing her hair.
"Let go!" She increased the pressure on her grip and Denise winced and let go. Aryana was much stronger than her as she was used to hard labor.
"How dare you? You'll just leave like that?" She shouted.
"You have to pay for your share of the rent of the cottage and the food as well. It's not our fault that you are not staying here anymore. You're shameless. I'm pretty sure you used your body to get that outfit of yours. You slut". Denise's barrage of profanities filled the cottage.
Denise stopped defaming Yana when suddenly two tall handsome men entered their cottage.
All three ladies looked at the two men with interest. They gave them their most flirtatious smile.
"Is there any problem Yana? What's with the shouting?" Erik said as he threw an icy stare at Denise who hid behind his boyfriend Ryan.
"It's okay Erik. We can go."
She took some money from her wallet and handed it to Denise.
"Here is my share." She was about to leave when Denise stopped her the second time.
"This is not enough. You have to pay for the plane and boat fare as well."
Aryana was at a loss. She doesn't have enough money. "You said that those were paid for."
"Nothing's free Aryana. How naive ." She smirked.
Aryana was clutching the hem of her dress. "I'll pay you back when we go home." She was anxious.
Erik nodded at Marlon.
Marlon took some bills from his wallet and handed them to Denise. "That should be more than enough to cover all her expenses."
While Marlon was still talking, Erik pulled Aryana and lead her out of the cottage.
"Hey wait up." Marlon left hurriedly and walked beside Aryana.
The people inside the cottage were shocked.
"Who were they, Denise?" Alice asked.
"Both are handsome but the taller one is deadly. How did Aryana hook up with them? How can she be so lucky? Looks like your cousin hit the jackpot." Cindy said in a jealous tone.
They hurried outside and they watched the trio walk casually on the beach towards a speedboat. Aryana was walking gracefully like a model, flanked at both sides by two muscular tall men.
Denise was green with envy, while Alex was regretful for letting the chance to have her last night pass.
Both he and Denise were pissed off as they continued to watch the boat speed in the direction of a yacht docked farther out in the sea.
"Bitch!" Let's just see when we get home. I'll tell Aunt Elena about this." Denise muttered under her breath.
"I hadn't realized until today that your cousin is so pretty." Ryan teased her. He chuckled when Denise shot him a warning look.
"It's because she is always wearing that ugly eyeglasses and wearing loose clothes," Alex said. "I know she is a beauty. I almost got her last night. I think it is those two men who saved her. But how did she know them?"
"They met them by chance last night and she hooked up with one of them." It was Alice who offered them a plausible explanation.
"Hey, we have a lot of money now! Let's forget about that bitch!" Denise said cheerfully while counting the bills that Marlon gave her.
She circled her arms around Ryan's neck and said. "Babe, Let's have lunch at the Marina and be like the rich and famous!"
Ryan removed her arms and pushed her. "Are you crazy? Do you know how much a meal per person cost there?
Denise smiled, she arranged the wad of bills in her hand and used that to fan herself.
"Lunch is on me!" Let's go! There is a boat scheduled to leave for Marina in 15 mins. We can't afford to miss that
———————————
Aryana was silent on the ride back to the yacht.
"Is she your cousin?" Erik asked her. "Robert's niece?"
Aryana looked at Erik when he mentioned his father's name. She shook her head. "My Mom and her Dad are half-siblings."
She was surprised to hear a sigh of relief escape Erik. She threw him a questioning look.
"I just can't imagine how could a man as good as Robert have a niece like that?" He said softly but Aryana heard him loud and clear.
They were sitting opposite each other. Aryana looked at him closely with big round eyes. She was touched because he spoke of his father so affectionately. And a little bit of her hatred towards him has sniffed away.
Erik was wearing dark glasses and Aryana cannot see his eyes. Erik was studying her closely. He liked how a few strands of her hair slapped across her face as the wind blows them. He loved her expression when he talked about his father just now.
They reached the yacht. Marlon was about to assist Aryana but he beat him into it. He wanted to know Aryana a little better but Marlon is getting in the way and her fondness for him was not helping.
He thought for a while and then he had an idea.