Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Early morning, Murray was resting in the VIP lounge at the airport, mindlessly scrolling through his social media.

With half an hour left before his flight, time seemed to crawl at an agonizingly slow pace, wishing he could teleport onto the plane.

Suddenly, he froze, straightening up as something caught his eye. A post from Corley from the day before showed a beautiful beach scene with the perfect blend of blue skies, turquoise waters, and the golden hue of sunset.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

The caption read, [The weather on Maldor Beach is nice, but the best part is meeting someone special.]

Comment from A read, [Is Corley hunting for romance on his vacation?]

Corley's reply: [I'm not casting a wide net. I'm fishing with precision.]

Comment from B: [Sounds like Mr. Sullivan's caught something interesting?]

Corley's reply: [Grinning with teeth.]

As Murray scrolled further, his mood darkened. With too many mutual friends, the update had caused many speculative comments about Corley's love life.

That sneaky guy spread fake news while he sneaked off to Maldor Beach to meet Roseanne.

Just then, an announcement reminded passengers headed to Maldor Beach to board, prompting Murray to grab his coat and head out of the lounge.

As he opened the door, he bumped into Millie, who was about to enter. Their eyes locked, and her initial intention to push the door became a hug.

Caught off guard, Murray got embraced tightly, standing frozen at the moment.

"Babe, you're the best. I casually mentioned I've never been to the Maldor Beach, and you took it to heart." She straightened up, waving her boarding pass. "I've heard about their amazing overwater bungalows, where you can fall asleep to the sound of the waves and wake up to the sunrise. Not to mention the stunning sandbars..."

Feeling a twitch in his brow, Murray muttered an excuse about visiting the restroom and quickly walked away.

In a secluded corner, he called his assistant, Maurice, with a frosty tone.

"Mr. Sherwood?" Maurice picked up the phone, wondering if Murray should be boarding at the hour.

Murray fumed, "Maurice, if you don't want your job, say it!"

On the other end, panic set in. "Mr. Sherwood, what are you talking about?"

"If I recall correctly, I only asked you

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to book my flight, not go off booking double and handing it to Millie.df there's a problem with your hearing, you should get it checked.

Maurice realized a newbie must have caused the mix-up. Yet, he didn't try to excuse himself. Instead he apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Sherwood. I failed to give clear instructions and didn't double-check. It won't happen again."

Murray's tone softened slightly. "Better so."

...

"Babe, why did you take so long? They're about to close boarding," Millie rushed up to him as he returned from the restroom.

Murray replied curtly, "Let's go."

Stuck in the situation, he decided to go with it.

Millie chirped excitedly, "I can't wait. It's my first time going abroad..."

Thinking about Maldor Beach, she put on makeup and packed several sexy bikinis, hoping to rekindle something with Murray. Since a drunken night led to an unintended intimacy, he hadn't touched her, ignoring all her hints. Perhaps the trip could change that.

Upon landing, they headed straight for the seaplane to the island.

Having only seen Maldor Beach through pictures and videos, Millie couldn't stop snapping photos on her phone.

Suddenly, she paused, realizing she and Murray had never taken a photo together. Knowing her roommates heard about the trip, she slyly turned her phone toward Murray. Tired and having slept poorly the night before, Murray yawned as Millie aimed her camera at him. His expression darkened immediately, and he blocked the phone.