"Wifey, what time is our departure today?" Vincencio asked while packing their luggage since the CEO firmly made him take a half day to prepare for their departure.
"At eleven in the evening," Skylar answered from the bathroom, getting her necessities.
"Why so late?" he wondered as he looked at his wife, who gave her small toiletries before putting them into her luggage.
"Because it is an island, and don't you want to see sunrise with me?" she replied sweetly before sitting beside him. She was about to help, but Vincencio slapped her hand, making her pout, and he kissed it. "Sweetly mean."
"Hm, the sunrise." He chuckled but later wondered. "Okay, I love that idea, but how can we do that when it's a business trip? We aren't traveling alone."
"It'll work out somehow. Trust me." She winked as she leaned her head over Vincencio's shoulder.
"If you say so, boss." He teased, making Skylar slap his arm.
"Shut up and be my hubby." She demanded, making him laugh, but he obeyed. They snuggled as they chilled in their bedroom for a few hours before it was time to leave for a business trip.
***
Around three in the morning, their plane arrived at the island's airport with jet lag until they were picked up by a black SUV with the beach hotel's name signed on it. The drive was filled with the driver's touring guide as Vincencio listened attentively. Skylar was amused by staying awake for the driver while pretending to be asleep on his shoulder until they reached their hotel. The Chaella Beach Hotel has a luxury vibe but a comforting Mediterranean Greek theme and is owned by Skylar. It was her starting a hotel business that she let a few trusted men manage.
"Welcome back to Chaella Beach Hotel, Mistress Sky." The manager that she trusted welcomed them and guided them further inside the lobby.
"Thank you. Is our room already ready?" With familiarity, Skylar coldly asked, making the manager nod.
"Yes, Mistress. Here are the keys; they were all suite and on the same floor…" The manager handed the first two keys, which Medina took before adding in a direct whisper to Skylar about the remaining two keys. "…but these two are beside each other."
"I appreciated this." With a pleased grin, Skylar thanked the manager as they were led to the lift.
"You're welcome, and please enjoy your stay." The manager politely bowed at them before heading back to her usual routine.
As they were waiting for the lift to arrive, Skylar might have been busy with her phone, but she heard what the thirty-nine-year-old finance manager, Mr. Gables, spoke to her husband.
"This beach hotel is a nice meeting place, so it's better not to make your ego big because the CEO is paying on our behalf."
Skylar glanced slightly and saw his smug look as he reminded Vincencio where to put himself during their stay around the hotel. She was annoyed, but Medina showed her work tablet where she had written something.
In work tablet notepad: Don't do anything. Just listen and let Vince handle him as your employee.
Skylar was annoyed, but she understood her position between her employees, making her sigh and listen to their conversation quietly.
"I'm not, since this is not my first time in luxury hotels or resorts. I've got a doting and clingy wife, so we travel a lot together."
As soon as Vincencio responded without feeling threatened, Skylar and Medina held their snickers. Skylar felt the secret glance coming from him, and as their eyes met, she faked a cough to hide her heating cheeks.
"Seriously, clingy?" Skylar amusingly thought while pretending not to care about their conversation. "Well, I'm not complaining, but I am a dotting during our alone time."
But there was a strange vibe coming from Mr. Gables that didn't escape Skylar's sensitivity, but she remained composed when she heard Vincencio's whisper.
"Good for you then."
"Medina, tell me I'm sensing wrong. He's not into my wife, right?"
"Well, he's been eyeing her since he started working for her. Just ignore it. He's harmless—for now."
"But Medina, if it escalated…"
"She won't let anything bad happen to you. You have my word on that."
With assurance from Medina, their lift finally descended. Mr. Gables entered first, followed by Medina and their luggage, and before Vincencio could even join them, Skylar's voice echoed around his ears.
"Vince, come with me. I would like you to check something." With a stern voice from the CEO, Skylar immediately walked away from the lift, making Vincencio unable to do anything and follow the firm command.
"Sorry, you go ahead." With a fake scared tone, he apologized to them and went after the intimidating CEO as fast as he could.
Honestly, Skylar just wanted some alone time with her husband before they got serious about business. She toured Vincencio around her first hotel beach resort and witnessing her husband's amazed expression was something that lightened her, warming her. Vincencio enjoyed the creative arts, from the hanged ones to the painted mural ones, and Skylar loved it. Subconsciously, she entwined her fingers with his before leading the way to a certain area. It was a calming area filled with different flowers and a grand piano with a couple of chairs.
"Is this a greenhouse restaurant?" Vincencio guessed as he looked around.
"Yes, it's the outdoor garden theme," Skylar answered before carefully wondering. "Do you like it?"
"Very." He honestly responded as he sat by the grand piano and felt it before looking at his wife. "Come here."
Skylar didn't hesitate and sat beside him, making Vincencio smile and begin playing a melody on the piano. The melody was called Moonlight by Yiruma, and then it continued to the song called God Gave Me You by Bryan White. Vincencio sang a few parts of the song as if he was dedicating those stanzas to his wife, and Skylar felt every word in them as she listened attentively until the bridge came along.
"In your arms, I'm someone new with every tender kiss from you
Oh, I must confess, I've been blessed…" He finished the song at the bridge before placing his hand delicately on Skylar's neck and caressing them. "I love you, Skylar, my loving, caring, sweet, but doting wife. Always."
"Message received," Skylar teased but reciprocated the feelings with the same intensity. "Forever, I love you too, Vincencio, my loving, caring, but protective househusband."
The couple enjoyed a few more melodies before they strolled by the shore and watched the morning sun before retreating to their hotel rooms. They ended their date with a sweet kiss on Skylar's hand, then headed inside their respective rooms. But what they didn't know was that someone faintly saw the gesture, Mr. Gables.
At their morning breakfast, Medina briefs them about their schedule for the day, but Mr. Gables's mind is elsewhere. With obvious curiosity, he was glaring back and forth between Skylar and Vincencio, making Skylar annoyed.
"Got a problem with the schedule today, Mr. Gables?" With coldness, Skylar annoyingly asked, making the man cower.
"Oh, no. It's very nice." Mr. Gables smiled but failed to hide his fear.
"Good, prepare what we need throughout the meeting." With contentment, Skylar nodded as she firmly reminded them.
"Yes, boss." They answered and continued their breakfast.
"Vince, don't forget what I told you last night. Make sure to comply." Skylar turned to her husband and firmly reminded him of something they discussed before they went to their rooms.
"Noted, Boss." Vincencio nodded before politely asking. "Anything else to add?"
"Nothing. Just enjoy the meal; I've got a few things to settle first before the meeting. Medina." She shook her head and excused herself with her secretary.
***
The night on the island was peaceful, but the air suddenly shifted into something dangerous. Somewhere in a very dark area of the island, fear was spreading like a plague at each footstep of a frightened man as he ran away from something in the shadow, hunting for his life. He kept running aimlessly, but instead of reaching a crossroads, he went deep into the darkness where only palm trees, grasses with random stones over uneven sand, and being played.
"What's happening? Why am I haunted like this? I didn't do wrong." With fear, the man mumbled under his panting breath.
"Really? Are you sure you didn't do anything wrong?" A taunting voice from a woman began to echo around the island's darkness, making the man's fear escalate.
"WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" The man frantically shouted, hoping somebody would hear him.
"Oh, keep shouting; no one will come, as this island is also called a ghost island every time the night ticks." A sinister laugh kept adding fear over the man's frantic heart, making his entire body shiver, and he even peed on his pants as soon as he heard something more dangerous. "You have something more precious than anything."
"I don't have anything else…not anymore…" With a scared voice, the man quivered when he felt a strange wind brush against his skin, making him jolt.
"Oh, but you do. Your life." A taunting laugh from a lunatic but mysterious woman made the man run away, only to stumble over something.
"I…I have to get away from here…" the man mumbled in fear, but the laughter caught up with him, and the next thing he felt was a cursing pain. "WHAT THE FUCK! ARGH!"
"Finally the pain came across through your brain," the mysterious woman taunted, making the man confused but in pain.
"What?" He wondered when the mysterious woman in dark clothing with dangerous, crimson-glowing eyes appeared beside him, making him gasp.
"Your feet." With an amused tone, she tauntingly whispered.
When the man saw his feet were gone, he began screaming and crying in terror. But the mysterious woman just laughed like a madwoman before slitting his throat, making the annoying cries vanish like they didn't exist.
"I…" Another woman emerged from the shadow and witnessed how the lunatic, mysterious woman killed her prey.
"Don't worry, you have my word. Your family will be under my protection but be sure not to betray me, or else this will happen to you." With a sinister voice, she firmly gave her word to the frightened woman. Then she added something as she handed a piece of paper and a blue card. "Meet this man back in the city and show him this; he knows when he sees that."
"How much do I owe you for protecting my family?" Still in fear but determined, the woman wondered carefully.
"Loyalty and life. That's all, so leave before they suspect you." With a chuckle, she coldly responded, and the woman left in a hurry. But as the killer was left alone, she left something on the body of the victim before fleeing without a trace, like she was not even there in the area or even dared to kill someone.
***
Meanwhile, as the gruesome incident took place somewhere on the same island, Vincencio was not the only one who was annoyed by the irksome vibe Mr. Gables had been giving whenever their meeting ended. Skylar had been holding her irritation until Mr. Gables tried to hit her husband with reminders about his marriage.
"You know, being married is not something you will throw up once your tongue gets burned. It should be taken delicately, and you shouldn't fool around when on business trips."
Skylar wanted to strangle him to defend her husband and her marriage with him, but luckily Vincencio got the message clear; he knew that Mr. Gables was jealous, and he wouldn't let him have his way. He rebutted with heaviness, making Skylar arch her left eyebrow.
"Oh, don't worry about my marriage. It's healthy since my wife is so adorably clingy despite not being good around the house still; she's hard to ignore."
"Whatever."
"Seriously, Hubby. He didn't need to know that," Skylar thought before she coldly asked Vincencio. "Did you say something, Vince?"
"Nothing, but all goods and charms." Vincencio smiled charmingly.
"I see. Focus," With a faked cough, she sternly responded as she hid her blush.