Burning desire?!

How dare William say that!

And who exactly packed that scandalous bikini in her suitcase anyway?

Truthfully, it was the only swimsuit she could find after thoroughly searching the entire closet!

Elise vividly recalled Elizabeth being the one who gifted it to her, claiming it was from a sponsor after some celebrity event. Elizabeth had insisted that as a public figure, she couldn't wear anything so revealing or the paparazzi would have a field day if they captured photos.

Still, Elizabeth argued it was too beautiful to waste, pressing it into Elise's hands while complimenting her incredible figure that would do it justice.

Not wanting to reject Elizabeth's enthusiastic gift, Elise accepted it but never intended to actually wear it.

And now William had deliberately packed it as her only swimwear option!

"Did you instruct Charles to pack my luggage?" she demanded irritably.

"Would Charles have such exquisite taste?" William countered, his tone dripping with smugness.

He maintained his infuriating smile despite her glare. "You can swim, can't you? How about a race?"

"Absolutely not," Elise stated flatly—she wasn't foolish enough to play his games.

"I'll give you a half-lap head start," William offered. "Winner gets any wish from the loser."

Elise measured the pool's length with her eyes.

Half a lap? His arrogance knew no bounds!

Feigning reluctant acceptance, she asked, "No backing out?"

"Of course not," he confirmed.

"Any wish at all?"

"Naturally," William replied with complete confidence.

"Fine," Elise agreed, sounding thoroughly put upon.

They both moved to the pool's edge.

"Alright, I start first. You only begin when I reach the midpoint," Elise clarified once more.

"Agreed," William nodded.

With that, Elise dove into the water, starting with a leisurely breaststroke.

She moved quite slowly, and William's amused smile was unmistakable.

When Elise reached the halfway point, he was still casually stretching before his tall frame launched gracefully into the water, covering significant distance before switching to freestyle.

He was nearly at the opposite end when he glanced up, only to find her already waiting there, seemingly catching her breath.

William was genuinely astonished—there was no way she could have beaten him with that breaststroke. Unless...

Swimming quickly to join her, he remarked, "You're full of surprises, Ms. Scott."

Elise simply shrugged. "I merely forgot to mention that I would've been a national-level swimmer if my father hadn't sent me overseas."

While William pressed his lips together, she beamed triumphantly. "All's fair in love and war!"

With that, she executed an elegant dive back into the pool, speeding away.

"Cheeky minx," William murmured with affectionate amusement before giving chase.

They played in the water a while longer before heading to breakfast together.

Taking a bite of his croissant, William said, "You won, Ms. Scott. As promised, I'll grant your wish."

Elise was momentarily startled—she hadn't actually considered asking anything from William, having grown accustomed to achieving everything through her own efforts.

Nevertheless, she found herself saying, "Never lie to me."

As William held her gaze intently, she spoke with crystal clarity. "Be direct with me—no matter what it is, even if you fall out of love with me. Just don't deceive me, ever, under any circumstances."

If Samuel had been honest when he developed feelings for Sophia, their relationship wouldn't have ended so disastrously.

Similarly, she wouldn't have been so thoroughly wounded, and she absolutely refused to repeat that experience!

William swallowed hard before responding, "You have my word."

Unaware of the emotions William was suppressing, Elise then asked, "So? What's planned for today?"

"Nothing particular," William replied.

Elise frowned—was this entire trip just about sleeping and scrolling through phones in a different location?

Quite the 'zoomer' vacation indeed...

Then William flashed a mischievous grin. "No need to rush, Ms. Scott. Rest today, because I'm concerned your stamina might not handle the excitement I have planned."

Elise remained thoroughly skeptical.