Chapter 197: The Island Became Mine

Bryce was caught off guard by Lucas’s confidence.

He knew Lucas had money.

That much was obvious.

But money wasn’t enough to get onto Lanai Island today.

The island hadn’t officially opened to the public yet. Entry was invitation-only, and every reservation had been tightly controlled weeks in advance. Unless you had powerful connections~or knew someone at the top~you weren’t getting on that island.

Bryce knew that better than anyone.

He had spent days begging his father to pull strings before he finally secured a handful of invitation

There was no way Lucas could possibly have gotten in.

Bryce let out a cold laugh.

"Hmph... fine."

"We’ll see who’s laughing in another hour."

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"When security throws you right back onto the mainland..."

"I’ll be there to watch."

With that, Bryce turned around confidently and began calling everyone together.

"Everyone!"

"Time to board!"

"Bring your IDs and reservation passes."

One after another, the Student Union members followed Bryce toward the boarding checkpoint.

Lucas simply smiled.

Then he turned toward Maya, who was still standing beside him with an embarrassingly happy smile that she couldn’t seem to hide.

"So..."

"You done staring at me?"

Maya immediately realized she’d been smiling the entire time.

Her cheeks flushed slightly.

"I wasn’t staring..."

Lucas chuckled.

"Sure."

"Come on."

"Let’s go."

---

The ferry ride from Westhaven Harbor to Lanai Island took just under one hour.

As the ship slowly pulled away from the dock, the bustling city skyline gradually disappeared behind them.

Before long...

Nothing remained except the endless ocean.

Brilliant blue water stretched to the horizon, blending seamlessly into the clear summer sky.

The gentle sea breeze carried the scent of saltwater through the open viewing deck, instantly making everyone feel relaxed.

Many students pulled out their phones to take pictures.

Others stood along the railing, enjoying the spectacular view.

Inside the ferry, large digital displays continuously played promotional videos introducing Lanai Island.

Welcome to Lanai Island.

A calm narrator’s voice echoed throughout the cabin.

Lanai Island stretched nearly forty-five miles from east to west and over twenty miles from north to south, covering close to six hundred square miles.

It wasn’t just an island.

It was practically a miniature paradise.

The island had been divided into several themed districts.

At its heart lay the untouched Ancient Rainforest Reserve.

Surrounding it were the Crystal Beach District, Emerald Lake District, Sunset Cliff District, and Oasis Resort District.

Each region had been meticulously designed to preserve the beauty of nature while blending it seamlessly with luxury tourism.

Everything had been built to create one of the most luxurious vacation destinations in the country.

Listening to the presentation...

The students’ excitement only continued to grow.

"So beautiful..."

"I can’t believe we’re actually going there."

"I’ve been waiting for this trip all month."

Even Maya quietly watched the scenery outside.

---

Several rows away...

Two freshmen from the Student Union couldn’t stop chatting excitedly.

Kristine Carter.

And her best friend...

Penny Lawson.

Kristine leaned against the window, watching the waves sparkle beneath the morning sun.

"Penny..."

"Bryce is seriously incredible."

"I never imagined he’d actually get us onto Lanai Island."

"I checked online before."

"One reservation alone costs almost twenty thousand dollars."

"My monthly allowance isn’t even three grand."

Her eyes unconsciously drifted toward Bryce.

To her...

He looked almost perfect.

Penny nodded repeatedly.

"And do you know something even crazier?"

"We’re practically part of the island’s very first official tourist group."

"I heard reservations are booked months in advance."

"Some celebrities couldn’t even get tickets."

"My cousin tried."

"No luck."

Kristine’s admiration grew even stronger.

"So besides being rich..."

"His family’s connections must be amazing."

Penny couldn’t help agreeing.

To ordinary college students like them...

Someone like Bryce seemed completely out of reach.

Rich.

Popular.

Confident.

The kind of guy everyone noticed the moment he walked into a room.

Kristine had always been attracted to people like that.

The stronger...

The more successful...

The more influential someone was...

The more fascinated she became.

After hesitating for a moment...

Penny suddenly nudged her shoulder.

"Kristine..."

"I heard something yesterday."

"It’s probably just gossip..."

"But don’t get mad."

Kristine blinked.

"What is it?"

Penny lowered her voice.

"I overheard two Student Union seniors talking."

"They said..."

"The whole reason Bryce organized this Lanai Island trip..."

"...was because of Maya."

Kristine frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Penny continued carefully.

"They said Bryce wants to use this vacation to confess to Maya."

"And the reason he invited all the core Student Union members..."

"...was so Maya wouldn’t have an excuse to refuse."

The smile on Kristine’s face instantly disappeared.

It felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over her head.

"...No."

"That can’t be true."

She shook her head repeatedly.

"You must’ve heard wrong."

"When I confessed to Bryce..."

"He didn’t reject me."

"He told me relationships weren’t something to rush."

"He said he wanted time to seriously think about it."

"If he didn’t have feelings for me..."

"He would’ve turned me down immediately."

"The fact that he said he’d think about it..."

"Means I still have a chance."

Penny looked at her awkwardly.

"...Or..."

"Maybe..."

"He just didn’t want to hurt your feelings?"

Kristine immediately shook her head.

"No."

"Bryce isn’t that kind of person."

Her voice was firm.

Unwavering.

She believed every word she was saying.

The truth was...

Kristine had been hopelessly infatuated with Bryce for nearly one year.

Every rejection...

Every excuse...

Every cold response...

She somehow managed to interpret as a sign that he secretly cared.

Whenever Bryce ignored her...

She convinced herself he was simply busy.

Whenever he rejected her invitations...

She told herself he didn’t want to distract her studies.

No matter what Bryce did...

Kristine always found a reason to defend him.

She was completely blind whenever it came to him.

Ironically...

Bryce had invited her on this trip for exactly one reason.

He wanted her to witness him winning Maya’s heart with her own eyes.

Only then...

He believed...

Would Kristine finally give up chasing him.

Meanwhile...

Maya stood quietly beside Lucas, her fingers tightly intertwined with his.

The two of them looked so natural standing together that anyone watching from a distance would have assumed they were already a couple.

She didn’t seem to care who saw them anymore.

But despite the warmth in her heart...

There was still a trace of worry lingering in her beautiful eyes.

She looked up at Lucas before asking softly,

"Lucas..."

"...what if you really don’t have a ticket?"

"What if they refuse to let you onto the island?"

"Are they really going to send you back?"

The more she thought about it...

The more anxious she became.

They had only just crossed that invisible line in their relationship.

After everything that had happened between them...

Maya honestly didn’t want to be separated from Lucas, not even for a single day.

If Lucas were forced to return...

She would have to spend the next seven days on Lanai Island without him.

That thought alone made her chest tighten.

Leaving with Lucas wasn’t an option either.

As Student Union President, she was responsible for every student on this trip.

The university had entrusted their safety to her.

Abandoning everyone now would be irresponsible.

Thinking about it...

Maya unconsciously puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

She looked exactly like a sulking little girlfriend.

Lucas couldn’t help smiling.

He gently squeezed her hand before lightly patting the top of it.

"Relax."

"Nothing’s going to happen."

"You’ll see soon enough."

His voice was calm.

Steady.

As though everything was already under control.

Seeing how confident he looked...

Maya’s nervousness eased slightly.

She trusted Lucas.

She always had.

But...

She still couldn’t figure out how he planned to get onto an invitation-only island without a reservation.

Even Bryce, with all of his father’s connections, had struggled just to secure a handful of invitations.

What exactly was Lucas hiding?

The question lingered in her mind the entire trip.

---

More than fifty minutes later...

The ferry finally slowed as the massive outline of Lanai Island came into full view.

The luxurious harbor stretched across the coastline, lined with elegant white buildings, towering palm trees, and rows of expensive yachts gently rocking against the docks.

The scenery was even more breathtaking than the promotional videos.

As the ferry came to a complete stop...

Passengers began gathering their belongings before filing toward the exit.

Lucas stepped off the ferry beside Maya.

The instant both of his feet touched the island...

A familiar mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.

[Ding!]

[Host has successfully arrived at Lanai Island.]

[Unlock condition fulfilled.]

[Reward is being unlocked...]

A brief pause followed.

Then—

[Ding! Unlock successful!]

[Congratulations, Host.]

[You have officially acquired ownership of Lanai Island.]