Chapter 231: The End of the Lanai Trip

Not long after, Maya suddenly came running toward Lucas with an excited smile, carefully carrying a plate with both hands as if it contained the most precious treasure in the world.

"Mr. Lucas! Quick! You have to taste this!"

Seeing how excited she looked, Lucas couldn’t help but smile. "What happened?"

"I finally did it!" Maya’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "After ruining... I don’t even know how many steaks."

She puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Some were way too salty, some were too spicy, some were burned black, and a few were practically still mooing."

Kristine, who had followed behind her, covered her face helplessly. "The two of us wasted enough steaks to feed half the island."

"That wasn’t my fault!" Maya protested immediately.

Kristine blinked innocently. "It wasn’t mine either."

Lucas couldn’t help laughing. Just as Maya reached him, she completely forgot to slow down.

"Ah!"

She stumbled forward, but Lucas reacted instantly, wrapping an arm around her waist before she could fall and effortlessly pulling her into his embrace.

Maya instinctively hugged him back. Even while nearly crashing into him, she still protected the plate in her hands with all her might. Not a single piece of steak slid off.

Lucas looked down at her with amusement.

"So... the steak was more important than I was?"

"N-No!" Maya’s face instantly turned crimson. Before she even realized what she was doing, she settled onto his lap, still holding the plate tightly.

"You’re important too... but this steak is important right now!"

Only after saying it did she notice their position.

She was sitting directly on Lucas’s lap.

Her entire body stiffened for a second, her ears burning bright red, but instead of moving away, she hurriedly cut off a small piece of steak with the knife and carefully held it to his lips.

"Here... taste it."

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"So confident?"

Maya nodded proudly. "I’ve been practicing all night."

She suddenly remembered the night they first met. Back then, Lucas had grilled the most delicious steak she had ever tasted~perfectly seasoned, perfectly juicy, perfectly cooked.

Ever since that day, she had secretly wanted to make one just as good... or maybe even better.

That was why she and Kristine had stubbornly kept trying, wasting steak after steak until they finally produced one they were satisfied with.

Lucas opened his mouth and took a bite. He chewed slowly, saying nothing as Maya watched him with growing anxiety.

"...How is it?"

Instead of answering immediately, Lucas glanced at the steak again before looking back at her.

"Who made this?"

Maya’s eyes lit up.

"I did!"

She sat up proudly.

"I made it myself."

Lucas nodded thoughtfully before a smile spread across his face.

"It’s perfect."

The moment those two words left his mouth, Maya’s entire face brightened.

"Really?!"

Lucas nodded.

"Really. Honestly... it’s every bit as good as mine."

The excitement completely overwhelmed her.

Without thinking, she threw both arms around Lucas’s neck.

"Thank you!"

She planted several quick kisses on his cheek before she even realized what she was doing.

Then...

Everything became silent.

One by one, the students around the barbecue stopped what they were doing.

Some still held barbecue tongs in midair. Others didn’t even notice the meat on their grills beginning to burn. Every pair of eyes had turned toward Maya.

She slowly looked around.

"..."

Only then did she realize she was still sitting on Lucas’s lap.

And she had just kissed him several times in front of everyone.

Her beautiful face instantly turned scarlet.

"I..."

She hurriedly climbed off Lucas’s lap, lowering her head in embarrassment, unable to finish her sentence.

The students exchanged stunned looks.

Was this really Maya Laurent?

The elegant, icy campus goddess who barely spoke to anyone?

Ever since she came to Lanai Island with Lucas, she seemed like a completely different person.

She smiled more, laughed more, and every now and then even acted adorably childish. None of them had ever imagined they’d witness this side of her.

Kristine watched the scene quietly from the side. Rather than feeling jealous, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

Seeing Maya so happy somehow made her happy as well.

The lively barbecue continued until late into the night. Laughter echoed around the lakeside as everyone grilled meat, drank, joked, and enjoyed their final evening on Lanai Island.

Only after the campfire had almost burned out did everyone finally begin packing up. One after another, they boarded the waiting shuttle buses back to the Lanai Grand Hotel.

Lucas climbed into the presidential-suite shuttle alongside Maya, Kristine, Penny~who insisted on staying close to Kristine~and Cassandra.

As the shuttle quietly drove away beneath the moonlight, Bryce remained sitting alone beside the dying campfire.

He had completely accepted defeat.

Tonight was the final night on Lanai Island.

The trip he had organized himself had ended in complete failure.

He had lost Maya.

He had lost Kristine.

Even Cassandra barely acknowledged him anymore.

Every girl he had hoped to impress had naturally gravitated toward Lucas instead.

Bryce let out a bitter laugh before lifting another bottle of beer. One bottle became two. Two became five.

By the end of the night, he was completely drunk, his eyes bloodshot and his thoughts a blurry mess.

He no longer cared about maintaining appearances. He simply wanted to drown the frustration burning inside his chest.

The other students watched him silently. Some pitied him. Others merely shook their heads. Everyone understood one thing.

Bryce hadn’t lost because of bad luck.

He had lost because Lucas was simply better.

In every possible way.

When the barbecue finally ended, Bryce staggered onto the shuttle bus with everyone else, still clutching a half-empty bottle.

Not a single beautiful girl sat beside him. The empty seat next to him perfectly reflected the outcome of this trip.

That night, Lucas returned to the presidential suite with Maya. After changing into comfortable clothes, the two collapsed onto the enormous bed.

Maya naturally snuggled into his embrace, wrapping herself around him as though it had already become the most natural thing in the world.

Lucas gently held her close, and under the soft moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the two quietly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, warm sunlight poured into the room. Lucas slowly opened his eyes to find Maya still sleeping peacefully against his shoulder.

He gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face before waking her.

After washing up, packing their luggage, and making sure nothing had been left behind, the two left the suite together.

Outside the hotel, Lilith had already prepared everything.

Several brand-new Rolls-Royce Phantoms waited neatly at the entrance, their polished bodies gleaming beneath the morning sun as hotel staff stood respectfully on both sides of the driveway.

The moment Lucas appeared, every employee bowed in unison.

"Good morning, Chairman."

Lucas simply nodded before leading Maya and the others toward the waiting convoy.

By the time they arrived at the cruise terminal, nearly all of Ashford University’s students had already been waiting for more than two hours.

Their luggage had been loaded, the buses were lined up, and everyone seemed to be waiting for only one thing.

Lucas.

The moment the convoy of Rolls-Royces slowly entered the parking area, countless eyes turned toward them. Lucas stepped out first, followed by Maya, Kristine, Penny, and Cassandra.

The girls naturally gathered around him as they walked toward the boarding gate.

The boys could only watch with complicated expressions.

Some sighed.

Some smiled bitterly.

Others openly envied him.

No one could deny it anymore.

Lucas truly was living the dream.

Surrounded by breathtaking women, escorted by a fleet of luxury cars, and carrying himself with the confidence of someone standing at the very top.

Even Bryce, standing quietly among the crowd with a pounding hangover, only looked at Lucas for a long moment before lowering his head.

This time...

There wasn’t even any jealousy left.

Only complete defeat.

Soon, the cruise ship sounded its horn, and passengers began boarding one after another. Several hours later, the ship finally docked back at Westhaven Port.

The moment Lucas stepped off the gangway, his phone suddenly vibrated.

Buzz.

He glanced at the screen.

It was his roommate.

Max.

A faint smile appeared on Lucas’s face as he answered the call.

"What’s up?"