Chapter 58 - Retreat

The tour guide told them where they were heading as soon as the shuttle bus took to the road.

"The Evol Private Island will allow you and your team to experience a simpler life. There won't be any advanced technology to distract you from focusing on each other and connecting," the tour guide rambled on with practiced cadence. "You will find an abundance of nature along with shared spaces that you could explore together. The Evol Resorts offer a variety of activities that you could use to integrate into your team's retreat objectives." 

Raine could hear her fellow employees cheering with excitement as a video then started to play on the screen. But while they were all busy watching the video, her mind eventually wandered on to something else entirely. She honestly wished that Tyrone was with her, sitting beside her right now just so she could rest in his arms and feel his warmth during the ride.

'Ah, why bother traveling with the rest when I could've just traveled with him directly?" she wondered regrettably. It was the obvious choice, after all. Then again, she still wanted to give Tyrone a dose of his own medicine for always running away from her when it came to intimacy.

"Free from everyday pressures and distractions, your team can focus on the task at hand," the tour guide beamed as she ended her introduction.

Raine shook her head at the woman's words. Even the tour guide was reminding her to focus on the task at hand instead of thinking about Tyrone!

Before she knew it, the shuttle bus had to do a stopover for lunch. Raine immediately looked for Xander to bother the man for lunch, but Rui had already stood in front of her with an offer. 

"Let's go and eat lunch together. Do try not to disturb those who are already peacefully resting."

Raine raised her eyebrows towards him. Without arguing, she walked out with him from the bus along with the others. At that, she immediately knew that Rui was standing guard for her. He had never left her side ever since. He even ordered food for her just so they could eat at the same table.

"You seem to be giving me a lot of attention, Doc," Raine mumbled with a beautiful smile. In the corner of her eyes, she could see that Tyrone was on another table not far from them, eating alone.

'Poor guy,' she mused while giving Rui a seductive and flirtatious smile for the whole time that they were eating.

Tyrone, on the other hand, had a gloomy expression. If looks could kill, Dr. Rui Dee would already be dead just from the sheer amount of displeasure he was emanating from his eyes.

"Why bother with that man when Xander's supposed to be her target?" Tyrone grumbled with a sour face.

The food was good, but he had no appetite to finish it all when he was watching Raine giving out all those beautiful smiles towards another man.

Back to Raine, she was enjoying how much Rui was acting like a pest around her. The man was keeping her under guard, never letting her out of his sight for even a second.

After a while, Raine stood up and said, "I'm sure our Doctor CEO is very hungry by now, so I'll buy some food for him." 

Predictably, Rui stopped her. Raine showed him her gloomiest expression, but the latter simply ignored her. Ignoring him back, she walked towards the cashier to order, but Rui straightforwardly asked, "Tell me, Dr. Yao, do you really like my friend? Or are you using him for some kind of scheme?" 

Raine stopped walking and turned around to face Rui. She squinted her eyes and gave him a mocking smile as she countered, "So tell me, Dr. Dee, do you perhaps like me so much that you're sticking to me like a fly? Or is your head filled with dirty thoughts about me? Like, you want to f*uck me hard, perhaps?"

Raine controlled her laughter when Rui almost choked on his saliva, her brazen words catching him off guard. His eyes widened as he was rendered speechless. He could only stare at Raine's mocking grin, only to be left dumbfounded when she let out a scornful laugh before walking away from him. 

After all, was said and done, Raine looked in Tyrone's direction and gave the latter a wink as she passed by him on her way back to the shuttle bus. As everyone filtered back inside the shuttle bus, she purposely stared at Rui as soon as he appeared, enjoying how much his face turned red even as he couldn't meet her in the eyes.

Once everyone was accounted for, the shuttle bus went back on the road. By the time they arrived at the resort, it was almost sunset. The lovely rhythmic sound of the ocean, along with the flora that surrounded the place, greeted the group. Looking at it, the resort boasted facilities that were built entirely over the water. It was located in a secluded cove surrounded by jungle and sea. Indeed, it truly offered a unique escape for the group. The scenery around them was so beautiful that they couldn't help but marvel at the sight of it. 

"Alright, guys! It's time for dinner! After that, you can retreat to your rooms," the guide smiled as she led them toward the dining hall. "It's almost dark, but we have plenty of time to roam around tomorrow. I know most of you are very tired from the bus ride, so please feel free to take some rest." 

Soon after, everyone had a great dinner together before heading straight to their respective rooms to rest. They were then given the card keys to their rooms along with some handouts concerning the programs for the following days.

As Raine went inside the elevator, it was about to close when a hand stopped it from closing. She smiled, seeing it was Tyrone. She had intentionally gone to the elevator late to let the others use them first, after all. It was so that they could go to their respective rooms.

"Did you ask Lyne for a room reservation?" Raine casually asked.

"What for when we can share the room?" Tyrone answered with his usual blank expression. Raine could sense a bit of annoyance in his voice, but she ignored it to make him feel more anxious.

"Hmm, I'm not sure that staying in the same room would be a good idea. I intend to have fun during the retreat while I focus on my plans ahead," Raine nonchalantly commented. "I might need some space in my room, and having you around might compromise my mission." 

"Ah, you mean your mission to flirt with that Dr. Dee who's far from being your target?" Tyrone dubiously asked.

"Who said he wasn't my target?" Raine said as the elevator door opened.. "Maybe he's a target of a different sort since he's so hot and interesting?" she added before walking out of the elevator, leaving Tyrone dumbfounded.