Rosaline's POV: Early in the morning, I blinked myself awake, my eyes landing on the figure of Caden sitting out on the balcony, quietly reading the newspaper. The sunlight outside was gentler than the days before, soft and diluted, spilling across his profile like a watercolor wash. His long lashes fluttered slightly, reminiscent of a butterfly's wings mid-flight. Sometimes I couldn't help but think that it was a shame that Caden never went into showbiz, with that flawless face of his. And if I'm being honest ... he was a bit more handsome than Jasper. As if sensing my gaze, Caden turned his head toward me. I quickly buried my face under the covers, pretending to be still asleep. "Are you awake?" His voice came a moment later, calm and amused, drifting in from outside the blanket. I ignored him, committing to the pretend sleep game. I felt Caden's hand reach over, brushing aside the messy strands of hair on my forehead with a tenderness that made my heart skip. Then, his fingers gently pinched my nose. At first, I held my breath, determined not to give in. But after a few seconds, I couldn't take it anymore. I opened my eyes and grabbed his hand, my cheeks burning as I stared up at him. "Done pretending?" Caden sat at the edge of the bed and gazed down at me. "You're being unfair," I said, blinking up at him with all the righteous indignation I could muster, "You were supposed to give me a sweet good morning kiss." His lips curled into a faint, helpless smile as he leaned down. But just as he got close, I suddenly flipped the blanket over his head, trapping him like a ghost under a bedsheet, and slipped out from underneath with a laugh, nimble as a cat on the run. "Too late," I said with a cheeky grin as I hopped off the bed and waved playfully at Caden. But before I could take another step, his long arm reached out and wrapped around my waist, pulling me straight back into his embrace. "What are you doing?" I looked up at him, my voice soft and mock-accusatory. "Your turn now," Caden whispered against my ear, his breath warm and teasing.I blinked, a little confused, "Huh?" "The good morning kiss," he said slowly and clearly, enunciating each word like it was a solemn vow, then looked at me with an expectant expression. I couldn't help but laugh, twisting around in Caden's arms until we were face to face. Looping my arms around his neck, I boldly poked at his cheek with a grin, "You're a very childish man, Mr. Holbrook, you know that?" He raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue. Gazing into Caden's striking eyes, my fingers gently traced from his brows to the bridge of his nose, finally resting on his forehead. Then, I leaned in and gave him a slow, lingering kiss. As we pulled apart, I cradled his face and said, "I'm hungry." Caden carried me out of the bedroom without a word. As we stepped into the dining area, I noticed the table was already laid out with breakfast. Halfway through eating, a sudden thought struck me. I looked up at him, eyes bright with excitement, "Caden, let's head out to the sea today." His fork paused mid-air. He turned his head toward me but didn't answer right away, his brows furrowed. "Are we really just going to wander around the island all day?" I propped my chin up with my hand, looking at Caden, my body leaning slightly forward. Then, with a playful glint in my eye, I extended a finger and gently tapped the back of his hand. I knew exactly why he hadn't agreed to this yet. He was worried about what happened on the cruise last time. "I just don't believe I'm that unlucky, every time I board a cruise, something has to go wrong. This time, I promise I'll stay with you the whole time and won't run off. How about it?" I noticed that Caden didn't respond right away, so I leaned in a little closer. He let out a deep sigh, turning to face me with an unreadable look. A twinge of unease crept into my chest. "Could it be that those werewolves we encountered last time were really that strong?" "There are some forces behind them," Caden replied, his tone brushing off the subject as though he didn't want me getting involved. "Since when does our mighty Mr. Holbrook get scared?" I couldn't help teasing him when I saw his hesitation.No matter how powerful those forces are, they couldn't be more powerful than the packs of both Caden and I combined, could they? But the moment those words left my mouth, Caden's expression darkened, and his deep, obsidian eyes turned sharply to me. Realizing I might've gone too far with my words, I stepped closer and eased myself onto his lap. "I'm sorry, Caden. I just think that ... since the situation's been handled, there's no need to keep holding onto the fear." Leaning my head against his chest, I wrapped my arms gently around his waist. "Besides, I'm not some delicate little songbird in a cage. I can protect myself too, can't I?" Caden pressed his lips together, saying nothing, just watching me in quiet stillness. Then, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. I took it as silent permission and leaned in, placing a light kiss at the edge of his lips. His brows twitched slightly, and just as he began to inch closer to steal another kiss, I lifted my hand to stop him. "Mr. Holbrook, if we don't head out soon, we'll miss all the good views," I said, my eyes twinkling with mischief.