Zach finally broke the surface with a whoosh after holding his breath for several minutes.

Spotting Donovan, he called out casually, "Uncle Don! You're back?"

Then, leaning toward Giselle, who was still dazed, he whispered, "That hunk's my uncle, the CEO of our family business. He always looks that serious, so don't take it personally."

Giselle thought she'd misheard. "He's your uncle?"

"Yep."

"Then, what's your actual name?"

"Zachary Kane! You seriously didn't know that?"

Giselle was at a loss for words. When she glanced back toward the poolside, Donovan was already gone.

"Let's keep swimming," Zachary said casually. "Uncle Don probably just came home for something. He'll be buried in work soon anyway. Don't worry about him."

But how could Giselle focus on swimming now? Floating on her back, she couldn't shake Donovan's icy expression or Zachary's shocking revelation. Her thoug

Donovan's blood boiled at the sight of Giselle's smug expression. He moved closer.

"It's always about the money with you, isn't it? Whatever you're trying to bleed him for—name your price. I'll pay it right now."

As he pulled out his phone to make the transfer, Giselle let out a derisive laugh. "Donovan, you don't seriously believe every man I'm with is just for money, do you? You couldn't be more wrong."

She stood up, closing the distance between them, her eyes locked on his. "Let me spell it out for you. Zachary is the 'younger guy' who took me out for late-night snacks last time. We've known each other for six months now.

"Unlike a stale 34-year-old like you, he's young, energetic, sweet, romantic, and actually meets my emotional needs. So yeah, I've decided to date this perfect, adorable younger guy. Why ruin things by bringing money into it?"

Donovan fought to keep his anger in

"Yeah, my uncle. That's his home," Zach replied.

Hearing that, Giselle instinctively eased off the bike's pace. "Wait. Isn't this kind of inappropriate? Bringing a stranger like me into his personal space… Someone his age would definitely hate that. Maybe we should go somewhere else."

Zach laughed. "What do you mean, 'his age?' He's only ten years older than me. We're tight—more like brothers, really. Trust me. He won't care."

Giselle fell silent.

Zach added, "I brought you here because it's close to where we were just hanging out. And my uncle has an amazing pool, so I figured you'd want to check it out."

"Your uncle and aunt aren't home right now, are they?"

"Don't worry. He's a total bachelor. He works like crazy and ends up sleeping at the office half the time, so he's hardly ever home."

They were nearly at the gate now, and Giselle decided not to overthink it.

Perched on the mountaintop, the standalone villa offered breathtaking views. It was just far enough to escape the city's chaos, yet close enough to take in its vibrant sprawl.

Behind the villa, an endless green golf course stretched into the distance, while to its right, a spacious parking lot was filled with rows of luxury cars.

Every amenity was within easy reach, all set within lush landscaping where the air always felt crisp and refreshing. Even the security was flawless.

Giselle couldn't begin to imagine what kind of ultra-elite tycoon could own a property in such a prime location.

"Adrian, pick out a selection of new women's swimsuits for Ms. Holt to choose from. We'll be swimming later," Zach said, removing his helmet as he addressed the villa's butler, Adrian Ellison.

"Right away, sir."

With that, Zach guided Giselle into the expansive, luxurious living room, where the housekeeper offered them refreshments. Once Adrian returned with the swimsuits, the two headed to the pool.

Situated at the side of the villa, the pool was even larger than those in professional aquatic centers. Its design was so innovative that it seemed to stretch endlessly, with no visible boundaries.

Zach changed quickly and dove into the pool, already swimming laps by the time Giselle stepped out in her swimsuit. The sight nearly made his eyes pop out of his head.

She'd gone with something close to a bikini, and her figure was smoking hot. At five feet six inches, her proportions were flawless. Years of regular workouts and extreme sports had left her toned and powerful, radiating an athletic beauty.

Her legs were long and sculpted, her chest full and tempting, and her skin so pale it almost glowed. Calling her a knockout would've been an understatement.

Giselle didn't even flinch under Zach's blatant stare. She just dove straight into the water.

Just as strong a swimmer, she lit up the moment she hit the water, showing off a range of strokes as she glided around the pool before playfully splashing around with Zach.

She was dangerously alluring, a mystery he couldn't resist. But to her, he was just a fun, easygoing "buddy", perfect for passing the time.

They played freely in the pool, racing one minute, splashing the next, even trading tips between laughs.

When Zach playfully drenched her with a huge splash, she shot back with a sharp kick before swimming off and diving deep into the six-and-a-half-foot water.

Giselle held her breath underwater for two minutes before finally surfacing, gasping for air. As she lifted her head, her eyes landed on a tall, strikingly handsome man standing by the pool.

The second she recognized that terrifyingly familiar figure, her breath caught. She wiped the water from her face roughly and blinked hard.

Damn it. It really was him!

Donovan stood by the pool, staring at her like she was something vile, his gaze locked onto her with deadly intensity.

When his eyes swept over her scandalously revealing bikini, his expression turned even colder as if he might dive in at any moment and rip her apart.

Zach finally broke the surface with a whoosh after holding his breath for several minutes.

Spotting Donovan, he called out casually, "Uncle Don! You're back?"

Then, leaning toward Giselle, who was still dazed, he whispered, "That hunk's my uncle, the CEO of our family business. He always looks that serious, so don't take it personally."

Giselle thought she'd misheard. "He's your uncle?"

"Yep."

"Then, what's your actual name?"

"Zachary Kane! You seriously didn't know that?"

Giselle was at a loss for words. When she glanced back toward the poolside, Donovan was already gone.

"Let's keep swimming," Zachary said casually. "Uncle Don probably just came home for something. He'll be buried in work soon anyway. Don't worry about him."

But how could Giselle focus on swimming now? Floating on her back, she couldn't shake Donovan's icy expression or Zachary's shocking revelation. Her thoughts twisted into knots.

Just then, Adrian walked up to the pool. "Mr. Zachary, Mr. Donovan wants yo

Chapter 11