"Hahaha, alright, even if it came down to a peeing contest, you still might not win." Brandon laughed heartily and clapped Kevin on the shoulder.
Amid Tony's joking and Kevin's "outraged" protests, the group chatted and laughed as they walked up the gangway onto the luxury yacht.
Stepping onto the spacious deck, a damp river breeze hit him.
The yacht smoothly pulled away from the dock, leaving the busy city skyline behind.
On the open river, afternoon sunlight and nighttime neon were like two completely different worlds.
Right now, the golden glow of the setting sun spilled generously across the shimmering water, like a river of scattered gold.
The river breeze carried a faint mist, just enough coolness to cut through the summer heat.
The yacht picked up speed, heading toward a more secluded stretch of water out in the middle of the river, where the busy scenes along both banks slowly faded into haze.
Ethan leaned against the smooth teak railing, feeling the deep hum of the engine, and turned to Kevin beside him. "So when does the auction start? I'm starting to look forward to this."
Kevin curled his lips into a sly, mischievous grin, and instead of answering, shot Tony a look toward the stairway.
Tony got the message, chuckled, and immediately stood up, shouting toward the doorway leading below deck. "Ladies, come on out!"
As soon as he said it, a group of figures filed out from the cabin door.
Instantly, it was like the whole deck lit up.
A dozen or so tall, gorgeous girls in eye-catching, uniquely styled bikinis walked out onto the deck with practiced, sweet smiles, lining up in the open area.
Their fair, smooth skin glowed with a healthy, alluring shine under the warm golden light, their curves outlined perfectly, and the scent of youth mixed with a faint trace of perfume drifted on the river breeze.
"Damn!" Brandon was clearly caught off guard for a second, then grinned and punched Kevin on the shoulder. "Kevin, you had this trick up your sleeve the whole time? Pretty slick!"
He hadn't seen this one coming either.
Kevin lifted his chin proudly, eyebrows practically dancing. "Of course! Without some real firepower, how am I supposed to shut up you two and your talk-black-into-white routine? If word got around that my preferences were some kind of mystery, how would I ever survive in this circle? So, this oughta shut you both up now, right?"
He shot a meaningful look at Ethan and Brandon, the two who'd just been messing with him.
Brandon stroked his chin, scanning the row of girls seriously from head to toe, then winked at Ethan, deliberately drawing out his words. "Tsk, only this many? Ethan, you think this is enough? With a show this small, those guys over there might start thinking we're broke and can't even put on a proper show."
He nodded toward another yacht not far off, where a few blond were standing on deck.
Ethan immediately caught on, playing along with Brandon's teasing, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he nodded seriously. "Hmm~ Brandon's got a point. Kevin's effort here... it really is a bit lacking. Hasn't quite opened up his horizons yet. Sounds like when we get back, we should 'properly' spread the word, so the rest of us know to keep our distance, for safety reasons."
"Come on! Brandon! Ethan! Are you two even human?"
Kevin's face fell instantly, looking heartbroken, like he'd been betrayed by his own brothers. "We've been boys for years! Brandon, how long have you even known Ethan? Are you two seriously teaming up against me already? Where's your loyalty? Where's your integrity?"
Brandon shook his head with a put-on, thoughtful expression, patted Kevin on the shoulder, and said sincerely, "Kevin, it's precisely because we're brothers, because we're like family..."
Ethan picked up the second half without missing a beat, eyes glinting with mischief. "...that we've gotta charge you more!"
The two of them exchanged glances, watching Kevin's over-the-top expression of "regretting all his life choices" and "giving up on humanity," and couldn't hold it in anymore. They burst out laughing, and even Logan and Preston, watching from nearby, couldn't help cracking up too.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop messing with you. Keep this up and Kevin's actually gonna jump into the river."
Brandon stopped laughing, turned serious, and looked at Ethan. "Ethan, go ahead and pick whoever you like first. Having someone to talk to'll make the rest of the event less boring."
For the trust-fund kids on board, scenes like this were already old news.
Since he was already here, Ethan didn't bother putting on an act. His calm gaze swept over the row of girls in front of him.
His eyes finally landed on a girl standing on the right.
She wasn't the tallest, but her proportions were great, long, straight legs, a bit of cute baby fat in her face, and her hair pulled back in a neat bun, giving off a fresh, playful vibe compared to the rest of the crowd.
"I'll go with her." Ethan raised his hand and pointed.
The girl who'd been picked lit up instantly, her eyes practically sparkling, her smile growing even sweeter and more charming than before.
Without waiting for anyone to tell her, she walked briskly straight over to Ethan's side.
The other girls couldn't hide their envy either.
Having been assigned to this yacht, they all understood exactly how important the guys on board were.
Brandon was a well-known rich kid in New York, and Kevin and the others were no ordinary guys either.
As for Ethan, even though he was the newest face in the group, the calm, composed way he carried himself, and how easily he joked around with Brandon and Kevin as an equal, made it obvious his background was anything but ordinary.
And most importantly, with a face that handsome and that kind of confident, youthful presence, he was basically a walking magnet.
Getting to spend time with a guy this young, good-looking, and loaded was exactly the kind of opportunity they'd been hoping for.
"Damn! Ethan, you've got a sharp eye!" Kevin let out an exaggerated groan from the side, pointing at the girl now next to Ethan. "That's literally the one I had my eye on first! Ugh, forget it, a gentleman doesn't take what someone else already called!"
But he didn't actually mind. If anything, he felt like Ethan's taste matched his own, like they were cut from the same cloth.
He introduced Ethan to her. "His name's Ethan. Just call him Ethan. This guy's the real deal. Take good care of him, make him happy, and you'll come out ahead. Make the most of it!"
"Mm-hmm, got it, Kevin." The girl replied obediently, her voice soft and sweet.
She reached out on her own, gently looping her arm through Ethan's, looking up at him with a sweet smile. "Hi, my name's Madison. You can just call me Maddie."
Ethan smiled slightly, then naturally pulled her in closer by the waist, drawing her into his side.
Madison's body tensed slightly, her cheeks flushing, which only made her look even more charming. But she didn't resist at all. Instead, like a little bird seeking shelter, she settled obediently into Ethan's side, gently resting her head on his shoulder.
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