Page 55 of Dr. Stone
“Thank you,” Titus said with a nod, his expression briefly stripped of polish and pride. For the first time, I saw something raw flicker across his face—something that wasn’t about flaunting money.
Jim cleared his throat and faced the crowd again. “I met Titus and his brothers years ago and knew I wanted to invest in their bold vision for lavish resorts. Still, I wasn’t sure we’d be the right fit. My only condition was simple: it had to be inclusive. These places had to welcome everyone, not just the VIPs. The price needed to stay accessible, but the experience had to feel anything but.” He chuckled, tossing a look at Spencer Monroe, his VP, before meeting Titus’s gaze again. “With a little convincing, we managed to get him on board.”
Titus smirked—boyish, disarming, and undeniably handsome. Again, it was a version of him I hadn’t seen before.
“Anyway,” Jim continued, “the beauty of it all—and of this first resort Titus and I invested in together—is that his mother happened to believe the same thing I do: that solitude, luxury, and wonder shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthy alone. So, we built this place to welcome people from all walks of life. Yes, thepricing will still bring excellent returns for Hawk and Mitchell, but after this weekend, the resort won’t cater exclusively to VIPs.
“Most of you know my name and my family,” he added, pausing briefly, the weight of the admission softening his tone. “And while my father would disagree—preferring to keep everything above and apart—I’m not like that. My goal has always been to share these visions with the world, not just a chosen few. That’s the foundation of my company. And after getting to know Titus better, I’m honored to say he feels the same. Thank you.”
The room applauded as Jim and Titus clasped hands once more. Then Titus reclaimed the stage, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with quiet conviction.
“With that introduction,” he said, “I’m pleased to reveal that Solara Alta will be the first resort not exclusive to the ultra-elite. And from this point forward, all future hotels my brothers and I design will follow that vision. Today was eye-opening for me, and I’m grateful for it—for my aunt’s honesty, for my mother’s legacy, and for the chance to see her dream more clearly. From here on, our family’s name will not be about exclusion. Instead, it will stand as a promise: that all are welcome.”
With that, Titus nodded, and I sat there in shock, reeling from his come-to-Jesus moment with his aunt. The man on stage wasn’t the untouchable, brooding Spaniard I’d come to know—he was softer now, his usual stern edges blurred by something startlingly human.
I’d always thought he was attractive, but this? Damn. This was dangerous.
He crossed the space toward me, each step carrying a new weight, and when his amber eyes locked on mine, my pulse skipped. His smile—rare, disarming—lit something in me I hadn’t been prepared for. Then he settled into the empty chair at my side, devastatingly handsome in a way that defied words.
Well. This night had just taken a turn. Because here I was, planning to end things with him for all the reasons that had just unraveled in his speech.
TWENTY-FIVE
Andie
“Forgiveme for stealing my date away,” Titus announced to the table while extending his hand to mine. “Would you mind joining me on a walk before the staff serves dinner?”
I rose, seeing sincerity in this man’s expression and eyes, more than just flirtatious words. I placed my hand in his while he nodded toward guests who watched us with curiosity from surrounding tables. As we moved through the area and down toward a lantern-lit stone path, Titus pulled my hand up into the bend of his arm.
“I must beg your forgiveness for insulting you,” he said, leading me out to a curved stone terrace that overlooked the glowing hues of the ocean below the cliff we were on.
“Insulting me? Never,” I smiled at his concerned expression, his dark, thick eyebrows pulled in tightly with severe focus. I couldn’t resist but to reach up and gently run my hands over the strong lines of stress covering his handsome face, “You’re acting like you’ve been visited by three ghosts, Ebenezer Scrooge?”
Titus turned his lips into my palm, gently kissing it. “Perhaps I have,” he said with a tender smile. “I find myself in awe tonight of everything I am so fortunate to have, and most importantly, I am fortunate that you’ve tolerated my nonsense.”
“Titus, you’ve done nothing but spoil my ass rotten since meeting you. This gown?” I stepped back and did a fancy spin. “This is the latest couture that you had fashioned for me to wear tonight.” I held my wrist up, the bracelet shimmering in gold and green tones under the brilliant moonlight, “You even provided apricelessbracelet that matches the silk fabric of my dress. So, yeah, I’ll say you’ve made me as happy as the next woman by?—”
“Novelties,” he smiled and then cocked his head, his eyes studying mine. He framed my face with his powerful hands. “The bracelet and dress merely match the beauty I found in your eyes and the way they change color,” he brought his hands down and held mine, “the way they never let me look away. The stones in the bracelet are made of green chrysoberyl, gems that sparkle with gold and green, and your eyes echo in the same manner when the sunlight hits them.”
“Wow,” I said, feeling my heart swell that he recognized my green eyes had a hazel glow when the light hit them a certain way. “I’m surprised you’ve noticed my eyes change colors like that.”
He sighed, brows knitting. “Yes. But I realized something—you only get that shade of green in your eyes, with the gold flecks shining, when you’re happy. Entertained. I hadn’t seen them light up like that with me. Only when you were laughing with the ladies. That night, I couldn’t stop watching you. My business partners were talking, and I…couldn’t hear a damn word. You dazzled me in a way I couldn’t explain.”
My heart thudded hard, heat curling through me. Thank God for the breeze, because I was burning up inside.
“We were actually making fun of you, I think,” I teased with a chuckle, trying to ease the weight of his guilt. “Titus, really—I’m not upset. This has been extravagant and lovely.”
He shook his head, voice low. “But not with me. That’s the truth, isn’t it? And you’re right to feel that way. Because last night—you inspired me. To want more than money and investments. To stop burying everything that mattered.”
Something shifted in his eyes—something heavier. “I spoke of my aunt tonight. Mariana. A name I haven’t uttered since she stole my mother’s most personal possessions. She claimed it was for safekeeping, that her family would honor them better than mine. I didn’t fight it. I buried it.”
I touched his hand. “Damn. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.”
“Never apologize, love,” he murmured, smirking faintly, though his eyes stayed stormy. “I don’t need sympathy. I was a fool. I only cared about carrying my father’s legacy forward, about making the Hawk name bigger. But today—sitting with Mariana—I learned my mother’s truth. She lived a lonely life. She told my aunt she wanted to run away from him, from his greed, his obsession with being the best. All she wanted was something simple. A beach in Spain. Salt water and freedom.”
“Wow,” was all I could say when I saw his eyes turn glassy.
“My father adored my mother until the day he died. And she loved him too, I know she did. But she was lonely. Miserably so. Surrounded by wealth, but starved for connection. When he passed, she inherited everything…and I turned it into the empire you see today. I brushed off her vision for this resort like it was a child’s fantasy. But tonight, I finally understood—she wanted this place to remind people what being alive truly means. To matter. To give back. I never saw it until now.”
