“That’s right,” Jenna said, standing up. “Mason, you’re not going to win. You’re not even going to make it to the final recoupling. Theo, will you walk with me?”
The second the Love Island USA villa came into focus through her sunglasses, Jenna knew she had made a monumental mistake. Not because the pool was smaller than on TV, or because the Fire Pit looked less dramatic in the harsh California sun. No, it was because of him. Love Island USA
And now, thanks to her agent who thought this would be “great for her fitness influencer brand,” she was wading into the shallow end of the dating pool with a shark she already knew. “That’s right,” Jenna said, standing up
The villa gasped. Mason’s smirk vanished. Theo, will you walk with me
He was leaning against the kitchen counter, laughing at something the bombshell, Chloe, was whispering in his ear. He had that easy, crooked smile she’d fallen for three years ago, the one that said the world was his personal joke. He was the ex who had ghosted her two weeks before their one-year anniversary, leaving a single text: “It’s not me, it’s you. Actually, it’s me. I’m bored.”
“Three years ago, Mason Stone told me I was forgettable. That I was ‘bad for his brand.’” She held up her phone, which production had graciously allowed her to keep for this exact moment. “So I spent the last three years building a brand of my own. A fitness app. A clothing line. And last month, I bought the production company that runs this show.”
As they walked toward the secret exit hidden behind the tiki bar, the villa erupted. Chloe was laughing hysterically. Two other couples were screaming. Mason stood frozen, his jaw unhinged.