Page 64 of Dr. Stone (Billionaires’ Club #9)
FIFTY-ONE
Andie
Nothing could have prepared me for Croatia, not even the stunning photos I’d obsessively zoomed in on after Ash sent me the link to where we’d be staying.
During the flight, I even watched drone videos of the Dalmatian coastline on YouTube, but none of that came close to the reality.
The water here was the clearest, most dazzling blue I’d ever seen.
No picture or video could’ve captured the magic of this place… nothing like being here in person.
But instead of feeling giddy like I should have, I felt hollow. I was surrounded by billion-dollar views, the kind of lavish escape most people only saw in magazines—and yet, all I could think about was how I’d ruined the one thing that ever felt real. No ocean could drown that.
From the moment we stepped off the Asters’ private jet into the private airport, I was struck silent.
The Asters’ helicopter was sleek and silent as it carried us over terracotta rooftops, olive groves, and cliffs that dropped into diamond-blue coves.
Then, the yacht appeared, and holy shit .
These people knew exactly how to take advantage of their fortunes.
Sebastian’s, and soon-to-be Darcy’s, six-hundred-million-dollar worth of floating architecture, the Vanguard , was stretched across the water like it had been summoned by a goddamn Bond villain with impeccable taste, and we’d spent the past week enjoying the hell out of it.
Our time aboard the vessel had felt surreal, like a fever dream where you are best friends with billionaires and someone casually hands you a mimosa before your morning swim.
It was something you woke up from, questioning if it was real, only to be smacked back into reality where the real people lived.
We ladies had spent the past week lounging on sundecks, paddle boarding into quiet coves, soaking in various open-air spas on different decks, and laughing our asses off over stupid shit while enjoying charming dinners beneath fairy lights and the Croatian stars.
Of course, as expected, Ash organized morning yoga sessions on the bow of this floating palace, and Darcy let us watch as she was fitted in her breathtaking wedding gown like the princess she was.
Every night, after the laughter softened and the music faded, my thoughts always drifted back to Jace.
I should’ve been like the other women—buzzing with anticipation, hearts fluttering at the thought of being wrapped up in their men’s arms again.
But my arms were empty. And I’d been the one to make sure they stayed that way.
When the men finally arrived and joined the fun last night, it brought a burst of fun-filled chaos that seemed to light up every corner, like their arrival brightened every ambient light on the yacht.
Watching Jake, Jim, Spencer, Alex, John, and Titus with his brothers walk onto the deck was like seeing a lineup of glossy magazine models, and all I could think was how perfectly Jace would have fit right in.
As anyone could have guessed, the men quickly paired off with their wives, leaving me to either dive into business talk with Titus and his equally attractive brothers or explore the parts of the yacht I hadn’t yet seen during the week.
Though Titus, Colton, and Wyatt graciously and happily invited me to stay on the top deck for cocktails, I just wasn’t feeling it. Damn it, I fucking missed Jace, and not even a group of attractive Spaniards with golden eyes and flirty grins could take away that ache.
Tonight, we all spent the evening at the aft deck bar beneath a sky streaked with fiery reds and golds.
The air was euphoric, filled with laughter and the clinking of glasses—the kind of warm, effortless energy that only comes from friends who genuinely love each other…
and, of course, have the freedom and luxury to live well.
As everyone started to settle into chill mode, I wandered over to the rail.
Ash nestled against Jake’s side, her cheeks glowing with their usual radiance after a touch of champagne.
Sebastian had Darcy wrapped in his arms, whispering something that made her laugh and swat his chest. Natalia was telling a story about Spencer nearly throwing them both off their jet ski, while Colton and Wyatt argued over which onboard toy was faster.
Then there was Titus. I liked this fun, lively, almost boyish version of him better than the stiff, royal man I’d been on a few dates with.
Even amid all the beauty and laughter, my mind couldn’t shake the fact that Jace wasn’t here with everyone… with me. I understood he probably had to work, but still.
While I stood off on my own, trying not to stare at the sea like some lovesick idiot, Breanne approached.
“Andie?” Bree said, leaning over with a grin that made both of her cute dimples pop. “You look way too serious for someone on a billionaire’s boat in paradise.”
Damn, I knew walking over here would make me look like a pathetic case.
I smiled, trying to recover whatever I may have looked like, “Oh, no, I’m not serious. I’m just soaking this place in.”
“Are you sure you’re not waiting for someone to come walking on that water to rescue your depressed little ass?” Bree teased, making me cringe that I’d drawn this attention to myself.
I tilted my head, playing it cool. “Unfortunately, the man I’m looking for can’t walk on water,” I laughed.
“No, he can’t,” she hummed. “So, stop staring at the water and turn around.”
I turned, and time paused right along with my heart.
“Holy shit,” I unexpectedly laughed with disbelief.
Things like this did not happen in real life, especially not to me.
I watched as Jace walked up the stairs from the deck below, like the ocean itself had delivered him to me.
His hair was wind-blown, and his white linen shirt, always rolled up at the sleeves, fluttered in the breeze.
His sun-kissed skin, effortless GQ-model presence, and his sunglasses hooked in his front pocket made my heart skip.
Then—dear God, the perfect touch to the scene—he had Duke tucked under one arm, his eyes locked only on me, silently telling me that the two men I’d pushed away to make them happy were coming back into my life.
My heart raced as emotions I’d never felt before consumed me in that moment.
“Well, hell, Stone, why don’t you just make a fucking entrance?” someone said.
The voices around me faded as Jace walked toward me, and all I could hear was my heart pounding wildly, my eyes transfixed on him in this moment. I couldn’t even move. Can people get paralyzed by love? Because that’s exactly how I felt.
Jace set Duke down, and I chuckled when he strutted out like the deck was his runway and the rest of us were lucky to be in his orbit. He gave a low yap, and with one glance, my cute little man forgave me for giving him to a better pup-mom and trotted over to me.
“My goodness, little man. I have missed you,” I said, picking the little guy up and smiling at the one man I didn’t want to take my eyes off.
“Hey,” Jace said in his smooth and desirably familiar voice.
“Hi,” I managed to breathe out.
“You brought the fucking bitch-yapping dog?” Jake said with a laugh. “Interesting play, considering the circumstances…”
That joke was all it took to cut through the tension—the nerves of seeing each other again, and the awkward uncertainty of whether to hug or not—and suddenly, I was in Jace’s strong arms, feeling him exhale softly, a wave of relief washing over both of us.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” he said, then kissed my forehead. He took my free hand in his, “Let’s ditch the crowd, gorgeous. You and I have a little catching up to do.”
“Congratulations on the upcoming wedding, Aster,” Jace told Sebastian. “I knew you’d find a way to make me attend this event, coordinated by the one and only Margot Aster, but taking my girl on your yacht in Croatia was a bit much, don’t you think?”
I grinned, starting to relax because for Jace to show up like this, something had to have happened.
Considering this was the first time he was seeing me since I lied to end things between us, and the way our group of friends were all grinning, it told me they had a hand in this surprise reunion.
But what did they do, and what did Jace know to be acting so casually?
“Well, when the opportunity presented itself in a package that was too hard to resist, I knew I’d be a fool to pass on it. Now, you get to reunite with all the East Coast families you’ve been avoiding for your whole life.”
Jace chuckled, “And you were okay to bring the future Mrs. Aster into this life with this massive and overly extravagant parade?”
Sebastian smirked, the handsome and usually serious man appearing more smitten by the hour. “This,” he looked at Darcy, “is all for her and her alone. And the wedding venue?”
“You bought an entire island to fit us all?” John teased.
“No, it’s a simple affair, just close friends and family.
My future wife won’t be paraded around in those circles,” Sebastian said, then looked directly at me.
“Even if everything looks over the top, you can trust that you won’t be thrown to the wolves, Andie.
” He nodded toward Jace. “This man right here, who boarded this yacht with his pocket-sized puppy like the desperate fool he never thought he’d become, he’ll protect you from the bullshit.
If there’s anyone who can tell a room full of elites to go fuck themselves and still get invited to the next gala, it’s him. ” He smiled. “Enjoy your reunion.”
We turned and walked through the glass doors that whispered open, bringing us to the other side of the yacht, where the ambience was the same, except that no one was over here but a bartender and a waitress who greeted us as we walked out.