By the villa's pool at night, the water rippled with fragments of moonlight and lamplight. Landon reclined on a wide beach chair, his body relaxed, his gaze following the elegant and fluid figure in the water—Tracy.
She glided across the surface in a standard backstroke, water droplets rolling off her smooth skin, illuminated by the pool lights like crushed diamonds.
That simple black bikini outlined her proud curves to perfection; every stroke of her arms carried a poetic blend of power and beauty.
Landon's gaze lingered almost greedily, his heart full of appreciation and satisfaction. He was just short of drooling or whistling.
Rachel, on the other hand, was like a lazy otter, leaning against the edge of the pool with her chin resting on her crossed arms. She watched Tracy swim, occasionally splashing water with her toes.
Since moving into this house with a pool, nighttime pool sessions had become an unshakeable relaxation ritual for the three of them.
The water seemed to wash away the day's fatigue, the industry pressure, and the complex thoughts hidden deep in their hearts.
Earlier, Landon and Tracy had returned home and told Rachel in detail about the audition at the racetrack.
When she heard about Landon's thrilling displays of driving skill and the blatant praise from the director and producer, Rachel's eyes widened into circles, followed by an explosion of cheers.
She lunged forward and gave Landon a solid, damp, passionate kiss, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration and pride for her man.
After the joy, the reality of work followed immediately.
Tracy barely rested before heading straight into the study and closing the door.
The game had already begun the moment they left the racetrack.
WMA needed to act quickly to solidify Landon's advantage, negotiate contract details, salary, and schedule with the production side, and possibly deal with other competitors—especially Paul Walker's team—and any follow-up moves or PR strategies they might launch.
Landon didn't go in to disturb her. He knew this was Tracy's battlefield and her area of expertise.
He trusted her just as he trusted the career path she had mapped out for him.
Despite being curious about Tracy's background and the energy and resources she sometimes displayed—which far exceeded those of an ordinary young Agent—Landon chose to respect her silence.
If she didn't speak, he wouldn't ask.
He had an intuition that Tracy would not harm him.
In today's intricate web of relationships and environments, this trust was exceptionally precious and had become a solid anchor within him.
Tracy stayed in the study for a long time.
Landon and Rachel went to the poolside first. Landon completed his daily one-hour self-discipline routine as usual—the freestyle stroke.
The feeling of being wrapped in, pushed by, and then breaking through the water always made his mind exceptionally clear.
When he finished his last lap and leaned against the edge of the pool, breathing slightly hard, the study door finally opened.
Tracy walked out with a hint of post-work fatigue on her face, but her eyes were still bright.
She had changed into a wine-red bikini, which made her skin look even fairer.
She seemed to have a particular fondness for the backstroke, stretching her body and using her arms like oars to carve a leisurely path through the water.
Landon returned to his beach chair, making no effort to hide his appreciative gaze as he watched the two 'Mermaids' in the water begin to play.
Rachel regained her energy and started splashing Tracy, who fought back without hesitation. Laughter and splashes echoed through the courtyard in the night.
The scene was so beautiful it felt unreal, giving Landon the illusion of a peaceful, perfect life.
That is, until the 'war' finally spread to him, the bystander.
"Hey! You on the shore! What are you looking at!" Rachel suddenly splashed a handful of water at him, hitting him right in the face.
Tracy also stopped, leaning against the pool edge with a provocative smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Exactly. Let him look."
Landon wiped his face, looking at the two women in the water who were acting all triumphant with their eyes sparkling. How could he tolerate this?
He stood up, took a two-step run-up, and dove into the water in a beautiful arc, intentionally creating a massive splash that startled them both.
Panicked screams rang out immediately, which quickly evolved into a free-for-all.
Water flew everywhere as bodies collided, chased, and dodged in the pool.
Eventually, the little novice Rachel was the first to admit defeat, slumping weakly by the pool edge.
Tracy, who loved to provoke him the most, tried to get the novice to help her at the end, but Rachel was powerless and couldn't move a muscle.
"Still want to provoke me?" Landon whispered in her ear, his breath brushing against her wet earlobe.
Tracy squirmed a bit but finally gave up her resistance, leaning into his arms with a soft huff, though the corners of her mouth were turned up.
The playfulness in the water eventually evolved into a different kind of intimacy.
The surging and intertwining ripples blurred all boundaries until late at night, when they finally returned to the bedroom exhausted.
In the morning, Landon woke up in his familiar 'general anesthesia' state—his left and right arms were being used as pillows by Tracy and Rachel, respectively, and were pressed until they were numb.
He carefully extracted his aching arms, looking at the two beautiful faces still asleep beside him, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.
It was like this on that small bed in the tiny apartment before, and now that they had changed to a spacious king-sized bed, it was still the same.
Was this some kind of unbreakable curse?
He used 'every ounce of strength' to get up, wash, and change into a light tracksuit without waking them.
When he walked out of the villa, the sky was just beginning to turn the color of a fish's belly. The morning mist in the air cast a hazy veil over the community.
The visibility was decent and didn't affect his running.
As his physical fitness continued to improve under the dual effects of rebirth and exercise, Landon's running ability also increased day by day.
He began warming up along the plastic track planned for the villa area, then gradually accelerated.
His footsteps struck the ground rhythmically, his breathing was deep and steady, and his body was full of power.
Soon, after rounding a bend, three figures appeared ahead.
Two sturdy men and women in dark sportswear were clearly bodyguards. They stayed on either side, maintaining a vigilant posture and scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.
Protected in the middle was a blonde woman who was also running.
She wore a tight-fitting sports tank top and shorts, and her long blonde hair was tied back with a sports headband, swaying slightly as she ran.
Even from behind, her tall, well-proportioned figure and energetic stride were enough to catch one's eye.
When she turned her head slightly because she heard footsteps behind her, Landon couldn't help but marvel in his heart, "Wow!"
It was Cameron Diaz.
She had shot to fame in 1994 with 'The Mask' and subsequently secured her place as an A-list Hollywood star with films like 'There's Something About Mary.' She was hailed as 'americas sweetheart,' Cameron Diaz.
At this moment, she wore no makeup, her cheeks were flushed with a healthy glow from exercise, a few strands of hair were stuck to her forehead with sweat, and her blue eyes were like clear seawater. Her high nose and full lips carried a signature bright smile.
Even though she was out of breath, it didn't detract from her charm at all; instead, it added a touch of reality and vividness.
As Landon approached, preparing to overtake them on the outside, the two bodyguards clearly grew tense. Their bodies tightened, their steps adjusted, and their eyes locked onto Landon like torches, assuming a defensive posture.
Landon found it a bit funny.
If he truly had ill intentions, with his current skills and perception, these two bodyguards would likely be no match for him.
But he had no intention of causing trouble or a misunderstanding.
He simply accelerated slightly again, gliding past them as lightly as a breeze.
As he passed Cameron, he turned his head out of politeness and gave her and her bodyguards a friendly smile, offering a brief greeting: "Hi, how are you guys doing!"
His voice was clear, and without stopping his pace, he quickly widened the distance.
Cameron had clearly noticed him.
The moment Landon turned and smiled, her blue eyes visibly brightened. A flash of surprise and interest crossed her face, and she opened her mouth as if she wanted to respond or ask something.
But Landon's speed was too fast, giving her no chance to speak before his figure was already far away.