Following an invitation from the Thorne family, the Violet family arrived at the Thorne family's vineyard and winery for a visit. It was a rare family outing where members from both families had gathered together.
The Thorne family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Thorne, Julian, Ethan, and Lily. Meanwhile, the Violet family arrived with Mr. and Mrs. Violet and their daughter, Rosalie.
As soon as they arrived at the vineyard, the staff helped transport their luggage to the guest accommodations prepared for them. After settling their belongings, everyone headed toward the vineyard itself.
Lily immediately grabbed Rosalie's hand and pulled her toward the endless rows of grapevines.
"Rosie! Come on, hurry up! I'll show you something. The grapes on this side are the sweetest. Let's go pick some!"
She ran excitedly beneath the grape trellises like an energetic child. Rosalie could only laugh as she allowed herself to be dragged along. Behind them, Julian followed at a relaxed pace, a faint smile lingering on his lips.
Ethan walked beside him, silently observing the distance between Julian and Rosalie, waiting for an opportunity to get closer to her himself. The adults followed behind while chatting casually.
Sam, Julian's uncle and the person responsible for managing the vineyard, watched his niece running around excitedly and laughed.
"Lily! Slow down, will you? Nobody's going to steal your grapes."
He shook his head with amusement.
"That girl is always in such a hurry. Poor Rosie is going to get exhausted trying to keep up with her."
Mr. Violet chuckled and gently patted Sam's shoulder.
"Let them enjoy themselves."
He smiled warmly.
"We were exactly the same when we were young. Running around and causing trouble while the adults couldn't keep up."
At that moment, Isabella suddenly joined the conversation.
"Sam, why don't we bring out some of the wine that was bottled yesterday and let Mrs. Violet try it? I brought some fresh ingredients and meat as well. Everyone must be tired from the trip, and it's almost lunchtime anyway. Why don't we prepare a proper meal?"
A gentle smile appeared on her face. The truth was that Isabella had her own agenda. She wanted an opportunity to spend more time with Mrs. Violet. If she could become closer to Rosalie's mother, perhaps she could help create more opportunities between Ethan and Rosalie.
Unfortunately for her, she had no idea that both the Thorne and Violet families had already quietly developed a favorable impression of Julian and Rosalie together. Sam nodded immediately.
"That's a great idea."
He turned toward the vineyard workers.
"We already prepared a dining area, but adding fresh fruit and newly bottled wine would make everything even better."
He laughed.
"For once, my sister-in-law has a brilliant idea."
Everyone laughed.
"I'll go get everything ready. Why don't you all continue exploring for a while? Come join us when lunch is ready."
Mrs. Violet smiled politely.
"That sounds wonderful. We aren't too hungry yet."
She glanced toward the distance.
"I haven't visited the orange orchard in years. I'd like to take a walk around. Isabella, would you like to come with me?"
Isabella's eyes brightened immediately.
"Of course."
Mr. Thorne joined in.
"The tulip fields are beautiful this time of year as well. The flowers are in full bloom now. Feel free to pick some or take pictures."
Mrs. Violet nodded happily. Within moments, the two women headed toward the flower fields together while the men continued discussing the vineyard business.
Meanwhile, Lily and Rosalie had already wandered deeper into the vineyard. Drops of morning moisture still clung to some of the grapes. The sunlight reflected against them, making them sparkle like tiny crystals. Lily carefully picked a bunch and immediately popped one into her mouth.
"Mmm! Sweet!"
Rosalie laughed and tried one herself. The flavor burst across her tongue.
"Wow..."
Her eyes widened.
"These are amazing."
Just then, Julian finally caught up with them. Without saying anything, he reached up and picked a particularly beautiful cluster of grapes. He carefully removed one grape and held it toward Rosalie.
Rosalie blinked. Julian simply raised an eyebrow.
"Try this one."
Smiling, she accepted it. The grape was even sweeter than the others.
"Mmm..."
She nodded.
"This one's even better."
Julian chuckled softly.
"The grapes used for wine are usually sweeter."
"That makes sense."
Rosalie looked around with fascination.
"I never realized how much work goes into making wine."
"Everything here depends on timing. The weather, the soil, the harvest season... even a small mistake can affect the entire batch."
Julian looked out across the vineyard. Rosalie listened attentively. Somehow, she always enjoyed hearing him explain things. There was a calm confidence in the way he spoke. A reliability that made people naturally want to listen. Lily suddenly interrupted them.
"Brother Julian!"
She grinned mischievously.
"Are you going to let Rosie taste wine today?"
Rosalie immediately turned toward Julian. Lily clasped her hands dramatically.
"Just one glass! Please?"
Julian looked directly at Rosalie. Then he turned back toward Lily. His expression became unusually serious.
"She can have a little."
Lily's face brightened.
"But only a little."
The excitement immediately disappeared from Lily's face. Julian continued.
"You know Rosie doesn't handle alcohol very well."
Lily immediately nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Julian folded his arms.
"And don't use my permission as an excuse to force her to drink more."
Lily straightened her posture like a soldier receiving orders.
"I promise."
Rosalie burst into laughter.
The expression on Lily's face was simply too funny. Julian's lips curved upward slightly as well. For a brief moment, the three of them looked more like a family than mere friends. Rosalie smiled brightly. Then, almost without thinking, she moved closer and gently wrapped both hands around Julian's arm.
"See? Your sister listens to you more than anyone."
She laughed. Julian glanced down at her with expression softened instantly.
"That's because she knows I'll confiscate her dessert privileges."
Lily gasped dramatically.
"That's cruel!"
The three of them laughed together. Unfortunately, not everyone found the scene amusing. A short distance away, Ethan stood silently among the vines. His gaze remained fixed on Rosalie. More specifically, on the way she held Julian's arm so naturally. The way she smiled around him. The way Julian looked at her differently from everyone else.
Ethan's jaw tightened. For a moment, he kicked a loose stone on the ground. The small rock rolled between the rows of vines before disappearing from sight. Something unpleasant twisted inside his chest, jealousy, frustration, regret. Perhaps all three.
He had wanted to become closer to Rosalie. Yet somehow, Julian always seemed to be one step ahead. Rosalie laughed more around Julian. Trusted him more and looked for him first. And Ethan hated realizing how obvious it was becoming. Without another word, he turned away.
The cheerful sounds of laughter gradually faded behind him as he walked back toward the guest house. The bright summer sunlight still bathed the vineyard in gold. The grapes swayed gently in the breeze. Everything appeared peaceful but deep inside Ethan's heart, a quiet storm had already begun.