"I see."


    Vespera''s expression softened, a flicker of understanding crossing her face.


    "All men''s words are just empty promises. How could you not realize it was me who sent the message? If I trusted you, I might as well start believing in fairy tales," she thought to herself.


    Sensing her doubt, Dominic continued, "As for everything that happened after, I won''t make excuses. I was preupied with my mother.


    "Once I heard you were safe, I finally felt a sense of relief... If you think I''m unworthy of your affection, I understand. It''s true, I didn''t handle things as I should have."


    He met her eyes, searching for any hint of sincerity.


    Vespera smiled. "What''s with all this ''worthy'' talk? I like you because you''re handsome and exactly my type. It''s not because you''re some kind of hero.


    "If my mom fell into the river, I''d probably forget you even existed, Mr. Reid. At least you remembered to have Calvert pick me up, right? It''s fine, really. There''s nothing to worry about. Let''s just leave it at that. You don''t need to bring it up again."


    Dominic fell silent.


    A knot formed in his chest.


    He wanted to say something, but the words never came.


    Instead, he simply watched her, captivated by her radiant smile and carefree demeanor.


    This was both the image Vespera portrayed and the stark reality of who she truly was.


    It was the same stance she took when passing judgment on others.


    Dominic and Vespera returned to their original seats at the front of the cabin.


    They remained quiet, the ufortable tension that had clung to them from the apartment to the ne finally dissipating.


    Gerard was still caught up in his card game when Dominic called him over.


    There was a conference call scheduled around this time.


    "Mr. Reid, do you want to rest a bit? I went ahead and dyed the meeting by three hours."


    "It''s fine. We''ll begin in ten minutes."


    "...Oh. Okay then."


    Gerard quickly nodded and went off to update the meeting notice.


    From the corner of his eye, he noticed Vespera buried in herptop, fully locked into work mode.


    Had she and Dominic seriously gone the entire time without exchanging a word?


    Whenever those two turned into hyper-focused workaholics—it usually meant something had gone very wrong.


    They''d only been flying for three hours-surely they wouldn''t work through the next nine, right?


    Dominic pressed the inte, requesting coffee and iced water from the flight attendant, Mia Keller. "Here ites," Gerard thought to himself. "Whenever Mr. Reid''s mood drops, he buries himself in work— and drags everyone along with him."


    He nced at Vespera once more. "Seriously, can''t you at least fake some sympathy?" he silentlyined.


    The cabin''s steady flow of oxygen typically kept the atmospherefortable, but in a freezer, that same air felt harsh and biting. Each breath pierced like ice, sending a chill straight to the bones.


    Vespera, however, remained indifferent to her surroundings.


    The remaining nine hours dragged on relentlessly.


    Aside from eating and bathroom breaks, sleep was a luxury that didn''t exist.


    Even Mia had developed dark circles under her eyes, thanks to Dominic''s constant demands for her to bring him drinks.


    Vespera couldn''t have cared less.


    Once her tasks were finished, she ate, slept, and rested whenever it suited her.


    If Dominic dared toin even a little, she was ready to walk away without hesitation.


    Gerard, however, wasn''t quite as bold.


    That said, he had grown used to it. But by the final two hours, the fatigue became nearly unbearable.


    Seeing Vespera sleep so peacefully, Gerard considered closing his eyes, allowing himself to drift into a deep rest.


    The cabin grew still.


    A momentter, the sound of a nket slipping to the floor broke the quiet.


    Dominic nced over-Vespera had shifted in her sleep, and the nket had slipped off her.


    He stood and moved to pick it up, but as he bent to cover her, fatigue began to catch up with him. His vision blurred, and for a brief moment, he felt unsteady on his feet.


    In his dazed state, his lips brushed against her cheek.


    Vespera stirred, her eyes fluttering open.


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