"I’m sorry, miss, but this isn’t rted to thepetition. The upgrade was a direct order from the airline owner’s son," the flight attendant said before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened slightly, realizing she’d said too much. She was only supposed to mention that it came from higher-ups, not reveal the identity behind the decision. Now, she’d likely get scolded for letting that slip.


    Hera, however, was already piecing things together. ’<i>Owner’s son?’</i> she thought, brows slightly furrowed. There weren’t many people she knew who fit that description—wealthy enough to influence an entire airline and close enough to her to care about her travelfort. Then it clicked.


    There was only one man who matched all the criteria: Xavier. The heir of the Montague family, whose family owned Montague Airlines. If the flight attendant had let that slip, then it made perfect sense. If Xavier wanted her and her friends upgraded, the airline would make it happen—no questions asked.


    And as it turned out, Hera’s suspicion was spot on. How did Xavier know how many friends she was bringing? The answer was simple—he, along with Luke, Dave, Rafael, and Zhane, had been actively chatting in their group chat.


    It just so happened that the organizers of the IGI Expressions Competition had booked Hera’s flight through Montague Airlines, which belonged to Xavier’s family. When Zhane saw the airline’s name on Hera’s ticket, he casually mentioned it to Xavier. That was all Xavier needed to step in and make arrangements.


    When Rafael shared that he was sending Minerva along so Hera wouldn’t have to travel alone, Xavier added another upgraded seat to the list. Later, he learned Athena and Liz had also booked tickets for the same flight, so he expanded the upgrade to include the four of them.


    As for Hera’s bodyguards, everyone in their group already knew she rarely traveled without protection, so Xavier had their old seats reassigned to her bodyguards—just in case. They weren’t sure exactly how many she would bring, but it was better to be safe than sorry.


    Since the flight from their country to France would be a long one, Xavier didn’t want Hera to feel ufortable. Initially, he assumed she would take her private ne, like she did when they went to Barcelona.


    But when Zhane mentioned that Hera intended to follow the organizers’ n and board themercial flight they had booked for her, Xavier immediately grew concerned. Fortunately, the flight happened to be with Montague Airlines—his family’s airline—so making special arrangements was within his reach.


    Xavier personally called the airline to ensure everything was handled perfectly. He didn’t want any mistakes, like the wrong passengers being upgraded while Hera was left behind. Although business ss was already quitefortable, first ss offered significantly more privacy and convenience.


    The seats could recline into fully t beds, the meals were higher quality, the washrooms were more spacious, and most importantly, each seat came with privacy covers. That meant Hera could rest without worrying about being seen or disturbed.


    What concerned Xavier the most, however, was the thought of Hera sleeping in public with strangers nearby. With a face as stunning as hers, he couldn’t shake the fear that some lecher might stare at her while she slept—and that was something he simply wouldn’t allow.


    Coincidentally, there was an older businessman seated in business ss who turned out to be quite the lecher. When he noticed Alice, he began staring at her and even attempted to make advances. Feeling ufortable and unsettled, Alice found it difficult to rx, let alone sleep. She ended up turning away and trying to hide herself in her seat to avoid his gaze.


    If Hera had been seated there as originally nned, she might have experienced the same difort as Alice—or even worse.


    After realizing that this was Xavier’s arrangement, Hera calmly followed the flight attendant, with Athena, Liz, and Minerva close behind. But just as Minerva was about to move, Alice reached out and caught her wrist.


    "Minerva, are you avoiding me? C-Can Ie with you guys?" Alice asked in a soft, pitiful voice. "I don’t know anyone else here... It feels lonely traveling alone." She was clearly trying to tug at Minerva’s emotions—and it worked. Minerva looked down, her longshes fluttering as uncertainty clouded her eyes.


    "I..." she began, but before she could say anything, Athena swiftly slipped an arm around Minerva’s shoulders, startling her enough to nearly make her jump.


    "Miss Quinn, please don’t say that," Athena said sweetly, her smile sharp. "The flight attendant said the upgrade was only for the four of us. Or... are you suggesting Minerva give up her seat for you?"


    Hera, who had stopped and turned around, added in a calm voice, "Minerva,e here." She reached out her hand with a gentle smile.


    Then she looked at Alice and said, "Sorry, Alice, but Minerva’s brother, Rafael, entrusted her to me. And she’s still recovering from her injuries—so it’s best she stays with me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to exin it to <i>my</i> Rafael." Hera winked mischievously, clearly enjoying the dig.