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Chapter 2

A tall man in a dark gray Armani suit approached, his silhouette sharp against the cabin lights. He was undeniably handsome, with the kind of arrogance that came naturally to someone used to being obeyed.

Michael Hayes—the CEO of Hayes Air.

I gave him a once-over. My mom hadn’t lied about his looks.

Zoe immediately clung to his sleeve. “Boss… she hurt me… I was only trying to help—”

“Enough,” Michael said, frowning. “Don’t scream here. It’s embarrassing.”

Zoe shut her mouth instantly, but the smug, taunting look she cast at me said everything.

Michael turned to me, his eyes sweeping me from head to toe with open disdain. I kept my tone polite. “I’m Eliana Carter. I—”

He raised a hand, cutting me off impatiently. “No need. I’ve seen you. That’s enough. Our families met, you showed up, good. Now you can go home.”

For a moment, I wondered if I’d misheard. I had gone through layers of clearance just to take this one trip home, and before I even finished one sentence, he was dismissing me?

Zoe quickly added, voice dripping with artificial sweetness, “What Mr. Hayes means is, he’s not interested. So run along now before things get ugly.”

I looked at the two of them—the arrogant CEO and the sycophantic assistant—and couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. “Mr. Hayes, you’re sure you know my family’s situation?”

He scoffed, clearly offended. “Of course I do. And I also know I don’t go for pretty faces with no substance. Women like you are nowhere near my type.”

Zoe covered her mouth dramatically. “She really thought she had a chance. Cute.”

I laughed lightly. “Great. Saves us both time.”

That caught him off guard; his expression stiffened. I pointed to my seat. “And for your information, this ticket is mine. Not something anyone can just buy.”

Zoe snapped, “Who do you think you are? The whole plane belongs to the Hayes family! You don’t deserve to be here!”

Michael said coldly, “I’ll pay ten times the price for the seat. Take the money and move.”

Passengers gasped.

I said calmly, “Not interested. Money doesn’t solve everything.”

I turned to walk away, but Zoe leaned close to Michael’s ear and whispered something. His expression shifted instantly.

He spun back toward me, eyes sharp. “Why did you hit her?”

The accusation sounded like a verdict.