hapter 18
Zachary stepped onto the flight to Joracity, the rain pounding down around him. As the plane climbed smoothly into the sky, the cabin was filled with the resigned sighs of business travelers.
“The bid opening’s tomorrow. With this weather, are we even going to make it down in one piece?
“The captain said we might hit some rough air currents during landing
Zachary tuned out the murmurs, feeling each second drag on like an eternity. He just wondered, “Why has Gwennie come back to foracity? Who’s that guy with her? And why wouldn’t she see me?”
The plane lurched violently, and the captain’s voice boomed through the cabin. “We’re expecting some serious turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelts. After a while, he said, “We’re preparing for an emergency landing.
With each jolt, the shaking grew worse. Zachary’s heart pounded as passengers around him began to pray, some calling their loved ones to say goodbye. He’d never felt this close to death.
In the midst of the chaos, one thought kept pounding in Zachary’s head. “Why hasn’t Gwennie come back? We’ve been together for thirteen years! I’ve sent her countless texts–each one met with silence. Why has she never responded”
When the plane finally skidded to a stop, the cabin erupted in relieved cheers.
Zachary’s stomach churned with nausea. He stared at his unanswered messages, then left quickly, his face set. He fought back the urge to vomit, sent someone to track down Gwennie, and drove off to find her.
On the brink of death, his mind was consumed by the desperate need to see Cheyneth.
Gwyneth flicked on the TV, hoping to fill the empty silence of the room. She idly flipped to a random channel, and there it was; a reporter, her voice trembling with relief and joy, describing a miraculous escape Plane quakes an emergency landing. All passengers safe.”
Gwyneth couldn’t help but smile. Maybe today was a good day somehow.
It was late, and hunger gnawed at ber stomach. She ordered takeout, but the delivery call brought bail news. “Security here is too tight. I can’t get
“Please wait a sec. I’ll come down,” she said. She hadn’t hired a housekeeper yet, so she had to fetch the food herself.
As she reached the entrance of her residential complex, she took the delivery from the courier. Just then, a familiar voice called out, “Gorenniel”
Her fingers tightened around the plastic bag. She knew that voice, that nickname—only Zachary would call her that. She turned. There he was, the man who used to be so sharp and stylish, now crumpled and clutching his stomach, but his eyes were still piercing
Finally, hed found her. But Zachary’s anger flared as he thought of all the unanswered messages.
didn’t you
He strode forward, reaching for her. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been? Seven days, twelve hours, and twenty–nine minutes! Why d tell me you were back in Joracity? Do you know how worried I’ve beent”
The clock tower in the heart of the complex chimed midnight. Happiness, like Cinderella’s gown, began to fade the moment the clock struck Twelve. Gwyneth’s heart still ached for Zachary, but she instinctively stepped back, pulling away from his touch.
She said flatly. “You’ve got the time down to the second, but it doesn’t matter now. We’re done. From now on, our patha diverge. No more
connections”
1/1
