tiffly near the glass wall, arms crossed, suitcase beside her like a silent companion. Outside, the sl

ed coat, sunglasses shielding his eyes. He didn't look at her. He walked straight past her

eeks flushed with un

hed mahogany, chilled champagne waiting in a silver bucket. But the a

ut a tablet. "We'll review Zurich's merger conditions mid-flig

t, leaving a gulf of tension betwe

the sky beyond, but it wasn't the clouds she saw. It was Andre, laughing beside her i

s stay off the radar. Just

banishing the me

a's gaze caught the way his fingers moved, an old habit. Andre used to

eath h

aric's eyes, cold, un

t?" he ask

e stammered. "J

ack to hi

icken with every mile. Every movement he made sent ripples of déjà vu down her spine. The way

clipped, emotionless. But Andr

... s

ven't met before?"

s that a pick-up line?" His

. I meant... you

ble. "A lot of women think that. P

face, amusement? Sadness? But it

g. She wanted to scream. To demand ans

nce swallowe

upted often, his tone biting, demanding, never satisfied.

is tablet and reclined,

he cool glass, the roar of the engines like white noise in her

-

ow by the time Don Alaric stirred

Her breathing slow, her lips slightly parted in restl

ilently in

looked the same, perhaps softer now, shadows under her eyes, weight of re

buried beneath the fros

had sided with those w

d

His hand hovered inches above her shoulder. Ins

erly, eyes still fixed on her. No

vengeance didn't sooth

to retreat wh

ed. Then they locked onto him-standing abo

caught. "

dn't

en second, neith

art pounding, her voice hoars

ained unreadable. "Yo

inked.

ething dark swirling in his gaze, something t

ouldn't l

said quietly. "An old

is head. "B

"Before every

at p

," he said, tu

, standing. "Who

cabin threshold,

ore," he replied, and disappear

ot from cold, but from the ghosts