Ethan swiped open the door to the presidential suite.
Inside was dark and silent.
He frowned slightly. Hadn't James said that Sophie had arrived?
She wasn't in the living room—was she in the bedroom?
Just as he was about to turn on the light—
"Click."
Soft warm light poured down instantly.
Sophie was wearing a crisp and elegant flight attendant uniform, standing in elegant heels, striking a pose.
With just the right professional smile on her face, she lightly held a symbolic ribbon in her hand, her steps playful.
She walked straight to Ethan, stopped, bowed slightly, and performed a standard flight attendant greeting, her voice sweet and clear:
"Good evening, Captain Miller. Welcome aboard. I'm your flight attendant for this flight, Sophie."
She raised her head, her eyes flashing with a mischievous light, her voice lowering with a hint of flirtatious playfulness:
"I'll be providing you with exclusive service throughout this entire flight, hoping to bring you a comfortable and unforgettable journey."
Under the light, Sophie in her uniform had a professional competence and unique charm different from the sexy and bold look at the club, the outfit perfectly outlining her body curves.
Ethan's eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation, the corners of his mouth rising. Playing along with her roleplay, he extended his arms and naturally wrapped them around her waist, pulling her a step closer, also lowering his voice with the calmness of someone in control:
"Flight attendant, please make sure to check all safety measures. Our flight is about to enter the takeoff preparation stage."
Sophie leaned in with the momentum, gently resting her hands on his shoulders, smiling:
"Please rest assured, Captain Miller. As a senior flight attendant, I have extensive experience handling various flight situations."
She blinked, with a hint of challenge:
"As long as the captain's piloting skills are exceptional enough to ensure a smooth flight, I can certainly provide the best service. I just don't know... Captain Miller, are you better at long-haul international flights or short-haul domestic ones?"
Ethan raised his eyebrows and leaned close to her ear, his voice full of confidence: "I'm better at long-haul international flights."
"Really?"
Sophie's face flushed red, but her eyes were shining:
"Then I'll have to witness Captain Miller's skills firsthand. However, flight safety comes first, captain. You need to pay full attention—in case we encounter turbulence mid-flight, it could affect the experience."
"How the experience is, you'll know naturally after takeoff."
Ethan chuckled lowly, said no more, tightened his arm slightly and spun her around lightly. The two of them smiled and embraced each other, walking into the warmer lights beyond...
Ethan looked at Sophie, with a hint of imperceptible curiosity and... surprise in his eyes. Her performance had been bold and enthusiastic, she knew how to set the mood, and her words and behavior seemed quite sophisticated.
But what Ethan hadn't expected was that she was the same as Vanessa, or rather...
Ethan looked at Sophie with some emotion at this moment: "You..."
Sophie caught his subtle gaze, the smile on her face fading a little as she laughed self-deprecatingly:
"What? Feel weird? Did you think that a woman like me, who seems to have clear goals and knows how to please rich guys, should have been battle-hardened and experienced?"
Ethan didn't answer directly. He was silent for a moment, then asked, "Do you really not regret it?"
Sophie shook her head, her eyes magnanimous:
"Nothing to regret. At least I took the step I'd always wanted to take, and I temporarily achieved my expected goal. Well, initially achieved it."
"Expected goal?" Ethan motioned for her to continue.
"Yeah."
Sophie nodded, her voice calm but clear:
"My idea is actually pretty simple—I wanted to find someone with financial ability so I don't have to worry about bills and rent, and can live a relatively comfortable and secure life."
She looked at Ethan with sincere appreciation in her eyes:
"Of course, being as young and handsome as you are is simply God's extra blessing. It's a dream come true, completely matching or even exceeding my imagination of the ideal guy."
Ethan listened quietly without interrupting.
Sophie continued:
"Do you think my idea is too realistic and materialistic?"
Without waiting for Ethan to answer, she went on:
"I'm 27 years old. The flight attendant profession is, at the end of the day, a young person's game. There really isn't much time left for me. When you get older, if you haven't found someone you can trust with your future, there's a high probability you can only find some ordinary guy with similar conditions to marry, and then start arguing about the trivial matters of life day after day."
Her tone was tinged with a hint of imperceptible helplessness.
"Plus, our profession has this characteristic: we're ordinary people, but we come into contact with different classes of travelers every day. We get to see many lifestyles that are difficult for regular people to achieve. It's like standing outside a window looking at luxury goods inside—after watching for long enough, it's really hard to go back to the regular person channel. Just like if someone wins a hundred grand at a casino in one night, can they really be willing to go back to work for a few thousand a month the next day?"
She smiled bitterly:
"So I recognized my value very early on—this face and body, and the emotional value they can provide. So I've been carefully protecting them, waiting for a worthwhile investment opportunity."
Sophie turned sideways, reached out and gently held Ethan's arm, her eyes burning:
"Look, didn't I end up waiting for it? Right when I was about to give up my fantasies and compromise with reality, I met you."
Ethan said lightly:
"Aren't you afraid I won't acknowledge it?"
Sophie smiled instead, with a bit of openness in her expression:
"Not afraid. Taking a step back, you're still so much younger than me, your looks and body are top-tier—no matter how you look at it, I won't lose out. Even if I didn't get anything in the end, this experience itself is enough for me to remember for a long time."
Ethan was amused by her: "So I'm the one who lost out?"
"Not exactly."
Sophie also laughed, then asked cautiously: "So will you look down on someone like me?"
Ethan looked at her frank yet slightly apprehensive eyes, a gentle smile on his face:
"Why would I? On the contrary, I appreciate your honesty and self-awareness. Knowing what you want and daring to fight for it—that's not easy."
He paused, with a bit of teasing:
"You want a stable and prosperous life, and I happen to have the ability to provide it. Isn't this a mutual choice?"
Sophie was left speechless by Ethan's "mutual choice" comment: "So will you give me the life I want?"
"That depends on your sincerity."
The next day.
Ethan woke up and looked at the time—it was already past ten.
He got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. When he looked in the mirror, he subconsciously rubbed his lower back.
Two intensive days—the activity had indeed been a bit much.
He raised his eyebrows at himself in the mirror: The body is the foundation of everything. Gotta pace yourself.
Otherwise when you get older, forget long-haul flights—even short commutes will be enough to kill you.
Back in the bedroom, Sophie had also woken up, hugging the covers, lazily looking at the river view outside the window, the sunlight coating her face with a layer of soft light.
"How'd you sleep?" Ethan asked.
Sophie replied: "Amazing! The mattress in the presidential suite is seriously different—feels like every muscle and bone got stretched out."
Ethan walked to the bed and looked at her with a smirk:
"Rested up? Then get ready to work. Yesterday's first flight, we had great coordination. For today's return flight, flight attendant, isn't it time to continue performing your duties?"
The thought of restraint from just moments ago was instantly thrown out the window.
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