Two weeks flew by in a blur—between rounds at the hospital and packing for my trip, I didn't have the time to dwell on Stacy and Harley working side by side.
Today, we are leaving for Paris. I don't know about Harley, but I couldn't sleep the night before. The excitement outweighed any lingering tiredness.
I covered my mouth and let out a big yawn as Mr. Lu pulled up at the airport entrance.
Harley looked at me. "Didn't sleep well last night?"
"I didn't sleep at all," I replied, yawning again.
Harley's lips curved up slightly. "Excited?"
I hesitated for a second before nodding. "A little."
That wasn't entirely true. Excitement was there… but so was something else. Something I couldn't quite name.
Mr. Lu stepped out of the car and opened the door for us. The cool morning air brushed against my skin as I climbed out, adjusting my coat.
The airport was already bustling with people—rolling suitcases, hurried footsteps, distant announcements echoing overhead. It felt… different.
Like I was stepping into something I couldn't turn back from.
Harley walked around the car and stopped beside me. "Ready?"
I glanced at him. For a moment, the memory of that day at the mansion flashed through my mind.
The way he and Stacy interacted, like they were meant to be or something. And me, looking in from the outside. I looked away quickly. "Yeah."
We walked side by side toward the entrance, our steps in sync, yet somehow… not.
Inside, the bright lights and constant movement made everything feel faster. Louder.
Harley handled the check-in while I stood beside him, half-listening to the conversation, my mind drifting elsewhere.
Paris.
The last time we went, everything was so simple. We laughed. We fought. We… didn't think this much. But now… thinking is all I'm doing.
"Your passport."
I blinked and looked up. Harley was holding his hand out expectantly.
"Oh—right." I quickly handed it to him. My breath caught when his fingers brushed against mine for a brief second.
He didn't pull away immediately, and neither did I. Then, just as quickly, the moment passed. His touch lingered a second longer.
"Let's go," he said, his voice steady.
I nodded and followed him toward security. The lineup was long. As we slowly moved forward, I tightened my grip on my bag slightly.
Paris was supposed to be just a trip. A break. Something simple. But deep down… I had a feeling it wouldn't be, and that scared me.
"It's our turn."
I watched as the security officer scanned Harley from head to toe before allowing him to pass through.
It was my turn next, and as soon as the scanner passed over me, a loud sound echoed.
"Ma'am, are you wearing any jewellery?" the security man asked.
I nodded.
"Please remove them and put them in the bin," he said, pointing to the tray on the counter to the right.
I took off all of my jewellery and placed it in the bin. I watched as it passed through the scanner before being scanned again.
After grabbing my jewellery on the other side, I rushed to Harley's side and whispered, "That was embarrassing."
Harley chuckled.
I followed him toward our gate for boarding, and the lineup was even longer. A soft groan escaped my lips.
The flight attendant announced over the microphone that it was time to board the plane.
One by one, she checked everyone's ticket before motioning for them to enter the pathway toward the plane.
It was our turn next. Harley showed the flight attendant our tickets. She examined them for a second before ushering us forward.
When we entered the plane, Harley led the way toward a private suite in first class. I gasped out loud at the exquisite layout of the suite, and his was directly opposite mine.
I looked at him. "You sure know how to make a woman feel special." My heart skipped a beat when he flashed me his signature smile.
"You deserve it," he replied as he put the last piece of carry-on in the overhead compartment.
As soon as Harley took his seat, the captain spoke into the intercom, urging us to fasten our seatbelts and keep our chairs in an upright position for takeoff.
"I love taking off and landing," I said excitedly.
Harley glanced at me. "And yet, you hate when I drive really fast."
"That's different."
"How so?"
I looked away, rolling my eyes. He did not just ask that. He had to be messing with me. When I looked at him again, he was grinning.
I was about to respond when the plane began backing up until it was aligned with the runway. It started to move forward slowly, gradually increasing in speed.
Before I knew it, the plane began to ascend into the sky, Seoul slowly disappearing into the distance below. I hugged my stomach when the plane began to level out.
"Are you okay?"
I sat up straight and looked at Harley. "Yeah, I just feel queasy when the plane levels out. I'm fine now."
"Okay."
I turned my head toward the window, letting my gaze drift over the endless stretch of clouds.
When I looked back at Harley, he was busy typing away on his computer while talking to someone on his phone, most likely one of his board members.
My lips curved upward. Being a CEO isn't easy—even away from his company, work still follows him.
I grabbed my AirPods from my purse and put them in my ears. I turned on my favourite podcast, then reclined my seat, closing my eyes.
"…phie."
"Sophie."
"Sophie!"
My eyes fluttered open. One of the flight attendants stood before me, holding a tray of food, smiling brightly.
"Hello, ma'am," she greeted. "Your lunch is ready."
I took the tray from her, muttering a thank you. When she left, I glanced at Harley. He was still typing away on his computer.
"You're not eating?" I asked.
"I already ate," he replied, still glued to the screen.
I turned my attention back to the tray of food in front of me. My eyes lit up when I removed the cover, revealing a variety of foods neatly arranged.
I picked up my fork and took a bite. "Wow… this is incredible. I'm never flying economy class again."
I heard Harley chuckle beside me as I filled my mouth with food, bite after bite.
"Slow down or you're going to—"
As if on cue, I started coughing uncontrollably. I grabbed the glass of water on my tray and drank it in one go.
"—choke."
"That was scary," I said after calming down. I glanced at Harley, and he was staring at me with a raised eyebrow.
"What?"
"Slow down," Harley said, turning his attention back to his laptop. "We still have over three hours left before we land."
"Are you going to be on your laptop the entire way?"
He nodded.
I crossed my arms, cheeks puffed up, and looked out the window. The ocean below looked like a perfectly layered chocolate icing.
Hmph.