But instead of striking, Eric simply moved past her, giving her a gentle push to the side, as if she had never been the point at all.

Without warning, Eric thrust his hand out, pointing toward a plane gaining momentum on the runway.

“That one right there,” he said, voice clipped and tight. “Where is it headed?”

“That one?” The airport manager rushed beside him, squinting at the aircraft before answering. “It’s bound for Velacca.”

Velacca.

The name hit like a warning bell. Eric’s chest tightened. “She’s on that flight! You have to stop it—right now!”

For a moment, the airport manager stood frozen, unable to react. His head shook in disbelief. “Mr. Scott, I… we can’t!”

Delays were possible for Eric’s sake, given his influence in town, but not when the aircraft had already begun its charge down the runway. By then, the engines were roaring louder, the wheels slicing over concrete as the plane surged forward. It was already gone.

Gripping the eye mask like a lifeline, Hadley sat stiffly in her seat, refusing to loosen her hold. As the aircraft picked up speed on the runway, the tight knot of anxiety in her chest gradually began to ease.

She’d done it.

The last-minute switch had worked in her favor. A single available seat had made all the difference. Her plan to take a longer route—rerouting through Velacca before flying to Ontmond—had turned out to be a smart move. Though the detour added some inconvenience, it gave her the distance she needed.

Had she stuck with the original itinerary, Eric would have already found her.

As the plane continued to ascend, Hadley shifted her gaze toward the window. Below, the landscape shrank—buildings reduced to scattered blocks, roads fading into pale lines. Moisture welled in her eyes, though the tears didn’t fall.

Somehow, her thoughts drifted to the year she’d left Srixby for Blathe. At that time, she had clung to the hope that Eric would chase after her. No one came.

M s s.

Now that she wanted distance, he appeared—loud, relentless, impossible to ignore.

However, fate had other plans. Even standing at the edge of each other’s reach, they missed the chance to meet.

Near enough to touch… yet still out of grasp.

“Sir! Sir, wait!” The airport manager hurried over, holding a clipboard with a tense grip. “She made a last-minute switch. Miss Pearson boarded the Velacca flight. The change was done right before takeoff.”

Hadley had altered her itinerary just after Phillips made contact. Nobody caught the change. Nobody thought to check her ticket again, knowing she was leaving for Ontmond. And now, the window had shut.

After the update was delivered, silence swept through the group like a cold wind. Phillips stood there, stunned. Even he couldn’t come up with anything to say.

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