Chapter 13 - Into the Thin Air
The Gulfstream soared effortlessly through the rain clouds, leveling out into the twilight sky at forty-one thousand feet.
Outside the thick oval windows, the horizon was painted in deep indigo and fading orange.
Inside the VIP forward cabin, the atmosphere was thick enough to choke on.
The cabin featured wide cream-leather armchairs, hand-stitched silk carpets, and high-gloss mahogany paneling.
Emily sat reclined in the primary captain’s chair, pillows tucked behind her lumbar spine for support.
Her cream handbag rested safely on the low mahogany side table beside her drink holder.
Opposite her, seated across the aisle, was Vanessa.
The older woman had refused to change into comfortable travel clothes.
She sat rigid in her sharp white blazer, sipping sparkling water from a crystal tumbler without blinking.
Every few minutes, her cold gaze would drift over to Emily’s face, lingered, and then turned away in disgust.
Daniel sat at the mahogany conference table a few feet ahead, three phones laid out before him.
His dark hair was slightly mussed, his black tie loosened just an inch beneath his collar.
“Tell Zurich the valuation stands at 4.2 billion,” Daniel spoke briskly into his earpiece.
“If they don’t sign before markets open in Tokyo, we pull the liquidity package entirely.”
He glanced over his shoulder toward Emily, offering her a quick, tired smile.
Emily smiled back, placing a hand over her chest to calm her fluttering nerves.
Whenever Daniel looked at her, she felt grounded.
Whenever Daniel looked away, the air in the cabin turned freezing cold.
Vanessa set her crystal glass down on the table with a sharp, deliberate *clink*.
The sound made Emily flinch slightly.
Vanessa noticed the flinch, and a tiny smirk touched the corner of her crimson lips.
“Jumpy, aren’t we?” Vanessa remarked in an undertone, ensuring Daniel couldn't hear over his phone call.
“I’m just tired, Vanessa,” Emily answered quietly, staring straight ahead at the cabin bulkhead.
“You’re weak,” Vanessa murmured, her eyes narrowing into cold slits.
“A Sterling woman does not whimper over minor physical discomfort.”
Emily turned her head to look out the window, refusing to take the bait.
She focused on the steady hum of the Rolls-Royce engines beneath the floorboards.
May you like
*Just two hours,* Emily told herself silently. *Just two hours until we land in Colorado.*
She had no idea that the real storm had already started inside the cabin.
