By the time I’d calmed down enough to function, I freshened up in the restroom and headed straight
for the airport. Ron wasn’t kidding about cutting it close–the ne had alreadynded by the time I
got there.
Tall, probably over six feet, rocking an unbuttoned ck dress shirt under a matching vest, paired
with tailored ck cks. He gave off major celebrity vibes, the kind where people turn to stare
without even realizing they’re doing it.
I stered on my polite–work–smile and stepped up. “Hi, I’m Keira Kay from OceanixCorp. Mr.
Shane had an emergency, so he asked me to pick you up,” I said, offering a handshake.
“Aaron Ace,” he replied, shaking it briefly. “Give me a second. I need to grab my checked luggage.”
“I’lle with you,” I said, falling into step beside him toward baggage im..
That’s when I saw them–Lena and Nate.
Even without context, it was obvious what was happening. The way they walked, hand in hand, with
just one suitcase between them, said it all. Nate was leaving.
Neither of them spoke as they made their way to the carousel, stopping just shy of the crowd. There
was this quiet heaviness in the air, like the kind that wraps around you before a storm.
“I’ll handle the check–in. You should go back,” Nate finally said, breaking the silence in this gentle,
almost hesitant way.
Lena didn’t answer. Instead, Nate brushed a strand of her hair back, his fingers lingering for a beat
too long. He didn’t need to say anything else. What could he even say? No words were going to
change the fact that he was ? leaving—or make Lena feel any less alone once he was gone.
“I’ll handle it,” he repeated, taking a step back. But before he could move, Lena grabbed his hand,
pulling him closer. Then she kissed him.
For a second, Nate froze, like he couldn’t believe it. Then he let his suitcase drop, wrapping his
arms around her and kissing her back.
It didn’t matter that they were surrounded by strangers or the chaos of the baggage im. For that
moment, it was just them, pouring every ounce of emotion into a kiss that said everything they
couldn’t.
But no matter how much they wanted to hold on, reality wouldn’t let them.
Lena was the first to pull away. She ced a hand over Nate’s eyes, her touch so soft it almost
broke me. Then, before he could stop her, she slipped out of his arms and walked away without
looking back
I took a step toward her instinctively, wanting to go after her, but a hand on my arm stopped me.
“At a time like this, she’d probably rather be alone,” Aaron said, his voice calm.
His words made me stop in my tracks. I nced at him, curious. He was watching Lena walk away,
his expression impossible to read.
“Mr. Ace…”
I started to say something, but he didn’t wait. He just turned and kept walking toward baggage
im like nothing had happened.
***
By the time we got to the parking lot, fate decided to mess with us–Lena was there again.
Her red, puffy eyes were a dead giveaway. She’d been crying.
I stepped forward, holding out my arms. “Want a hug?”
Lena didn’t say anything, but her gaze slid past me andnded on Aaron instead. Her whole vibe
shifted. “What are you two doing… together?”
At first, I didn’t catch anything weird about her tone. “I was picking him up. He’s a partner for our
company’s new project.”
Her expression darkened slightly. Her voice dipped as she asked, “When you saw me and Nate
earlier… did he see us too?”
“Of course. Not just us-“I started to exin how the entire baggage im probably noticed, but Lena
cut me off mid–sentence.
All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.
“Uncle Aaron,” she blurted out.
Wait. Uncle?!
I whipped around to stare at her. Cool, calm Lena actually looked nervous for once. Her eyes were
glued to Aaron like she was bracing for impact.
“I thought you went back?” she asked.
“I did. And now I’m back,” Aaron replied, his gaze steady on her. “Not happy to see me?”