Chapter 13
Heartache. Guilt. Relief.
Without thinking, I reached up, gently cupped his face, and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips.
I used to think I wasn’t good enough for him–that my silent, unspoken love would last a lifetime, even until death.
But now, I took back every bit of that self–imposed doubt.
“Kian, I like you. I really, really like you. I’ve liked you for so long. You’re my favorite person.”
Kian’s lips trembled, his voice thick with tears.
“You… liked me? For a long time?” He repeated it, like he couldn’t quite believe it.
“Yes. I’ve always liked you. Only you.”
“Only me.”
“That’s right. Only you. There was never anyone else.”
“No one else.”
I cupped his face gently. “Kian, I love you.‘
His red–rimmed eyes locked onto mine.
Then, at last, he pulled me into a crushing embrace.
Warm tears slipped down my neck.
And at the same time, I felt my own tears soaking into his chest.
They were tears shed for this happiness that had finally arrived.
We would be happy. Always.
(Kian’s Perspective)
“Boss, boss, I’ll keep it short–I like you.”
“I really, really like you.”
Seeing Sora’s message, my breath caught.
My heart stopped for a second.
Then, before I could even feel joy, another text came in.
“Boss, this is a final goodbye.”
I shot up from my seat so fast that my chair nearly toppled over.
What the hell was happening?
I called him immediately.
But there was no answer.
And then, my phone buzzed with a breaking news alert.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 13
“Ava Air Flight 117 has lost contact. The current situation is unknown.”
A deafening roar went off in my head.
My vision blurred, my hands shook.
Fumbling for my phone, I called my uncle, who was at the airport.
The moment he picked up, his voice was tense.
“The whole place is in chaos right now.
I couldn’t hear anything.
It was as if the world had gone silent, my heart losing the strength to beat.
Then, like a madman, I bolted out the door, shouting orders as I ran.
The driver was already waiting outside with several security cars lined up behind him.
I had no idea what I had just instructed–my mind was blank, yet my body kept moving, making arrangements on autopilot.
Inside the car, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking as I dialed every possible number, desperate for updates on the flight.
My screen refreshed over and over with the latest news, but I couldn’t bring myself to look.
I was terrified of seeing the words “Plane crash confirmed.
My mind was a chaotic mess, my body trembling uncontrollably.
I called Sora’s phone again.
And again, there was no answer.
I had made sure he carried a satellite phone in case of emergencies.
But no one picked up.
Was it because something had already happened?
