The highway to C City International Airport was unusually chaotic that morning.
Cars swerved, horns blared, and the thick tension in the air hinted at something more serious than just rush-hour traffic. Hailey Tang jolted in her seat as their vehicle made a sudden, sharp turn, throwing her toward the door. She let out a quiet yelp, rubbing her head where it had hit the glass.
The driver was white as a sheet. "S-Sorry, there's a car ahead driving like a maniac. It nearly hit us."
Ethan Yu didn't even lift his gaze from his tablet. "Keep going. Don't stop."
"But sir—there are gunshots—"
"I said drive through."
That voice was cold, calm, and firm. The kind that left no room for hesitation.
The driver swallowed his fear and pressed on, weaving through the mess of swerving cars. Hailey instinctively turned to look behind them.
A man had just stepped out of a vehicle in the distance, holding a gun in both hands. His sharp profile, military posture, and the serious expression on his face were instantly recognizable.
Tao Yi?! she blinked.
The last time she saw him, he was leading a high-profile security detail for a government tech summit. What was he doing here, on the highway, chasing criminals?
Is he… working on a case?
She couldn't tear her eyes away. There was something intense about the way he moved—precise, methodical, dangerous. The look of someone who knew exactly what he was doing.
From beside her, Ethan glanced out the window too. For a fraction of a second, something flickered across his eyes. Not shock. Not fear. But a strange, almost unreadable emotion.
Guilt?
No. That wasn't it. It was deeper than that.
But before Hailey could figure it out, the car sped past the scene and left it all behind.
By the time they reached the airport, most of their team had already arrived. Ethan had pulled together a full-scale entourage: one special assistant, two secretaries, five top-tier executives, and ten bodyguards—plus Hailey.
Twenty people in total.
But noticeably missing from the group was Lin Xin'er.
Hailey frowned. That's odd. Where's Lin Xin'er?
In her past life, she remembered clearly—Lin Xin'er had been glued to Ethan's side during this exact business trip. She was his chief secretary, the one who handled his daily schedule, meetings, and coffee orders. More importantly, she had been his favorite.
But this time?
Lin Xin'er had been quietly removed from her position as head of the secretarial department after the incident with the leaked documents. That meant no job title, no plane ticket, no business trip, and more importantly—no time with Ethan.
Did I… just accidentally break up a couple?
Hailey chewed on her lip as the realization sank in.
She hadn't meant to interfere. But her butterfly-wing choices in this second timeline were clearly creating ripple effects—and Lin Xin'er not being here was a pretty big one.
In the original timeline, Ethan and Lin Xin'er had grown close during this trip. Was that how their relationship started? Or got serious?
Without those shared moments… would they even become a couple?
Would Lin Xin'er still fall for him?
Would Ethan still choose her?
And more importantly… did she care?
"Hailey, let's go." Ethan's voice snapped her out of her spiral. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward the security check.
"Wait—what—Hey, I can walk by myself!"
He ignored her protests and dragged her along anyway.
By the time they were on the plane, Hailey had resigned herself to her fate. At least this time she got to see first class.
Then she stepped into the cabin—and promptly froze.
Ethan had booked out the entire first-class section.
All 20 seats.
For their group alone.
The space was luxurious, the seats massive, and the flight attendants practically swooned as Ethan walked by. Hailey noticed how their eyes lingered a bit too long on him, how their smiles got just a little too enthusiastic.
Gross.
She slipped on a pair of oversized sunglasses.
No thanks. I do not need to get dragged into some weird midair drama starring Ethan Yu and his private fan club.
"Good morning, sir. Ma'am," one flight attendant purred as she leaned slightly toward Ethan. "Would you like anything to drink?"
"Coffee," Ethan replied curtly, eyes still glued to the file in his hand.
The flight attendant turned to Hailey with a polite smile. "And for you, miss?"
Hailey's stomach growled before she could answer.
She hadn't eaten breakfast. Too much drama, too many memories, and now her blood sugar was rebelling.
"Uh… do you have anything to eat?" she asked, suddenly shy. "I'm starving."
"I'm so sorry," the flight attendant said with a professional smile. "Meal service hasn't started yet. If you don't mind waiting—maybe about an hour—"
"Bring her two sandwiches and a glass of warm milk," Ethan said suddenly, without looking up.
The flight attendant blinked. "Right away, sir."
Hailey stared after her, jaw slightly open.
Wait a second. Is this what it feels like to be… favored?
The food arrived faster than expected—two fresh sandwiches and a glass of milk, placed neatly in front of her.
"For you," the attendant said sweetly.
Hailey glanced at Ethan.
He didn't even look her way, just continued flipping through his documents like nothing happened.
"Not enough?" he asked without emotion. "Say so and I'll ask them to bring more."
Okay, rude. I don't eat that much!
But her hunger quickly overpowered her pride. She grabbed a sandwich and bit down, practically inhaling it.
The food was warm. Soft bread, just enough mayo, and perfectly seasoned chicken.
Okay, she'd admit it. Being on Ethan Yu's private jet—not so bad.
Back on the highway, the chaos was finally settling.
Police officers moved in and out of the cordoned-off area, collecting shell casings, inspecting the wreckage, and hauling away the two handcuffed suspects.
The press hadn't arrived yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Tao Yi stood off to the side, watching silently as his men wrapped up the scene.
The police commissioner approached him with a broad grin.
"Major Tao, that was some top-tier maneuvering back there. If you hadn't been on-site, we would've lost those guys again."
Tao Yi didn't respond immediately. He was still watching the road.
His gaze lingered on the stretch of highway where a black luxury sedan had passed moments after the shootout.
In that car, he was almost certain, was Hailey Tang.
He hadn't seen her in years—not since the incident. But he recognized her. He always would.
Something in his chest tightened.
He didn't know why she was in that car, or where she was going. But if she was with Ethan Yu… it complicated things.
Tang Hailey, he thought, as the morning wind picked up.
Are you still the same girl who once trusted me blindly? Or have you already changed—just like everything else in this goddamn world?
Hailey didn't know that Tao Yi had seen her. Didn't know what kind of expression he wore as he stood on that broken highway, watching her car disappear.
She was too busy trying to figure out why her sandwich tasted better than any five-star meal she'd had.
Too busy wondering whether she had just, accidentally, broken up a pair of star-crossed lovers.
Too busy realizing that… maybe she didn't feel guilty about it at all.
And that scared her more than she cared to admit.