Chapter 5

"Are you scared of flying, miss?" he asked, his tone filled with concern.

His captivating silver eyes stared deep into Christine's soul, and she feared he would uncover the things she had worked hard to hide.

She nodded, indicating her fear, though flying was something she usually enjoyed. But today was no ordinary day.

The man who had haunted her dreams for all these years was here, in the flesh, staring at her.

The man who took her virginity and left her with child, without even being aware of it.

Could she blame him? No, she couldn't. If there was anyone to blame, it was none other than herself.

He was even more breathtakingly gorgeous than her memory had illustrated, especially now that she could see his mesmerizing eyes, the missing piece of his image. Though she should have suspected that Ethan had inherited the same grey shade from him, as her own eyes were hazel.

"Have we ever met before?" he asked, causing her heart to skip a beat. She ignored his question.

'He won't recognize me. There's no way he would. I have nothing to be afraid of,' Christine kept telling herself.

He grabbed a bottle of water, filled a cup, and handed it to her. "Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."

She accepted the offer, using it as a way to calm her racing heart.

As she sipped from her cup, she couldn't help but notice that she wasn't the only one captivated by his enchanting features. The two women seated behind them whispered and giggled, stealing glances at him from time to time.

If Christine were to ask either of them to switch seats, they would do it without hesitation. But for some unknown reason, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She felt sorry for them, unaware that he was a married man. Or at least, he had been married five years ago. For obvious reasons, she hadn't kept in touch with her stepsister or stepmother.

Even men seemed intimidated by him, evident in their demeanor. Truth be told, his ultra-masculine style would make even movie stars worship him.

On the other hand, the man seemed oblivious to everyone else, his attention solely focused on her.

One could assume that he was accustomed to such attention wherever he went. After all, even Christine couldn't escape the unwanted emotions stirred by his mere presence, as if her body remembered every skilled touch from their past.

'Oh God, Christine, snap out of it!' she inwardly reprimanded herself.

Suddenly, turbulence jolted the plane due to severe weather conditions, and his right hand landed on her bare thigh, sending a surge of heat through her body. To her disbelief, he kept his hand there even after the turbulence subsided, lightly caressing her skin.

Rage stirred inside her, regretting being swayed by his good looks. Without a second thought, she slapped him with all the strength her body could muster.

'Note to self, never wear a short skirt during a flight. Ah, and never fall for an amazingly attractive man; he's most likely an entitled piece of shit,' she thought.

Rising from her seat, she requested the flight attendant to relocate her, making sure to send him a lethal glare before leaving.

He cursed himself under his breath, realizing he had acted like a pervert. Though his hands had unintentionally landed on her soft skin, it was his own fault for succumbing to temptation. His fingers may have yearned to explore her silky-smooth thigh within his reach, and her curves may have appeared to be sculpted by gods, but he should have known better than to let his body act on its own.

It was the first time a woman had ever slapped him, and a twisted part of him found some sick pleasure in it.

Usually, women threw themselves at his mercy, granting him their desires. Not her—she had even switched seats, purposefully distancing herself from him without sparing a single glance in his direction. He was aware of this because he had observed her throughout the entire flight, almost like a stalker.

Her wide hazel eyes continued to invade his thoughts, blazing with emotions and intelligence. It was the kind of sexiness he admired, the kind that could steal one's heart and willpower with a single glance. The kind of person that one can only meet once in a lifetime.

From the very first moment he set eyes on her, she had captivated him in a way he couldn't fully explain. Even though he had divorced Martha two years ago, the pain she had inflicted upon him still lingered, casting a shadow over his life. Admittedly, it might sound pathetic, but he hadn't quite managed to heal and move forward.

Martha had changed so drastically after their marriage. He still grappled with the question of why her entire personality had taken a 180-degree turn, transforming from the sweet woman he had dated into a cold and distant person. His most cherished memory was from their wedding night, but after that, everything fell apart. It was as if she had been possessed, behaving in despicable ways.

Perhaps if he had tried harder, spent more time with her and less time attending to his business, things could have been different. But the past was the past, and nothing could change it.

So, when he saw the woman with long, chocolate-colored hair, lightly tanned skin, stunning hazel eyes, and plump, kissable lips on the same plane as him, he did everything in his power to switch seats and sit next to her. The elderly lady who accepted his offer to swap places was more than happy to occupy the VIP seat he offered her.

Yet, he had been foolish enough to receive a well-deserved slap from her. Foolish enough to lose the only chance he had with her. After the plane landed, she disappeared into the crowd, and he wouldn't have the opportunity to properly apologize.

As soon as the plane reached the ground and stopped at the designated gate, Christine took off as if her life depended on it. She had managed to resist the temptation to glance at that man for the entire two and a half-hour flight from Princeton to Miami. She could even say she was proud of herself. Her heart had pleaded with her brain to cooperate, but her brain hadn't failed her.

After enduring so much suffering, her senses remained on high alert when it came to married men, especially those connected to her dear stepsister and her obnoxious mother.

Christine found herself in the parking lot, scanning her surroundings. She had expected Loukas to be there by now, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Michael! I'm here!"

Her lips formed into a genuine smile as she spotted Michael, the driver and her close friend, actually the only friend she had.

He gave her a once-over before saying anything, and she rolled her eyes jokingly.

"Christine! I'm so glad to see you! Girl, you look even more beautiful than before, and I didn't think that was possible!" he declared, hugging her.

Christine could feel a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"But where is Loukas?" She released herself from the warm hug and scanned the parking lot with her eyes.

"Oh, didn't he tell you?"

"What?" She narrowed her eyes at Michael, confused.

"His business partner took the same flight as you, and he will be staying with us for a few days."

"Ahh, now that you told me, I think he did mention something. I will be working with him, actually."

She would be taking over a small branch of Loukas' corporation, working closely with one of his partners. In fact, he and his partner owned that small branch together, or something similar. She wasn't sure; Loukas still needed to fill in the details for her.

Now that she thought harder, she recalled Loukas mentioning that his partner was also a family friend and he would be staying with them because he wanted to test the company's new smart home technology in his own house, and it would take about a week to implement it.

"Yes, that one. Hunter Gray."

The name Hunter Gray sounded a bit too familiar to her ears.

"Christine, my dear! I've missed you so much!" Loukas' voice called from behind.

When she turned around to face him, time seemed to slow down, and her heart sank, for he wasn't alone.

Her child's father stood beside him.

"Meet Hunter Gray, my associate."

'No! This can't be happening to me! Damn my life!'