Chapter 11

Celestia ~

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling heavy and confused. Blinking a few times, I tried to take in my surroundings, but everything felt a bit fuzzy. The first thing I noticed was the soft hum of a plane engine. A plane? Where am I? What the fuck was going on? The last thing I remembered was being so angry and then…

My heart raced as I pushed myself up, trying to gather my thoughts. I glanced around the large cabin, and that’s when I saw him—Dmitri . He was sitting in a seat opposite me, his eyes glued to his laptop, fingers tapping away at the keys.

“Dmitri ?” I croaked, my voice sounding hoarse. He looked up instantly, his expression shifting to concern.

“Hey, you’re awake,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, where are we?” I asked, trying to shake off the lingering fog in my head.

He stared at me for a moment, then asked, “Do you remember last night?”

I frowned, trying to recall the events. The last thing I remembered was dancing at the club, but everything after that was a blur. “Not really. Did I… do something stupid?” I asked, my cheeks flushing at the thought.

Dmitri grinned, a teasing light in his eyes. “No, nothing like that, thankfully.”

That made me feel a bit better, but the confusion lingered. “Then how did I end up here?” I gestured around, still trying to process. Fuck, I hated mornings and did I drink last night? My head hurt like a fuckin bitch.

He paused before answering, “We had to leave. It wasn’t safe for you there.”

“Leave?” I echoed, still not quite understanding. “Why?”

Before he could answer, I noticed a familiar figure on my left. It was Roxie, sitting there with a huge grin on her face. She looked like she had just won the lottery.

“Celestia ! You’re finally awake!” Roxie exclaimed, clapping her hands together like a child. “You wouldn’t believe the night we had!”

“What do you mean?” I asked, furrowing my brow as I tried to piece together what had happened.

“Oh, let me tell you!” Roxie continued, practically bouncing in her seat. “You were such a trooper last night. Dmitri made sure that the guards didn’t wake you. The moment he saw you fall asleep, he became a total softie!”

“Roxie, shut up,” Dmitri interjected, but it did little to deter her.

“Seriously, he was like a worried mama bear! The guards were a bit confused, but Dmitri was all like, ‘No one touches her!’” Roxie mimicked him, her voice dropping an octave, making me chuckle despite my earlier confusion.

I turned my attention back to Dmitri , who looked exasperated yet amused. “Is this true? Were you worried about me?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just wanted to make sure you were safe, Celestia . It’s my job to look out for you. You… Acted out.”

Acted out? I don't even remember the reason why I wanted to drink now. Fuck, I'm sure it would come to me later.

“Yeah, right,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. “So, what else happened? Did we actually leave the club?”

“Absolutely!” Roxie chattered on, ignoring Dmitri 's complaints. “We got you out of there before anyone else could even blink. I swear, it was like a scene from an action movie! Dmitri power-walked you to the car like he was on some important assignment. He was so pissed.”

“I did what I had to do,” he said, shaking his head as if he wanted to distance himself from Roxie’s bantering.

“Right! And then we jumped in the car, and you fell asleep right away,” she went on, a spark in her eyes. “Dmitri was so worried about you that he kept his phone away and didn’t even check his emails until we got here.”

“Okay, can we tone it down?” Dmitri said, interrupting her flow. “She doesn’t need to know every detail!”

But Roxie ignored him, her gaze still fixed on me, her excitement bubbling over. “He was really sweet, though! I mean, who knew he had it in him?”

“Roxie!” Dmitri grumbled, his irritation noticeable.

Realizing I was still holding on to my confusion, I focused back on Dmitri . “So, what’s the plan now that we’re on this plane? Where are we even going?”

“New York” he answered simply, and the seriousness of his voice reminded me of how everything had turned upside down in just one night. “I thought it would be safer for you.”

“New York…” I murmured, still trying to process everything. “But what about my clothes? My stuff?”

Dmitri leaned forward. “You can get your things later. Right now, what matters is that you’re safe and you can work.”

I had known Dmitri as a tough guy, but seeing this side of him was unexpected. “Thank you for looking out for me.”

“Just doing my job,” he replied, trying to downplay it, but I could tell it meant something more.

Roxie piped up again, “And don’t worry! I’ll take care of you, too! We can have a little sister bonding time. Just wait until we land! We’ll have so much fun!”

I laughed, feeling a warmth in my chest. “I didn’t think I’d be on a rescue mission with you both today.”

“Consider it a new thing!” Roxie said cheerfully.

Dmitri rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the hint of a smile on his lips. “Just don’t cause too much trouble.”

“Me?” Roxie said, feigning innocence. “I’m an angel compared to you, big brother.”

I couldn’t help chuckling at them. It was nice to see how easy they made this situation feel. Despite the chaos, I felt a sense of comfort.

As time passed, Roxie chattered about how Dmitri had gone all out to make arrangements so we’d be comfortable on the flight, and I found myself slowly relaxing. The plane felt cozy, and I couldn't still remember.

I looked at Dmitri , who was now back to tapping on his laptop. “What are you working on, anyway?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“Just some business,” he replied without looking up. “I’ll need to get things sorted once we land.”

“Business?” I repeated, not quite sure how to connect it with the man I had seen all night. “You really do have a life outside of being protective?”

“Believe it or not, I do.” He glanced at me, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “But right now, that life doesn’t matter much. All that matters is keeping you safe and not wandering off.”

“Okay, Mr. Protective,” I teased lightly. “But I hope you’re not planning to keep me in a bubble.”

Also, just what did he mean by wander off?

He shot me a mock-serious glare. “Stay in the bubble? Not a bad idea right now.”