Chapter 3

Adrian’s slap never landed.

For a split second, something shifted in his eyes.

He looked at my face, still turned to the side from my mother’s slap, then at my leg, buckling beneath me after my father’s kick had driven me down onto one knee.

For just that one second, he seemed to feel sorry for me.

Then it vanished.

All that remained was irritation.

“Hailey, you followed us all the way from the security checkpoint onto the plane. Do you have any idea how insane you look?

“If you put half this energy into your career instead of obsessing over me, maybe you would’ve gotten promoted by now. You wouldn’t still be standing at a checkpoint digging through people’s bags every day.”

I braced myself against the aircraft door and forced myself upright.

The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

He had no idea.

To outsiders, I was nothing more than a frontline customs inspector.

But my real position was nothing like he imagined. I was the youngest division chief in Customs and the agency’s top Eagle Eye specialist.

My eyes could detect abnormal light signatures hidden inside solid objects.

That was exactly why I changed into a frontline uniform every Saturday and personally inspected items being taken out of the country.

I wasn’t making a scene.

There really was something inside that stone that could not be allowed to leave the country.

“What’s going on?”

An air marshal rushed over, followed by several flight attendants.

Adrian immediately pointed the finger at me.

“Officer, my wife is mentally unstable.

“She found out I was taking Chloe overseas to have the baby, and she’s been causing trouble ever since Customs. Now she’s followed us onto the plane and deployed the emergency slide. She’s delayed the entire flight.”

Chloe huddled against his chest, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.

“I don’t blame Hailey. She just cares about Adrian too much.

“But my baby is innocent. She keeps accusing me of stealing a national treasure, and she even wants to cut open the heart-shaped stone Adrian gave me.”

The passengers were already furious about the delay.

The moment they heard that, the cabin erupted.

“She’s insane! Some of us have places to be!”

“Her husband doesn’t want her anymore, so now the whole plane has to suffer?”

“Get her out of here! Is she going to pay everyone back for the delay?”

Even the air marshal’s expression changed.

He and another officer seized my arms and forced me down beside the cold metal doorway.

My knee slammed against the metal edge.

Pain exploded through me, and my vision nearly went black.

Adrian stood over me, his voice ice-cold.

“Apologize to Chloe.

“Admit you made all of this up because you were jealous.

“Otherwise, I’ll press charges for disrupting the flight and disturbing public order.

“You won’t just lose your job. You could end up in jail.”

Chloe immediately took his hand and spoke softly.

“Adrian, forget it.

“Hailey is already hurting enough. She lost her baby, and now she has to watch you take me overseas. Of course she’s upset.

“I don’t want to push her any further.”

Still pinned to the floor, I suddenly laughed.

“Apologize?”

I lifted my head and looked straight at Adrian.

“Hand over the stone now, while you still have the chance.

“Otherwise, you’re going to regret this.”

He stared at me as if I’d just told the funniest joke he’d ever heard.

“Regret it?

“Hailey, the only thing I regret is indulging you for so long that you started believing the entire world should revolve around you.”

Chloe tugged gently at his sleeve.

Then she reached into her bag and pulled out the heart-shaped stone, her eyes turning red.

“If Hailey really believes I stole Adrian from her because of this stone, then fine.

“Cut it open.”

Her voice trembled as she held it out for everyone to see.

“Let everyone see for themselves whether there’s really a national treasure hidden inside it.”