All Chapters of Airport Proposal: I Was Only a Wager: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Third-Person POVLindsay thought the office was too quiet.Back when Wesley was around, he'd always bring her a cup of coffee around 3:00 pm and set it on the corner of her desk. He wouldn't disturb her, but he wouldn't leave either. He'd just sit on the couch nearby and flip through a magazine.If she got too busy and forgot to drink it, he'd clear his throat softly to remind her it was getting cold. She hated cold coffee, but every single time, she'd pick it up and drink it anyway.Now, that corner of the desk was completely bare. There was nothing there.On the fourth night, she invited a whole crowd over for a party.The Gilded Room was too far, and she couldn't be bothered making the trip, so she held it at Amber Estate instead. The place was big enough anyway, and with plenty of people around, the ruckus would make it easy for her to forget everything.More than half the people in her social circle showed up. Some drank while others played cards, and the music was cr

Wesley's POVWhen I first arrived in Bellmonte, I followed a routine of attending classes, training, and adjusting to the rhythm of life in this new city.The Southern Hemisphere sun was harsher than I'd expected, and there always seemed to be a faint scent of eucalyptus in the air.Those early days were rough. It was a dull, persistent ache that kept washing over me like a tide.In the morning, when I made coffee, I'd habitually make two cups, only to stand there staring blankly at the extra one. Before bed, when I scrolled through my phone, I'd instinctively check to see if there were messages from Lindsay. Then I'd remember I'd already deleted every way of contacting her.Still, I was learning to get used to it.The training center kept me busy. The airline management program covered everything from route planning to crisis management. Every day, I sat in class taking notes, drawing mind maps, and participating in group discussions with classmates from all over the world.

Wesley's POVI didn't bother with the usual polite refusal.I looked at Carlton and said, slowly and clearly, "Mr. Dobbs, I do indeed need help. I want to start over in the pharmaceutical industry and finish what my father never got the chance to finish."Carlton nodded. He didn't ask why.He didn't say, "It's going to be difficult," or "It won't be easy for you to do it alone."He just said one word. "Okay."Then he picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number."Caroline, come here for a second."Less than two minutes later, the door opened, and a woman walked in. She was wearing a lightweight, pale apricot sweater with the sleeves casually rolled up to her forearms, revealing slender, fair wrists.But the first thing that caught my attention wasn't her outfit. It was her face.It was a strikingly beautiful face, the kind that made a person stop and look twice. Her features were defined without being sharp, like the boldest stroke across a painting. She had lon

Wesley's POVHowever, I didn't ask questions. I just grabbed my car keys and headed out the door.When I reached Rivermark, Caroline was sitting on a bench by the river. The night air was chilly, but she was only wearing a thin blouse, with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms and her collar hanging loosely open.I had never seen her like this before."Ms. Dobbs," I said as I walked over and stopped in front of her.She looked up at me.Under the streetlights, her long, deep-set eyes harbored an emotion I'd never seen before—a vacant sense of confusion."Why did you drink so much?" I asked, squatting down next to her and reaching for the glass in her hand.But she pulled away from my hand, her words slightly slurred. "Today's the anniversary of my dad's death."I froze mid-motion."Every year on this day," she started, looking at me with unfocused eyes. "I come here and sit for a while."He died in this river."I followed her gaze toward the water.Under the Bellmonte n

Wesley's POVIt was evening when my flight touched down in Harborville.Outside the window, the city I had fled a year and a half ago was bathed in the warm gold of the setting sun. Skyscrapers towered above, and traffic flowed unceasingly. Everything looked exactly as it had when I left.But I knew something had changed—me.The project review meeting took place at the Harborville International Convention Center. Dobbs Biopharmaceuticals' ADC drug development project had just passed its regional Phase 3 clinical trials, bringing us one major step closer to bringing the drug to the market.The celebration dinner was set for 7:00 pm at the third-floor ballroom of the Crownton Hotel.I changed into a black suit with a subtle pattern and styled my hair carefully. The man staring back at me in the mirror looked nothing like the man who had stumbled through the airport a year and a half ago, desperate to run away.Eddie was waiting for me at the entrance to the ballroom. The momen