Lev walks off with the captain, their voices low and easy. He doesn’t spare me another glance.
The rest of the crew trails behind, excitement buzzing in the air like static.
By the time we step into the terminal, everyone is practically glowing. “Milan!” Maya squeals under her breath, tugging at my arm. “Can you believe it? A whole day in Milan. And free tickets for all those passengers? Who does that?”
“Someone with more money than Satan,” Tom mutters, adjusting his tie. He throws me a look, sly and too knowing. “And from the way he kept staring at you, I think we both know why he did it.”
Heat creeps up the back of my neck. I roll my eyes, quick to shake them off. “Please. He’s just another passenger. The kind that thinks the world revolves around him.”
“Yeah,” Maya grins, bumping my shoulder. “Except this one literally made the world revolve around you.”
Tom smirks. “He didn’t even blink when he dropped that refund line. Like—‘Sure, I’ll throw millions away if it buys me an extra hour with Sasha.’ Honestly, I’m impressed.”
I laugh it off, though it comes out a little thin. “You two are insufferable.”
But inside, the words snag. Because no matter how hard I try to brush it away, I can still feel the weight of that wink. The certainty in his eyes. The unspoken promise that he’s not done with me—not by a long shot.
Chapter 2 – Lev
The crisp Milan air bites against my skin as I step off the jet bridge, but I barely notice it. What I notice is the aftertaste of victory, sharp and sweet. The layover is mine. The crew is mine. And soon enough, Sasha will be mine too.
I played my cards well. I always do. The captain beamed like he’d been handed a golden ticket; the attendants nearly skipped off the plane in excitement. Money has always been a tool, not a prize, and I know exactly how to wield it. But this time, it isn’t about Milan, or refunds, or reputation.
It’s about her.
Sasha.
I don’t know what it is about her, but she’s unraveling me in ways I don’t allow. I’ve had women throw themselves at me for less—for nothing, really. I never have to chase. I never waste this much energy.
And yet here I am, chasing. And I don’t even know her last name.
I was intrigued by her the moment I set eyes on her in the cabin. I’d looked up from my phone, and there she was—the most bewitching, exquisite woman I’ve ever seen in my life. Fucking hell. I knew then that I wanted her.
But the want turned into a burning need the moment she did something I didn’t expect. Something no one has done in years.
She rejected my dinner request. She said no. With a laugh, as if my request was ridiculous and funny.
Blatantly. Calmly. Like I was just another man in her aisle, like my name didn’t matter, my money didn’t matter, my world didn’t matter.
I should have been insulted. Instead, I’m intrigued. Addicted.
For the first time in forever, a woman I want has slipped through my fingers, and the thought of letting her go tastes bitter. Impossible.
So, I won’t.
She thinks she can brush me off, hide behind that perfect smile and professional mask. She has no idea what she’s started.
I’ll give her Milan. I’ll give her the whole damn world if it buys me her time. But at the end of this, she will say yes.
Not because I force her.
Because she’ll want to.
And when she does, it’ll be the sweetest victory I’ve ever tasted.
Two sleek black town cars idle at the curb, gleaming under the gray Milan sky. My driver stands by the first, posture sharp, while two men from the Milan Rusnak security team flank the second. They arrived the moment my jet touched ground—because I called them the moment the captain agreed to my request.
No delays. No loose ends.
