Page 102 of Damsel in Disguise

Coordinates (Arrival): 51.7520° N, 1.2577° W

Flight Time: ~22 hours (1 fuel stop — Doha)

Status: Landed and on standby

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Leg 2 — Passenger Departure (Scheduled)

Departure: 6 April — 02:15 AM (BST) — Oxford, England, UK

Coordinates (Departure): 51.7520° N, 1.2577° W

Arrival: 6 April — 11:05 PM (AEST) — Sydney, NSW, Australia

Coordinates (Arrival): 33.8688° S, 151.2093° E

Estimated Flight Time: ~21 hours (fuel stop included)

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Crew: Confirmed (Pilot, Co-pilot, Flight Attendant)

Flight Plan: Filed — Oxford → Doha (Fuel Stop) → Sydney

Clearance: Priority international clearance granted

Boarding: Immediate upon arrival

Passenger: Ariella Keinston

I stare at the time on my phone for a second longer, anticipation settling heavy beneath my ribs.

He’s actually sent his private jet, and it’s already on board.

Starting now, five hours is all I have.

32. ESCAPE

ariella

A slow breath leaves me slowly while I wait for the blind spot left by the guards in between this round.

There’s no going back now.

Swinging my bag over my shoulders, I set a timer for four minutes and fifty seconds on my phone and push the windows open. I don’t immediately turn the timer on.

Cold air rushes in immediately, sharp against my skin, threading through my hair, making me gasp. The drop feels worse up close.

Fourth floor. Not impossible. But not forgiving either.

Once nobody is nowhere in sight, I turn on the timer and pocket my phone and swing one leg over the ledge, then the other, gripping the fabric tightly as I lower myself out.

The first stretch goes easily.

My feet slip quite a few times, making me nearly die from a heartache. I press firmly against the stone wall, finding shallow edges.

Meanwhile, my hands slide carefully down the twisted fabric. The curtain bites into my palms, rougher now, friction building with every controlled descent. It hurts excruciatingly on my not-yet-fully recovered shoulder, and putting more weight on the other one makes me lose my stamina way too fast.