Chapter 1

Twenty minutes before my flight to Valdoria for the contract signing, my boarding pass got switched to economy for tomorrow night.

The last first-class seat went to my best friend, Sophie Quinn.

Clutching my boarding pass, I found Edward Grant, who was busy buckling Sophie's seatbelt.

Edward said, "It's Sophie's first time running a project solo. We can't risk anything going wrong. You'll head over a day later. Just make sure all the documents are in order."

Sophie looked up at me, her eyes rimmed with red. "Charlotte, I know you pulled an all-nighter on the proposal, but the client likes someone good at talking, like me. You're so amazing. Missing one meeting won't kill you, right?"

All our coworkers glanced over.

Edward handed my laptop bag to his assistant, his voice steady, like he was picking out lunch. "Leave the documents. You don't need to go. Your unstable state would undermine our team's professionalism in the client's eyes should you attend."

I stared at the files in his hand.

Every single page of that proposal, from the framework to the pricing, was covered in my notes.

Three months ago, Edward had promised, "Charlotte, after this signing, I'll give you a public explanation."

That public explanation came faster than I thought.

As soon as the plane landed, a live stream link popped up in the company group chat.

Edward stood center stage at the press conference, announcing Sophie as the project lead.

He said, "Sophie's creativity gave this project its soul."

On camera, Sophie was wearing the blue-light glasses I always used for late-night sketches, smiling and waving at me. "Charlotte, thanks for always being my backup. Without you organizing everything, I'd be lost."

I sat on a chilly bench at the airport when suddenly my phone buzzed.

An encrypted email came in from the overseas headquarters.

The recipient wasn't Edward but me.

As the first line appeared on the screen, I tore the reissued boarding pass in half and headed for the international transfer desk.

*****

As the gate started calling the last passengers, my boarding pass wouldn't scan.

The agent glanced at the screen, then at me. "Ms. Reed, your flight has been changed to tomorrow night in economy."

I thought she'd made a mistake and showed her my booking on my phone. "I'm on this flight today to Valdoria, first class. It's for the contract signing."

The agent stayed polite. "The system shows the change came from your company's admin account, completed twenty minutes ago."

Twenty minutes ago?

I looked up and saw Edward at the jet bridge entrance, holding my laptop bag.

Sophie sat in a wheelchair, a brand-new patch on her ankle, looking up at him.

He bent to adjust her seatbelt, practiced as if he'd done it many times.

I dragged my suitcase over. "Edward, what's going on with my ticket?"

He raised his eyes, expression unchanged. "Sophie hurt her foot. Economy isn't convenient for her. You'll go a day later."

Sophie gripped the armrests and tried to stand. "Charlotte, maybe I shouldn't go. I can endure it, but I'm afraid I won't handle the client well. It's my first time leading."

Her eyes reddened before she finished.

Several coworkers immediately looked at me.

Edward pressed her back down, voice flat. "Don't push yourself."

Then he handed my laptop bag to his assistant, Jamie. "Leave the materials. You don't need to go."

I reached for it. "That's my laptop."

Edward shifted away from my hand. "The plan's in there. The team needs it. You weren't in good shape last night, and now you're making trouble at the gate. If the client sees this, we look unprofessional."

I looked at him. "I'm making trouble?"

He frowned, as if I'd asked something childish. "Charlotte, don't embarrass me out here."

Sophie said softly, "Charlotte, I know you helped a lot, but Edward said the client responds better to communication. You're so capable. Missing the spotlight once won't matter, right?"

I helped a lot?

For three months, I slept on a folding cot, revised the framework fourteen times, and crunched six rounds of quotations.

And to her, it was helping.

I looked at Edward. "Is that what you think, too?"

He went quiet for a few seconds.

The boarding announcement sounded again.

He checked his watch. "Let's leave it. We'll talk after we land."

I suddenly remembered three months ago.

He stood at the back of the conference room and, after my report, told the whole team for the first time. "Charlotte, for the Valdoria signing, you should be up front."

That day, I tucked an old boarding pass into my notebook.

It was not because I couldn't part with a piece of paper.

I thought after seven years, I finally had a place.

Now the new boarding pass had been moved to tomorrow night.

It was in economy, near the back.

Edward took a folder from Jamie and handed it to Sophie. "Sophie, review it again after you board. I've marked the key pages."

Sophie took it and smiled at me. "Charlotte, thanks for helping me sort the materials last night. I was really afraid I'd hold everyone back."

Someone nearby muttered, "Ms. Reed is being too petty. We're all on the same team."

Jamie held my laptop bag, not daring to meet my eyes.

I held out my hand. "Give me the bag."

Edward's face finally turned cold. "Charlotte, don't force me to call security here."

He said it lightly.

But it pinned every gaze on me.

My hand stopped midair. My fingertips touched the strap, and his knuckles flicked them away.

It was not a shove, but a light flick, like moving something out of the way.

Sophie's tears fell. "Edward, don't fight with Charlotte because of me. I can take economy."

Edward didn't look at me. "You don't need to give in."

A staff member at the jet bridge reminded him, "Mr. Grant, the aircraft is about to close the door."

Edward pushed the wheelchair inside.

After a few steps, he turned back. "When you get to Valdoria tomorrow night, go straight to the hotel and fill in the remaining backup data. Don't throw a tantrum again. Be sensible."

I stood there, holding only a thin slip of reissued paper.

The flight number was still there. The date had changed, and the seat had changed too.

I heard myself say, "Fine."

He seemed to relax. "That's more like you."

Before the door closed, Sophie waved at me through the glass.

On her wrist was a silver bracelet.

Edward gave it to me for my birthday last year.

He said it was clean and not showy, which suited me.

Now it was fastened on Sophie's wrist, swaying with each wave.

I lowered my eyes to the boarding pass. The edge had creased in my grip.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Edward. [Don't overthink it. After the project, I'll give you an explanation.]

I turned my phone off.

Over the speakers, the flight to Valdoria began taxiing.

My suitcase was still at my feet.

My laptop, my plan, and my place were all on that plane.

And I was left at the gate, like luggage that never made it onto the flight.

My screen suddenly popped up with an email alert.

The sender was an encrypted domain from the overseas headquarters.

The subject line was one sentence. [Confirmation of Ownership of the Original Valdoria Initiative Proposal.]

I tapped it open, but the airport broadcast drowned out the first line.

At the same time, Jamie called, voice low. "Charlotte, Mr. Grant told me to delete the original records on your laptop."