Chapter 7: Chapter VII- Altitude and Alibis

The doorbell ringing came early—too early.

Ariana stood frozen in her hallway, barefoot, wearing one of her old tank tops and shorts. She wasn’t done packing. Not that she even had a lot to start with. Her hair was still wrapped in her bonnet. The trip wasn’t scheduled until later, it was barely 9 a.m.

Another knock, firmer this time.

She opened the door slowly, eyes wide.

There he stood—black suit, dress shirt, no tie. Callum Guerrero, with his radiant smile. He looked too good for that time of the morning, but his expression was unreadable.

“I said I’d pick you up,” he said, stepping in before she could reply. “I didn’t say when.”

“Clearly.” She folded her arms, suddenly hyper-aware of how exposed her legs were. “You could have at least called to say you were on your way though”

He looked her up and down, slowly. “Didn’t think I needed permission.”

The door shut behind him with a thud that matched the tension now thick in the air.

“I’m almost ready, I just need a few minutes to wrap up some things and we can leave” she muttered, retreating toward the room, fumbling for a distraction. “I thought we still had time”

“My meeting was moved forward so we have to leave sooner than scheduled before”.

“Oh alright.”

He leaned against the counter. “I’ll be waiting. Finish up quickly so we can leave”. He attended to some mails on his phone as he waited for her to get prepared.

A couple of minutes later, Ariana walked out from her room with her mini suitcase. “Callum, I’m ready”

Callum’s gaze trailed up from her face to the all-black two-piece tracksuit set she had on and matching black Nikes. She looked beautiful. He groaned mentally for allowing himself to think about her in such a manner.

“Shall we?” He took the suitcase from her and carried it out the house whilst she locked the door.

Clinging to her handbag, she followed him to the sleek Escalade that was parked out front. The driver opened the door for her and she got in. That was certainly her first time of being treated in such a manner. Was she really ready for all this?

As though Callum had read her thoughts, he held her hand “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine”

Not wanting to come off as intrusive he let go of her hand “Okay then. If there’s anything you need, please let me know. Make no mistake, Ariana… this trip will change everything.”

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Ariana stepped into the cabin of Callum’s private jet and blinked. The sound of the jet engines hummed as she stepped onto the sleek, dimly lit jet. Everything screamed of luxury -Cream leather seats, gold streaks and low lighting that made everything feel expensive and intimate.

This wasn’t just a jet— it was a floating penthouse.

Callum sat at the far end of the cabin, sprawled casually in a wide leather seat, a glass of something expensive in his hand.

Ariana dropped her tote onto the seat across from him, folding herself into the plush seat. A steward handed her a champagne flute and disappeared before she could decline.

Just then, a flight attendant appeared — tall, blonde, big tits and pearly white teeth all on display.

“Welcome aboard, Ma’am,” she said calmly, handing Ariana the menu. “We have a few selections for breakfast. Would you like me to go over them for you?”

“No thanks. I’ll look through and make a choice” Ariana said, flipping the menu open.

“And Mr. Guerrero,” the attendant added, placing her hand gently on Callum’s shoulder. “Let me know if you’d like your usual, or something a little… new.”

Ariana’s eyebrow ticked up.

Callum didn’t blink. “Thanks, Celine. I’ll have my eggs how I like them with pancakes.”

Celine lingered for a second too long before nodding and disappearing to the galley.

Ariana looked up from her menu. “You both seem familiar”

Callum gave her a sideways glance. “Don’t start.”

She smirked. “Not jealous. Just impressed by your… reach.”

“You’re the only one on this plane I’m interested in impressing.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table between them. “Now that we have some time, let’s talk about California.”

She set the menu down. “Let me guess. We need a cover story.”

“Exactly. You and I have been secretly seeing each other for about a year. We met at a charity even that you were working at. I bumped into you. Sparks flew. The whole deal.”

She blinked. “You’ve thought this through.”

“Yes” he said, voice lower. “The press will think I’ve been hiding you to protect you from the spotlight. That I’m finally ‘serious’ about someone.”

She blinked. “That’s a little… intense. I mean, you could have fallen for anyone else, wouldn’t they wonder why me?”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “This wouldn’t look like a fling. Not to them. The media thinks I don’t do emotions. That I’m some sort of playboy. If I suddenly bring a woman to a high-profile event in California, there will have to believe it”

“And this story is that we’ve been in love behind the scenes for a year?”

“Exactly.” His gaze sharpened. “You’ll need to know dates. places, memories.”

Her pulse quickened. “What about the truth? That we met in a storm of chaos and I basically sold myself to get my sister’s surgery?”

He studied her. “That truth is ours. Not theirs.”

A beat of silence stretched between them. She looked out the window, the clouds rolling by beneath them, a cotton sea of secrets.

“You’re good at this,” she said finally.

“Good at lying?”

“Good at control.”

Callum sat back. “It’s not about control, Ariana. It’s about survival. Appearances protect power. And right now, I need the media distracted. And you…”

He trailed off, letting his eyes rake over her slowly.

“You’re captivating. Real. The world will eat you up.”

She flushed, then forced a smirk. “Well, lucky me. A fake love story with Manhattan’s most wanted man.”

He leaned forward again, his voice quieter now. “It won’t feel fake for long. Not when they start watching us. We’ll be in headlines. Photographed. Every touch, every look—scrutinized.”

His eyes locked with hers.

“You sure you can play the part?”

Ariana didn’t look away. “I’ll do what I need to do to save my sister.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Be careful, sweetheart. Some people forget where the act ends.”

Her heart skipped.

She turned her gaze away, out toward the sky again, suddenly unsure if she’d already forgotten where their line was.

And somewhere over the clouds, the jet carried them not just to California, but into the very heart of a lie… that might just be turning real.