Chapter 52 Arriving In Portugal
A FEW DAYS LATER...
The airport felt like a strange in-between place.
The sharp tang of jet fuel in the air, the distant roar of engines beyond the glass, the cool press of climate-controlled air against my skin… all made me feel like I was finally coming up for air after being underwater far too long.
Jack walked slightly behind me, pulling his carry-on with one hand, his other tucked into his coat pocket.
He looked… like himself. If someone didn’t know him, they would’ve thought nothing had happened.
His jaw was clean-shaven, his hair neatly brushed back, his posture straight like armor.
As we neared the private jet waiting quietly at the end of the runway, a flight attendant in Vale Corp’s navy uniform approached with a discreet nod.
“Ms. Vale. Mr. Roman. We’re ready whenever you are.”
I returned the nod automatically, grateful for the professionalism, and turned my head toward Jack.
He caught my gaze and offered the smallest of smiles.
“We’re really doing this,” I murmured.
His eyes flickered. “We’re really doing this,” he echoed, then added dryly, “Portugal won’t know what hit it.” Then he smirked.
A soft breath of amusement escaped me.
“Let’s just hope we know what’s waiting for us when we land.”
His gaze sharpened. “We will.”
We ascended the narrow stairs into the jet.
The door hissed shut behind us with finality, sealing off the airport, the city, the chaos.
And Inside, the cabin was hushed and luxurious—cream leather seats, warm lighting, a faint scent of lavender circulating through recycled air.
I settled into the seat by the window, watching the ground crew retreat as the engines began to whir to life.
Jack sat beside me, his knee angled slightly toward mine.
I leaned my head back, letting my eyes flutter shut as the jet began to taxi.
The vibration beneath us grew stronger, and with it came something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in a long time.
Anticipation.
Jack’s voice broke softly through the quiet.
“You okay?”
I opened my eyes, turning slightly toward him.
“I think…” I hesitated. “I think I’m relieved to be moving.”
His gaze held mine. “Me too, told you you could use some air outside Vale Corp.”
I nodded and smiled. "Yeah, you did."
Then the aircraft lifted off the ground, rising smoothly into the cloudy sky, I exhaled long and slow, like I was releasing months of buried breath.
I didn’t know what waited for us on the other side but I was ready.
By the time we touched down on the tarmac of Lisbon’s private terminal, dusk had already begun its slow descent. The sky was honey gold melting into deep lilac and the Atlantic breeze moved lazily across the runway, thick with the scent of sea salt and something faintly floral.
I stepped off the plane first, boots clicking softly against the metal stairs before my feet met solid ground.
God—the air was different here, It wrapped around me like a shawl.
I closed my eyes for a beat and inhaled deeply and I felt like I was just… an ordinary woman arriving somewhere new.
Jack stepped beside me, and I glanced at him. He tilted his face upward slightly, letting the breeze graze his skin, and a small grin curled at the edge of his mouth.
“This air,” he murmured, more to himself than to me. “Smells like something good’s about to happen.”
I lifted a brow, amused. “That’s unusually optimistic for you.”
He glanced at me, eyes glinting. “Maybe it’s your influence.”
I scoffed softly. “Or maybe you’re just delirious from surviving my itinerary planning.”
He chuckled softly.
The sound warmed something in my chest.
A black car waited at the base of the terminal and then we slid into the back seat together.
As the car pulled onto the road, I rolled my window halfway down.
Jack leaned forward slightly, looking out the opposite window. “You ever been here before?”
“Not since I was a teenager,” I said, my fingers trailing absently along the edge of the seat. “My father used to bring me for summer audits.”
Jack’s mouth curved. “Summer audits,” he repeated like it was the saddest phrase he’d ever heard.
I huffed. “Back then, all I cared about was gelato and how many hours I could sneak away from boardrooms.”
He chuckled again. “Some things don’t change. I bet you’ll still look for the gelato.”
“Only after we tear through the paperwork,” I said, but my smile betrayed me.
Then the hotel Vale Corp had arranged came into view—tall, stately, old-world charm etched into every balcony railing and iron-laced window.
The driver parked beneath an archway, and within moments, the concierge swept in. I moved through the process effortlessly—signatures, key cards and polite smiles.
Jack handled the rest with crisp professionalism, but his hand grazed the small of my back as we stepped into the elevator.
Once the doors closed, sealing us into mirrored quiet, silence settled between us.
Then he leaned back against the wall and looked at me.
“You seem… lighter here,” he said.
I met his eyes. “Maybe because everything that’s happened lately… feels like it belonged to only one city, one chapter...” My voice softened. “Despite that, I know this place isn’t freedom but it’s close.”
He nodded slightly.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open.
Jack stepped out first, then paused, offering me his hand.
"Shall we?" He tilted his head at me.
I took his hand. "Yes, we shall."
Behind us, the elevator doors closed, sealing off the past like a vault.
Portugal had welcomed us not just as executives but as normal people outside of chaos.
Jack and I were like two tired souls hoping the next few days might offer more than answers.
Maybe even healing.
For a brief moment, and as I stood beside Jack in the warm Lisbon twilight, I let myself believe that something good might still be possible even though a part of me ached.