Chapter 18 The Calm Before the Crash

Chapter 18 The Calm Before the Crash
Why can’t I move? Why can’t I breathe?

I stand frozen, staring at him like my body has forgotten how to function. My heart beats so hard it hurts. It’s all I can hear. My lips part, but no sound comes out. I just can’t believe what happened. He kissed me. On the neck. Out of nowhere.

“I love seeing you this way,” his voice is calm, teasing almost, but there’s something dark in it too. His lips lift slightly. “All flushed and breathless. My touch has this much effect on you?”

My throat tightens. “W–Why did you do that?” I whisper. It comes out shaky.

He tilts his head, his expression calm, a half-smile playing on his lips. “Do what?” he asks slowly. “Kiss my wife’s neck?”

I squeeze my eyes shut, my cheeks burning so hot it almost hurts. I can still feel the ghost of his lips on my skin. My chest rises and falls too fast. I don’t even know what I’m feeling anymore. Shock, embarrassment, fear, or maybe anger. It’s all mixed up, swirling inside me.

“Why are you doing this?” I whisper, still not daring to look at him. “I’ve told you before. I… I love someone else.”

Silence meets my words. Heavy, long silence that stretches between us. I open my eyes just a little and risk a glance. He’s still standing there, only now the smirk is gone. His eyes have gone blank. Cold.

“Can we leave now?” he says finally, his voice flat and distant. “Let’s begin our honeymoon.”

A sharp ache curls low in my stomach. Every time I mention Adrian, his whole mood changes instantly. I can’t figure him out, and that makes it worse. But I don’t say anything. I just nod slowly. The sooner this fake honeymoon ends, the sooner he’ll let Adrian out of jail. That’s all I care about.

He steps closer and takes my hand. His fingers slide between mine like it’s the most natural thing in the world. My breath catches, but I stay still. His hand is cold and firm. Mine feels small in his. The simple gesture sends shivers down my spine. I tell myself not to react, to just stay calm. I’ll have to get used to this. Nikolai switching between cruel and gentle, cold and warm, like flipping a coin.

We walk out of the mansion together, and I stop dead when I see it. A private jet. Gleaming white, parked right there in the open space before me. My eyes widen.

He glances at me with amusement. “Ever flown on one?”

I shake my head quickly. “No… never.”

“Then your first will be with me,” he says, smiling like it’s something to be proud of.

I don’t respond. What am I supposed to say to that? Lucky me? Instead, I just keep walking beside him.

“Can you climb?” he asks when we reach the jet.

The thought of his hands on my waist while helping me up makes heat crawl up my neck. No way.

“I can,” I say quickly.

Before he can insist, I grab the railing and climb up on my own. Inside, the cabin looks spotless. White leather seats and glass windows that reflect the morning sun. I take the seat beside the window and turn slightly when Nikolai steps in behind me.

He shuts the door and walks straight to the pilot’s seat. My brows knit together. “Wait… you’re flying this thing?”

He glances over his shoulder. “You don’t want me to?”

“I didn’t say that,” I mumble, looking away.

“Liora,” he says, his voice firmer now. “Always tell me what you want.”

I swallow hard. What I want? I want to be free. I want to leave. I want Adrian back. But I can’t say any of that. So I just nod and keep quiet.

“Do you want me to drive or not?” he asks again, sounding faintly amused.

I look at him and sigh. “Can you drive?”

“Perfectly,” he replies, smirking.

He sits down, buckles his belt, and presses a few buttons. The jet hums softly. 

“Wear yours,” he instructs.

I do as he says, pulling the strap across my body. The seat feels soft but my back is stiff. My palms are sweaty. I’ve flown before, but never like this. Not in a private jet and definitely never this close to the person in control.

The sound from the jet grows louder and deeper. Then the jet starts to move. My stomach drops, and my heart jumps to my throat. The ground starts to blur beneath us as the jet lifts off.

My hands grip the seat automatically. I can’t help it. It’s both terrifying and strangely thrilling.

I turn to Nikolai, who looks completely calm, one hand on the control, the other resting lazily beside him.

He looks at me and bursts out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I snap, but it only makes him laugh more.

“That face,” he chuckles. “You should see yourself right now.”

I roll my eyes, heat rushing to my cheeks. “It’s my first time."

“I know,” he says, his smile softening. “And after today, if you ever want to experience this again, tell me. It’ll be arranged immediately.”

I glance at him, unsure what to say. There’s nothing I could possibly want from him. Except my freedom. The freedom to choose, to live, to love Adrian.

As the jet soars higher, the world below turns tiny. The sky spreads open in every direction, endless blue and white. It’s breathtaking, even if I can’t quite enjoy it.

For a moment, I forget everything. The lies, the tension, the danger. It’s just me, the sky, and the soft hum of the engines.

But as I look back, I see Nikolai and everything returns back to me. He’s completely focused on the controls. The light from outside hits his face just right, outlining the strong lines of his jaw and the curve of his nose. He looks... composed, almost serene. 

I don’t know why I keep staring. Maybe it’s curiosity. Maybe it’s the stillness after all that chaos between us. But the longer I look, the more aware I become of him.
And then I realize what I’m doing.

I snap my head away immediately, feeling heat rush to my cheeks. What am I even thinking? This is Nikolai. The man who ruined everything. The man I can’t stand.

I focus instead on the sky. The clouds. Anything but him.

Time passes slowly after that. Seconds fade into minutes, and soon, I lose track of how long we’ve been flying. The view outside starts to blur a little, and my eyelids grow heavy. The gentle hum of the engine feels almost like a lullaby, and I let my head fall slightly to the side.

Maybe I can just rest for a bit. Forget everything for a while.

But just as my eyes start to close, a loud beeping sound suddenly fills the jet.

My eyes fly open.

The jet lurches violently to one side, and my heart thuds. I grab the seat in panic as the beeping grows faster.

'This is your automated flight system. Warning. Severe turbulence ahead.'

“What’s happening?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. 

Lightning strikes, lighting up the window, followed by a deafening rumble. The jet shakes so hard my teeth clack. I let out a small gasp and clutch the seatbelt tighter.

“Oh my God... Nikolai—”

“Stay calm,” he says, his voice low even as he moves to the cockpit door. The belt light flashes red across his face.

Another jolt hits us, harder this time. My head knocks lightly against the headrest. I can’t breathe properly.

'Altitude instability detected. Adjusting course.'

The system’s voice comes again, this time louder.

“Nikolai, do something!” I shout, my voice shaking. “We’re going to crash!”

His tone turns firm, almost commanding. “We’re not crashing.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I’m the one flying this jet.”

His words should comfort me, but then the plane drops fast. My heart jumps into my throat, and a scream tears out before I can stop it.

He steadies himself against the seat and looks at me, eyes dark. “Look at me, not the window.”

“I can’t—”

“You can,” he says, crossing the short space and gripping the armrest beside me as thunder roars again. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Liora. Not on my watch.”

'Warning. Altitude critical. Prepare for emergency landing.'

The robotic voice repeats over and over, too calm for what’s happening. The sky flashes white again, and I can swear the plane tilts almost sideways.

I clutch the seatbelt until my knuckles ache. “Nikolai... please—”

“Hold on to me,” he orders, reaching across and gripping my hand tightly. His skin is cold, his veins taut, but his voice... his voice remains calm. “We’re going down fast, but I’ve got this.”

'Altitude decreasing. Stabilization failed.'

The jet lurches so violently that my head slams into the seat. My vision blurs. I can taste fear on my tongue.

“Make it stop!” I cry, tears burning my eyes.

He looks at me once, jaw tight, then turns back toward the front. “Brace yourself!”

The engines roar, thunder crashes outside, and for one horrifying second, everything goes black.

The lights flicker. The cabin creaks.

Something explodes outside.

And then silence.