Chapter 1 The woman in his heart

Rachel had just completed her flight assignment from Paris to New York. By the time the aircraft landed and all the formalities were done, exhaustion had already begun to settle deep in her bones.

After returning to the crew base, she quickly changed out of her uniform and into comfortable clothes. She submitted her flight log and the necessary reports before leaving the office.

Normally, she wouldn't have been this drained. But one of her colleagues had asked for help earlier in the week, and Rachel had agreed to swap shifts with her. Taking on the extra hours had pushed her schedule to the limit, leaving her utterly exhausted.

At that moment, Rachel wanted nothing more than to go home. All she could think about was soaking in a long, comfortable bath and then collapsing into bed for a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

Rachel had just settled into the back seat of the cab when her phone rang.

She glanced down and saw a new notification from the airline staff gossip group. Someone had just posted a video. The group had been created by crew members to share the latest gossip and news with one another.

Rachel normally had no interest in such things and rarely paid attention to the messages. But her friend Charles had insisted on adding her, saying it was useful to stay updated on what was happening around the company.

With the long day finally over and nothing else to do during the ride home, Rachel opened the group chat out of boredom and tapped on the video.

But the moment it started playing, the color drained from her face.

In the video, a man was rushing toward an ambulance parked not far away, a woman cradled tightly in his arms. His expression was filled with panic and anxiety, and the way he held her made it seem as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

Rachel recognized the man instantly.

It was her husband, Jared Holland-the man she had been married to for three years.

And the woman in his arms...

Rachel's fingers slowly tightened around her phone.

The woman was none other than his so-called foster sister... and his first love, Olivia Wright.

Then Rachel's eyes moved to the flood of comments appearing beneath the video.

One message after another popped up in the group chat.

"Oh wow, I never expected our cold, distant Captain Holland to be like this."

"Right? Look at the way he's holding her-like he's afraid that if he holds her any tighter, she might break."

"Does anyone know who that woman is?"

"Could she be his girlfriend?"

The chat quickly became lively as more people joined in. Speculation spread rapidly, and soon the conversation turned into playful betting about the relationship between the two people in the video.

"Ten bucks says she's his girlfriend."

"No way. Maybe a secret fiancée?"

"Captain Holland hiding a beauty like that? Impossible!"

The messages kept coming, each one more curious and excited than the last, as everyone tried to guess who the woman in Jared's arms might be.

For a moment, Rachel simply stared at the screen. Then a bitter smile appeared on her face.

Just then, Rachel's phone rang again.

She glanced down at the screen and saw the caller ID-Charles.

Charles was her childhood friend and one of the few male flight attendants in the airline. With his delicate features and charming smile, he was extremely popular, especially among the wealthy ladies in the first-class cabin. Unfortunately for them, the people Charles was interested in were men, not women.

Rachel stared at the screen for a moment before answering. She knew that if she didn't pick up, Charles would keep calling until she did.

"Hello?"

"Ellie, have you seen the video?" Charles's worried voice came through the phone immediately.

"Mm," Rachel replied calmly.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Although Rachel and Jared had been married for three years, very few people knew about their relationship. Aside from the Holland family and a handful of close relatives, only Rachel's mother and Charles knew that she was Jared Holland's wife.

"What could possibly happen to me?" Rachel asked lightly, though a bitter smile lingered on her lips.

"How can you say that?" Charles exclaimed. "Did you read the messages in the group? Everyone's guessing about her relationship with Jared. Don't you think, as his legal wife, you should do something?"

His voice carried both anger and concern.

Rachel didn't answer.

Because she knew there was no point.

She had long realized that her marriage to Jared had been a mistake from the very beginning. If she hadn't schemed against him back then and forced him into that night with her, he would never have married her.

Perhaps he would have married Olivia instead... and they would be living happily together now.

Besides, no one in the Holland family had ever truly liked her.

Rachel took a slow breath and said quietly, "There's no need."

With that, she hung up the phone.

Leaning back in the seat, Rachel turned her head and looked out of the cab window at the passing lights of the city.

Three years.

The deadline of their agreement was almost over. Soon, she would leave him.

Since that was the case, there was no need for her to explain anything anymore.

*****

At home.

After returning home, Rachel went straight to the bathroom. The exhaustion from the long flight seemed to seep out of her body as she soaked in a long, comforting hot bath. The warm water eased the tension in her muscles, and by the time she stepped out, her entire body finally felt relaxed.

A few minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom wearing a soft silk nightdress. Her damp hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and a few droplets of water slid down the strands, landing on the thin fabric and leaving small darkened spots.

Just as she was drying her hair with a towel, the bedroom door opened.

Jared walked in.

He stopped the moment he saw her.

Under the warm light of the room, Rachel looked breathtaking. The silk clung gently to her figure, outlining her slender waist and soft curves. Her skin still carried a faint flush from the bath, and the damp strands of hair framing her delicate face only made her look more alluring.

For a moment, Jared's usually cold and indifferent expression shifted. His gaze darkened.

He walked toward her in a few long steps and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her into his embrace. Lowering his head, he brushed a kiss against the side of her neck.

"Darling," he murmured in a low voice, "it's not good to tempt your husband like this. Are you asking to be punished?"

Rachel shivered slightly at the sudden closeness and tried to push him away.

"I'm not trying to tempt you," she said, her voice tired. "I'm exhausted. I'm really not in the mood tonight."

Only she knew that the man who always appeared cold and distant in front of others was completely different in private. The composed Captain Holland outside was far more intense when it came to moments like this.

Jared tilted his head slightly, studying her face. His eyes were filled with unmistakable desire.

He leaned closer, his breath brushing her ear. "Is that so?"

His teasing tone sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. Her ears had always been a sensitive spot, and he knew it very well.

Rachel tried to keep her expression steady, even though her body betrayed her reaction. No matter how dissatisfied she was with many things in their marriage, she had to admit one fact-

Jared knew her too well.

Their chemistry in that aspect had always been dangerously strong.

But the image of the video she had seen earlier suddenly flashed through her mind.

Her expression cooled instantly.

She placed her hand against his chest and pushed him away slightly.

"Jared," she said firmly, "I told you-I'm not in the mood."

Jared only chuckled softly, clearly unconvinced.

"If you're still saying that later," he replied lazily, "I'll let you go."

Before she could react, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms and started walking toward the bathroom.

Rachel frowned. "I already took a bath."

Jared smiled faintly, his voice low and playful.

"Maybe," he said, leaning closer to her, "but sometimes... the bathroom can make things a little more interesting."

Before she could say anything else, he kissed her, cutting off the rest of her protest as the bathroom door closed behind them.