Chapter 5 Smudging the Foundation

As dusk fell, Rachel hailed a cab to the address Charles had sent.

At the small apartment door, a completely unfamiliar man opened it.

He had wheat-colored skin, a muscular build, and stood tall and imposing.

Rachel froze, thinking she must have the wrong address-

until Charles peeked out from behind him, one hand on his hip, the other arm casually draped around the man's shoulder.

"Ellie, let me introduce you to my new boyfriend, Taylor Clark. He's a fitness trainer."

He added, giving Taylor's bicep a squeeze, "See? Much more substantial than Captain Holland, don't you think?"

"..."

Compared to this man built like a gorilla, Rachel preferred Jared's physique.

Every inch of his lean muscles was perfectly sculpted-broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a pert little butt.

He looked slim in clothes but had solid muscle underneath.

She gave an awkward smile and greeted Taylor. "Hello."

Taylor nodded with a smile, appearing reasonably friendly. He took the suitcase from her hand and carried it into the small bedroom.

Charles noticed her unease. "Relax, you can stay here. My honey and I are both gay. We're not interested in someone like you..."

Physically, they were different.

Psychologically, they were sisters.

Rachel did relax a bit after hearing this.

Charles rested his forearm lightly on Rachel's shoulder and whispered, "Hey, did you move out because of that Olivia? Because you had a fight with Captain Holland?"

Rachel shook her head. "We're getting divorced."

"It can't really be because of Olivia, can it?"

Sort of-but not entirely.

That one night of recklessness with Jared somehow got blown up by the media. Though the Holland family's PR team responded, the story still spread like wildfire throughout L.A's high society.

Not long after, Sahara approached her, demanding she sign a prenuptial agreement stipulating divorce after three years.

Back then, she had no idea Jared harbored a long-lost love and was supporting his younger sister.

To prove her sincerity-to show she wasn't scheming for his money-she signed it decisively.

Looking back now, she felt a twinge of regret.

A man who wasn't meant for her was ultimately impossible to keep.

But if she could negotiate the terms and secure a hefty divorce settlement, that money would be hers-plain and simple.

"Ellie," Charles sighed, thinking she was still grieving over heartbreak. He patted her shoulder. "Let it go. There are plenty of men out there."

Taylor emerged from the small bedroom and chimed in, "Three-legged toads are hard to find, but three-legged men are everywhere. With your qualities, Rachel, you'll have your pick of men in the future."

Coming from a man, these words of comfort carried surprising weight.

Rachel suppressed a smile and nodded.

The three gathered around the coffee table for dinner, quickly growing comfortable with each other.

*****

The next day.

Charles had an early morning flight for work and rose at 5:00 a.m.

The door of the small bedroom was open.

As Charles passed by, he peered inside and noticed Rachel had already gotten up. She had even changed into her work uniform and was applying makeup.

He asked in confusion, "Ellie, aren't you on vacation?"

"Ah, Maya's grandmother passed away. She wanted to take a few days off, so I swapped shifts with her."

Rachel quickly dusted on loose powder, packed away her makeup case, and stood up with her suitcase in hand.

Charles watched her efficient movements and grew even more puzzled. "I thought your July duty hours had already hit the limit?"

"Nope. I can still fly a few more short international routes. Vacation isn't that appealing... might as well earn some cash."

Charles looked at her beautiful face and sighed silently.

As far as he knew, Rachel worked right up to her duty limit almost every month-literally risking her life to earn money.

He took her suitcase. "Give me five minutes to pack. I'll drive. You got up too early... sleep in the car."

Rachel nodded.

*****

Two days later.

Rachel never imagined that after moving out of Galaxy Villa, her next encounter with Jared would be in a conference room at Canada International Airport.

Pushing open the glass door, she immediately spotted Jared seated at the head of the conference table.

He wore a dark pilot uniform, his jet-black hair neatly trimmed, radiating a commanding presence.

What an unfortunate coincidence.

Although both she and Jared worked in the same airline aviation department, crew assignments between flight and cabin teams were not fixed. Due to factors like leave and scheduling, assignments were random.

This July marked the first time they had been assigned to the same flight.

Rachel entered, and Jared's gaze fell on her almost simultaneously.

His cold eyes narrowed slightly, radiating an intense aura.

Rachel pulled out a chair and sat down, pretending not to feel the oppressive weight of his gaze.

"The flight carries 260 passengers, including 12 infants requiring special attention. Two first-class passengers have requested vegetarian meals, and standard meals consist of Thai-style light fare..."

Rachel delivered the cabin report with smooth eloquence.

Moris, the co-pilot seated opposite Jared, frantically signaled to David to look at him.

Jared's face was cold and stern, his gaze fixed directly on Rachel.

It felt as though he could burn right through her, leaving a deep, searing mark.

David and Moris exchanged puzzled glances.

Captain Holland never took off his wedding ring, seemingly deeply devoted to his wife.

But the look he was giving flight attendant Rachel now was far too intense.

Could it be... he had taken a liking to Rachel?

The pre-flight briefing concluded.

Rachel slipped away as quickly as possible.

As she entered the glass-enclosed walkway leading to the aircraft cabin, footsteps behind her grew louder and closer.

Rachel, in her high heels, unconsciously quickened her pace.

The man broke into a short jog. His large hand clamped down on her slender wrist, his voice low and commanding.

"What are you running from? Am I some kind of monster? Or have you done something you shouldn't have-afraid to face me?"

Rachel spun around, lifting her chin defiantly. "Captain Holland, you're overthinking it. I just want to get back to the cabin quickly."

Click-clack... click-clack...

In the quiet, narrow glass corridor, only the two of them existed. Jared's approaching footsteps sounded clear and deliberate.

Rachel held her breath, suppressing the frantic pounding of her heart.

She wrenched her hand free from Jared's grasp and scanned the surroundings. Any small sound in the glass corridor made her jump like a startled bird.

Jared remained utterly composed, slowly bending down to whisper near her ear.

His warm breath brushed against her ear as he murmured, "The divorce agreement on the nightstand-what was that about?"

Rachel's face remained icy as she took a step back, her demeanor distant.

"Exactly what it says. How am I supposed to explain the literal meaning to Captain Holland, who seems to be lacking in intelligence?"

"..."

Jared's expression darkened considerably.

But he knew this was not the place for discussion. Punishingly, he pinched Rachel's cheek and dropped a sentence.

"I'll wait for you in the underground parking lot in L.A."

Then he bypassed Rachel and boarded the plane first.

The pinch wasn't painful-it carried a hint of playful reproach and ambiguity-but Rachel was furious.

"Bastard! You smudged my foundation!"