Love Takes Off At Thirty Thousand Feet

The car kept shaking hard in the darkness. This went on for quite a while. Eventually, everything went still.

Irene Burton sat inside. Her clothes were in complete disarray. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking while she tried to fix her buttons.

Caiden Smith found it funny to watch her rush around like that. He kept staring at her. Her face turned bright red. He laughed and said, "Come to my place tomorrow."

Tomorrow would mark her birthday.

Did Caiden still remember?

The thought made happiness flash through Irene's eyes.

His next words killed that feeling fast though. He said, "Paulina's stopping by tomorrow. She's not in good health. I'll shoot you a menu. Cook up something healthy for her."

Irene answered, "Yes, Mr. Smith." It felt like someone was cutting her heart to pieces, but she kept her voice steady.

Paulina Moore was the one Caiden had been hung up on for ages.

She had been overseas getting her medical training. Word was she had made some major breakthroughs in her research. She had just gotten back this week.

Now that Paulina had returned, Irene figured her time was up. She was just a cheap knockoff anyway.

That thought made Irene smile, though there was no joy in it. She asked, "When are you planning to end our relationship?"

"End our relationship?" He found the question hilarious. He grabbed her chin in that teasing way of his. His eyes roamed over her body like they always did. He said, "You really think you can walk away from me? From the first guy you ever slept with?"

Irene had started things with Caiden at eighteen. She had been completely innocent back then. He had shaped her into exactly what he wanted in every possible way.

Paulina had a Ph.D. in medicine. Once she settled back in the country, she would probably land a job at some elite medical company. She wouldn't have much time to keep him company.

Hence, Irene was still useful.

Caiden's stare made her face go hot. She gathered her nerve and said in a shaky voice, "You were the first, sure. But you won't be the last. I won't be the side chick. I'm going to find someone who actually gives a damn about me and build a real life!"

Caiden looked at her and casually pulled out a bank card. "Whether we're done or not? That's not your call to make."

He waited a beat, then added with a nasty grin, "Think your family would be cool with that?"

Those words stopped her cold.

Irene left the bank card where it was. Instead, she practically fell out of the car, totally humiliated.

Old, painful memories came flooding back.

Back in the day, Irene's father Tobias Dixon and her second brother Neil Dixon had racked up massive gambling bills. Her oldest brother Levi Dixon was off studying abroad. That cost a fortune.

Her third brother Sean Dixon was the only one bringing in any cash. He worked as Caiden's secretary.

Sean had basically handed Irene over to Caiden at some business dinner to clear those debts.

That night had been Irene's first time having sex. Fear had taken her over completely. She had felt ashamed and degraded. Her entire body had not stopped shaking.

But Caiden had been surprisingly tender.

Irene had been starving for any kind of love. So even though he kept whispering Paulina's name the whole night, she had fallen for him anyway.

She found out later that she had caught Caiden's eye because she looked like Paulina. They had even studied the same stuff.

Paulina was a few years older than Irene. But Irene had serious talent. She had blazed through her college work in just two years.

Still, Caiden got possessive. Right before graduation, he had made Irene give up on her medical career dreams. She didn't even complete her degree because of it.

She had become his private nutritionist instead. His secret girlfriend.

Irene knew perfectly well that Caiden just wanted her for sex. But she held onto this pitiful fantasy that Paulina would stay gone forever.

At least then, she could stick around near Caiden.

But today smashed that fantasy to bits.

...

Irene kept herself busy in the kitchen at the Smith family's villa. She wasn't paying attention. She went and burned her hand by accident. When she cried out, Caiden gave her a mild scolding. He said, "Watch yourself next time."

He took a quick look at her hand. Then he headed for the fridge to grab some ice.

A little spark of happiness hit Irene. Maybe he was going to take care of her burn himself.

But right then, Paulina entered the house looking classy as hell.

Her makeup looked perfect. She carried herself with grace, radiating this glowing confidence. It made Irene feel like garbage.

Caiden, who had been heading toward Irene, switched directions immediately and rushed over to welcome Paulina.

He didn't even glance at Irene again.

Irene stared at her hand. It was swollen and bright red. She laughed at herself through her tears.

Paulina looked over all the food at dinner. She said, touched, "Every single dish today is something I love, Caiden. You're so considerate."

The words stabbed Irene right in the heart.

These were also the dishes Caiden usually liked.

It turned out his tastes just matched Paulina's.

Every single thing she had learned about Caiden had Paulina woven through it. The two of them had been connected forever, even while Paulina was overseas.

Irene couldn't wrap her head around how she had missed all of this.

Marlee Smith, Caiden's mom, was normally super critical. But she gushed all over Paulina. She said, "Paulina, you're back for good now, right? We can finally get down to business and plan your wedding to Caiden."

Paulina gave Caiden a shy look and responded, "Marlee, I've been gone forever. How do I know Caiden doesn't have somebody special by now? I wouldn't want to stand in the way of his happiness."

While Paulina talked, her eyes darted over to Irene. The implication was obvious.

Marlee's voice grew sharp and mean. She said, "Sure, Irene gets to sit at our table. But someone from such a low background? Our family would never accept that."

She beamed at Paulina and added, "Only an educated woman with a Ph.D. like you deserves Caiden."

Caiden poured Paulina some wine. His voice was gentle and sure when he said, "Paulina, it's always been just you. From the start to now. Rumors don't mean a thing."

Paulina lifted her wine glass and took a shy sip. She didn't say anything else.

Right then, Irene got it. Caiden hadn't invited her today just to make this meal. What really mattered was showing Paulina that nothing was happening between him and Irene. Not now, not ever.

It was brutal. The whole thing cut deep.

Irene choked down her hurt and made up some excuse to get out of there fast.

The burn on her hand kept throbbing. It kept her from floating off somewhere in her head. She dug out her phone and found a number she had blocked ages ago. Through her tears, she typed out a message. It said, "Mr. Shaw, does that contractual marriage deal still work? I'm interested now."

After she shot off the message, Irene got zero response. The silence lasted all the way until she pulled up to her apartment building.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

Henry Shaw had made a name for himself as a hotshot airline captain at a young age. He had probably blocked her number ages ago-right after she had rejected him three years back.

The rain was coming down hard outside. Irene let out a sigh, popped open her umbrella, and climbed out of the car.

Her phone rang while she was heading back to her place. Sean was on the other end. "Irene, I deleted your resignation letter," he said. "You're being completely selfish! Levi's got tuition bills piling up for his overseas program, and Neil's startup is bleeding money. If Mr. Smith cuts us off, we're all screwed!"

Last night, things had gotten ugly between Irene and Caiden. She had fired off a resignation email to him after that. She hadn't thought Sean would get his hands on it first.

She pulled in a long breath. "Sean, Mr. Smith's true love just came back to the country," she told him. "They're getting married."

Her voice was shaking, but she pushed through. "I'm not going to be the other woman," she said firmly.

"Rena, do yourself a favor and just hear me out," Sean replied. His voice was soft, but his words cut deep. "You don't have much education. Your family background is nothing special. And you've been Mr. Smith's kept woman for three years now. Nobody else is going to want to keep you."

Irene's eyes went wide. "Keep me? What the hell are you even saying?" she exclaimed.

"Isn't that just how it works for women? Snag yourself a rich guy while you've still got your looks and your youth," Sean responded. "Just listen to me. Stick with Mr. Smith. Stop being so pigheaded!"

With that, he ended the call.

Irene stared down at her phone, a sarcastic laugh bubbling up from her throat.

Walking away from Caiden wasn't just about her feelings for him. Her whole family was sucking her dry like a bunch of parasites.

Things had been so rough for her over the years that even the tiniest scrap of kindness from Caiden was enough to make her fall head over heels. The irony was that all his sweetness had really been meant for someone else.

A furious voice suddenly cut through the air. "Is that you, Irene, you ungrateful girl?"

Irene jumped and spun around. There was Tobias. His face was wild and disheveled.

Tobias was drowning in debt. He gambled constantly and drank like a fish. He stirred up trouble wherever he went. All four of his kids avoided him like the plague.

Irene never thought she would be the unlucky one he tracked down first.

Panic hit her, and she tried to bolt. But Tobias chucked the bottle he was holding off to the side and stumbled after her. He grabbed her arm. "Where's your cash? Fork it all over right now!" he demanded.

"Let go of me! I don't have any money!" Irene screamed.

She fought to break free, but Tobias seized a handful of her hair. "You think you're getting away? Your mother wouldn't have died in that car crash if it wasn't for saving your sorry hide! You're a curse, you hear me? You owe me a wife, and you're gonna pay me back in cash!"

"What... What are you talking about?" Irene whispered.

Her mother's death was the deepest wound Irene carried.

While she was reeling from the shock, Tobias made his move. He ripped her bag right out of her hands. His big, weathered hand went up in the air.

Irene braced herself for a brutal slap, squeezing her eyes shut.

However, the pain she had been expecting never came.

What filled her ears instead were Tobias' agonized groans.

Irene's eyes flew open. A tall man had Tobias in his grip.

His back was facing her direction. The only thing she could make out was his hand clamped around Tobias' throat. His fingers were long and lean and the veins stood out prominently. An undeniable force radiated from him.

Black clothing covered him from head to toe. A sharp aura surrounded him. The pressure he gave off was absolutely crushing.

Irene's heart lurched. The man shifted his head just a bit. All of a sudden, she got a clear view of his face.

His features were absolutely striking. Sharp brows sat above a perfectly straight nose. His eyes were deep-set and narrowed. They were piercingly cold. A shiver ran straight down her spine just from looking at them.

The downpour was intense. Everything in Irene's field of vision got blurred out by it.

But Henry's face was so sharply handsome it burned itself into her vision with crystal clarity.

It felt like a dream to Irene. Then the next moment rolled around. She heard Henry speak in a calm tone. "Did you get hurt?" he asked.

Irene froze up for a second, then she quickly shook her head.

Henry gave a slight nod. He let go of Tobias, disdain written all over his expression.

Tobias clutched at his wrist and bared his teeth. He was gearing up to curse when he spotted several bodyguards heading their way. They were all dressed in black.

Tobias hurled threats back at them as he retreated. "Just you wait! You're gonna regret this!" he yelled.

...

Even when she was back in her cramped little apartment with Henry, Irene still hadn't completely gotten her head on straight.

Had Henry seriously just shown up because of the message she had sent an hour earlier?

Irene expressed her gratitude to Henry. After that, an uncomfortable silence settled over the living room.

Her eyes bounced around nervously. Noticing Henry was soaked through from head to toe, she offered to hunt down a dry towel for him. Then she made a quick escape to the bathroom.

Henry's eyes stayed on her retreating form for a few beats. Then he shifted his attention to take in the living room's setup.

The tiny apartment had a simple arrangement. But warmth radiated from it. It easily called to mind that comforting word-home.

A faint smile unconsciously curved his lips. Then his gaze landed on an entire row of nutrition books sitting on the shelf. His lips compressed into a thin line.

Henry walked over to the bookshelf. His eyes narrowed slightly. A few medical journals were hidden toward the back. He spotted them along with a yellowed stethoscope.

The shadows had tucked them away. They were evidence of Irene's stubborn dream to work in medicine.

In the bathroom, Irene didn't want to keep Henry hanging around waiting. She dug through the cabinets frantically. A new towel finally turned up. Then she bolted back out. "Mr. Shaw, you-" she started to say.

Her words cut off halfway. Her eyes went wide. Then she clamped her mouth shut.

Henry had taken his shirt off. That was the reason.

Her gaze landed on his broad shoulders. Then it moved to his lean waist. Well-defined abs came next.

Raw masculinity poured off him. An enchanting allure came along with it. Irene found herself unable to tear her eyes away for a moment.

Water droplets were clinging to his skin. They ran down the grooves of his abs. Then they vanished into the waistband of his suit pants. Her eyes followed the droplets involuntarily. They traveled to a place she really shouldn't have been looking at.

Henry cast a cool glance in her direction. That was when Irene finally snapped out of it.

Her cheeks turned bright red. She instinctively tried to make a run for it.

But Henry moved faster. He stepped forward and had her cornered against the wall.

"What are you-" Irene's heart was hammering wildly.

Her words were cut off as Henry's deep voice sounded from above her. "Do you really want to marry me?" he asked.

Henry towered over Irene. His height gave him a clear advantage. He had her backed into the corner. She found herself staring straight at his delicate collarbone.

The pressure coming off him was suffocating. She could barely catch her breath. Anxiety crept into her voice. "Please, can we just sit down and talk about this?" she begged.

Henry wasn't backing down. "Give me an answer first," he shot back.

Irene squeezed her eyes shut. She wavered for a second. Then she clenched her jaw and gave a nod.

Caiden had her trapped. Marrying Henry was the only way out.

Henry took a step back the moment she nodded. She finally managed to breathe normally again.

He plopped down on the couch. His chest was bare. He grabbed the towel she had brought over earlier and started drying his hair. He acted as if he owned the place instead of her.

Irene's thoughts drifted backward. Three years had passed since their first encounter.

Caiden had thrown together a business dinner back then. His company, the Smith Group, had its sights set on breaking into aviation. Having made a name for himself as an airline captain, Henry got an invite.

Henry showed up wearing a grayish-blue flight uniform, coming straight from work.

His vibe back then had been cold and standoffish. He had carried himself with restraint, nothing like the half-naked, seductive figure sitting on her couch now.

Caiden hoped Henry would throw some business his way, but he also looked down his nose at Henry. To him, Henry was just some glorified airline captain. His attitude showed it.

Henry didn't give Caiden the time of day. He brushed him off completely. But before the night wrapped up, Henry made his move on Irene. He asked for her contact information.

Irene worried Caiden might get jealous. But her love for him was pathetic and overwhelming that Caiden treated her like a faithful pet. The thought of her falling for someone else never even crossed his mind.

He practically shoved her toward Henry.

Henry's glance at Irene was filled with frustration, as if he was utterly disappointed in her.

They swapped numbers.

Henry reached out later and filled her in on their history. His mother and Irene's mom went way back. They had been childhood friends and arranged a betrothal between Henry and Irene.

Abby Shaw, Henry's mother, had been sick back then. Her health had been failing. She had pressured Henry to hurry up and marry Irene. She wanted to pull Irene away from her toxic family.

But Irene's heart belonged completely to Caiden. She turned Henry down flat.

Looking back now at her past infatuation, Irene felt like a complete idiot.

A few minutes ticked by. Someone rapped on the door.

A man brought Henry's clothes and some paperwork too.

Irene figured it was just a delivery driver. But something seemed off. The man was wearing a full suit.

Henry got dressed without rushing, then he flung the document over to Irene.

Irene snapped out of her daze. It hit her what she was holding-a marriage contract.

The contract laid out the terms. Irene had to act like Henry's real wife after they were married. Abby couldn't find out it was just a business arrangement since her health was still shaky.

Henry was listed as the offeror. He would pay her two hundred grand every month for her trouble.

Irene's eyes widened when she saw the figure.

Airline captains pulled in decent cash. That much was obvious. But even with a solid income, shelling out that kind of money each month had to hurt his wallet.

He was probably trying to save face. After all, Caiden had gotten under his skin back in the day.

Irene had no plans to take that much money from him. She didn't want him drowning in debt just to look good for a hot minute.

She kept her voice steady. "I'm cool with everything else, but you can skip the payment. I'll get a job once we're married."

Henry's face went dark.

Panic crept through Irene.

Was Henry about to pull the same controlling crap Caiden did? Would he ban her from working too?

Henry's voice dropped low. "Whatever you make is yours. It's got nothing to do with what I'm giving you."

Irene shot him a quick look.

She sighed to herself. Men and their egos.

She tried to clear things up. "The main reason I don't want your cash is to keep my self-respect intact. I don't want to feel like... like you're bankrolling me."

Henry's cold stare locked onto hers. "We'll be married. Contract or no contract, you'll be my wife."

She still looked ready to turn him down. He pressed on. "You'll need money. You can't exactly break into the job market without proper work clothes, right?"

Irene glanced down at what she was wearing. A bitter smile crossed her face.

Wavering for a beat, she made up her mind to take the money. She would pay Abby back when she got the chance.

Henry saw her cave, and pushed her to fill out the marriage paperwork right away.

Irene jumped on it.

Everything got wrapped up. Henry stood to head out. She walked him to the door like a good host.

Henry's irritation showed through. "You're not coming with me?"

Irene's jaw dropped. "Right now? I've still got some loose ends to tie up."

Henry's brow furrowed. "You've got three days. Get it all done."

Irene gave in. "Okay, sounds good."

Henry gave her one final look. Then he strode out of the apartment with long steps.

Three days wasn't much time. Irene couldn't afford to mess around. She started boxing up the stuff Caiden had gotten her the very next morning.

She was in the middle of packing when an unexpected visitor arrived.

The woman said her name was Kallie Todd. She worked as Henry's secretary. Henry had sent her over to help with the move.

Irene looked the tall girl up and down. A question popped into her head. Did airline captains normally keep secretaries on staff?

Her introverted trait kept her mouth shut though. She just flashed Kallie a smile instead. "Thank you."

Kallie stepped inside. Her frown deepened as she took in Caiden's cheapskate gifts. "Miss Burton, was your ex some kind of tightwad? Why'd he give you such bargain-basement garbage?"

She latched onto Irene's hand and practically dragged her toward the exit. "Come on, we're getting you some quality stuff! Mr. Shaw would chew me out big time if he saw this trash."

The things Caiden bought weren't exactly designer labels, but they were decent quality for sure.

Still, according to Kallie, Henry would see them as "trash."

But how could an airline captain like Henry throw money around like that? Was he putting on a show again?

Irene had her doubts.

Kallie wouldn't take no for an answer. Irene gave in and followed her out. Before long, they had reached a shopping center. They walked through the entrance. Irene froze in her tracks. Two familiar figures stood close together up ahead. Their backs were turned. It was Caiden. Paulina was right beside him, wearing a wedding dress.