Chapter 21
Zora
The steady vibration of the jet hums beneath my feet as I turn another page of the magazine resting in my lap. The cabin is quiet except for the distant sound of the engines and the occasional clink of ice shifting in the glass beside me.
Normally, I would be working through emails or reviewing reports during a flight like this. There is always something demanding my attention, some problem waiting to be solved the second I land.
Today, for once, I ignore all of it. My attention remains fixed on the familiar face staring back at me from the cover.
Keith.
I swear there was a time when seeing my brother on the front page of magazines felt surreal. Now it feels almost routine.
The headline stretches boldly across the page, praising his latest venture and detailing the projected impact it is expected to have on international markets. The article paints him as a visionary businessman whose instincts rarely fail him.
Reading it, I can already imagine the flood of interviews, invitations, and networking opportunities that will follow.
A smile tugs at my lips as I continue reading. The article mentions Elysian Haven several times, describing it as one of the most ambitious luxury projects of the decade.
Elysian Haven. In a few short hours, I'll be there. The thought lingers long after I've finished reading the paragraph.
Closing the magazine slightly, I find myself looking past the printed words and toward the world beyond the cabin. My gaze drifts toward the window, where the afternoon sun spills across an endless expanse of blue ocean stretching toward the horizon.
From this height, everything below looks peaceful. Small. Distant. I wish life actually felt that simple.
The past few months have been exhausting. The empire has demanded more attention than ever, and every victory seems to create three new problems waiting around the corner. There are days when I feel as though I spend more time managing chaos than living my own life.
That is probably why I've been looking forward to this wedding. Not because of the ceremony itself, but because of what it represents. In a few days, Keith will marry Aurelia, and despite everything they've been through, that still feels slightly unreal.
Not because I ever doubted they would end up together. The surprising part is how much they changed each other along the way.
Before Aurelia, Keith carried every problem as though it belonged to him alone. Somehow, she convinced him there was more to life than surviving one crisis after another.
A quiet chuckle escapes me. If he heard me thinking that, he'd spend the next hour insisting he was perfectly fine before he met her.
The idiot.
Still, the thought of seeing everyone again leaves a warmth in my chest that catches me off guard. For once, we're gathering because something good is happening, and after everything our family has endured, that feels worth celebrating.
I am still staring out at the ocean when my phone suddenly vibrates against the armrest beside me. A smile tugs at my lips the moment Aurelia's name flashes across the screen. Of course it's her.
With the wedding only days away, she's been calling at least twice a day, usually to discuss something she suddenly considers urgent.
I answer before the second ring.
"Please tell me you're already on your way."
I laugh before I can stop myself. "Nice to know you're happy to hear from me too."
"I am happy to hear from you." Aurelia says quickly. "But I need confirmation that you're actually coming because your brother has reached a level of wedding-induced stress that should probably be studied."
My smile widens. "That bad?"
"Worse."
I can hear movement on the other end of the line, followed by a familiar male voice protesting somewhere in the background. "Tell her that's not true."
Aurelia ignores him completely. "He changed the seating chart again."
I close my eyes. "No."
"Yes."
"How many times?"
She hesitates. The hesitation alone is enough to make me laugh.
"Oh my God. How many?"
"Five."
A muffled argument immediately breaks out on the other end.
"They were necessary changes."
"They were not necessary changes."
"Two people literally threatened each other."
"That happened ten years ago."
"They still hate each other."
I shake my head. Some things never change.
For all his success, all his intelligence, and all the terrifyingly complicated business deals he handles every year, Keith remains incapable of organizing a family event without creating unnecessary chaos.
"Put him on the phone."
Aurelia sighs dramatically. "I hate both of you."
A moment later, Keith's voice replaces hers. "Hey, Zora."
The simple greeting settles something inside me. Maybe because it sounds exactly the same as it always has. The years have changed almost everything else. Not that.
"Hey, Forbes cover boy."
A groan immediately comes through the speaker. "Absolutely not."
"Oh, come on. I just spent twenty minutes reading about your latest empire-building adventure."
"Then you should know how busy I am."
"I do know. That's why I'm impressed you still found time to pose dramatically for a photoshoot."
"I didn't pose dramatically."
"Sure you didn't."
I can practically picture the annoyed expression on his face. The image makes me grin.
"How much longer until you land?" Keith asks, changing the topic.
"A few hours."
"Good."
A small smile tugs at my lips as I stare out at the horizon. Keith has never been particularly expressive, but I understand what he means. Despite everything life has thrown at us over the years, we're still finding our way back to each other.
When Aurelia speaks again, her voice is softer. "How are you doing?"
The question catches me off guard. For a moment, I consider giving my usual answer, but exhaustion wins out.
"I'm tired."
Neither of them rushes to fill the silence that follows, and somehow that feels more comforting than any reassurance could.
"But I'm looking forward to this." I admit after a moment. "I really am."
As I watch the afternoon sun paint the ocean in shades of gold, I realize it's the truth.
A polite knock sounds at the cabin door, pulling my attention away. I glance up just as Moni steps inside with a silver tray balanced carefully in her hands. A champagne flute rests at its center, the pale gold liquid catching the sunlight .
"Miss Zora," she says with a gentle smile, "I brought you a glass of champagne. I thought you might like something to drink."
A smile tugs at my lips. "That is perfect. Thank you, Moni. You always know exactly what I need."
"I do my best." Her smile widens slightly before she hands me the glass.
The phone remains tucked against my ear while Aurelia continues talking about the wedding. She's currently debating flowers, or seating charts, or something equally important in bride language.
I stopped trying to keep track several minutes ago, though I still listen enough to respond every now and then. Hearing her voice is comforting.
"I still think the white roses looked better." Aurelia says.
"You've changed your mind six times already."
"It was four."
I laugh softly and shake my head at whatever Aurelia says next. Her voice continues through the phone as I lean back into the leather seat and glance out the window.
I lift the champagne to my lips. But before I can take a sip, the aircraft suddenly jolts. The movement isn't severe enough to concern me. I've spent enough time flying to know that occasional turbulence is unavoidable, especially over long stretches of ocean.
The champagne ripples inside the glass and a few drops spill over the rim onto my fingers, drawing a quiet curse from me as I set the glass down before I make a bigger mess.
Moni steadies herself against the nearest seat and offers a reassuring smile. "It happens all the time, Miss Zora. Nothing to worry about."
I nod automatically and wipe a drop of champagne from my hand.
Normally, I wouldn't think twice about turbulence.
But for some reason, though, I find myself glancing toward the window.
The sky outside is perfectly clear, uninterrupted by storm clouds or rough weather, and while I know turbulence doesn't always require visible storms, the sight still leaves me faintly unsettled.
I can't explain why. Maybe it's the abruptness of the jolt. Maybe it's simply one of those irrational feelings that appear out of nowhere and refuse to leave. Whatever the reason, the unease settles quietly in my stomach as Aurelia continues talking in my ear.
I try to focus on the conversation, but my attention keeps drifting back to the horizon. The discomfort grows stronger with every passing second until a second impact suddenly tears through the aircraft. This one is far more violent than the first.
My gaze is locked on the window. For a moment, I genuinely think I'm seeing things. The image refuses to make sense because there is no logical explanation for it.
Then reality settles in with terrifying clarity. The wing is on fire. Bright orange flames crawl along the metal, stark against the cloudless blue sky.
A cold wave of dread spreads through my chest as every survival instinct I possess begins screaming that something is terribly wrong.
"Moni." My voice is sharper than I intend.
She turns immediately, and when I point toward the window, her eyes follow the gesture. The moment she sees the flames, every trace of professionalism disappears from her expression.
"Tell the pilots." I say, already rising from my seat. "Right now."
Fear flashes across Moni's expression, but she doesn't hesitate. She immediately turns toward the cockpit, moving with the same efficiency she had shown throughout the flight. She only manages a few steps before a loud crack rips through the cabin.