Chapter 679

chapter679

The plane took off after a brief delay. Turbulence had been rampant over the past few days, and the initial climb was a rough, jarring experience.

Natalie felt visibly uncomfortable as the cabin swayed. Jeremy, sitting right beside her, reached out and gently consoled her just as he had done a thousand times before. "Don't be scared, Nath. I'm here for you."

Hearing those familiar words, she felt herself momentarily transported back to a time before the cracks in their foundation had appeared. For a fleeting second, Natalie felt as though she were caught in a dream of the past. Her body instinctively relaxed, and she nodded calmly at him.

"I'm not scared," she replied, mirroring the exact response she used to give him years ago.

Jeremy’s eyes glinted with a mix of surprise and hope. He had waited an entire day just to ensure they flew back together, believing that the distance between them would eventually vanish with time. He hoped that, eventually, they would stop feeling the lingering, painful effects of his past affair.

"I brought a book. Would you like to read it?" Jeremy asked after the plane reached its cruising altitude. He pulled a volume from his carry-on.

Natalie looked down. It was a romance novel, filled with the kind of classic tropes that promised a passionate, happy ending. Jeremy knew her better than she knew herself; he remembered that her eyes became easily irritated by phone screens, but she could read a physical book for hours without discomfort.

"Thank you," Natalie said softly, taking the book from his hand.

She hadn't touched a novel like this in a long time. In the past, these stories enthralled her because she believed her own life was a mirror of those romantic pages. Back then, she believed in the magic of "happily ever after."

Now, she no longer had the heart to dream.

Looking at the embracing couple on the cover, she felt a pang of reluctance, but she couldn't bring herself to refuse Jeremy's calculated kindness. As she flipped through the pages, a sense of déjà vu washed over her. She realized she had read a digital copy of this very book months ago and had even cried over the characters' struggles, promising herself she would buy a physical copy once it was published.

She wondered if this was a genuine coincidence or if Jeremy had meticulously tracked her reading history to find this specific title.

Jeremy watched her intently, noting the way her focus drifted. He could see the self-doubt clouding her features and the way she tried to maintain a subtle, cold distance. He hadn't missed the fact that their "coincidental" meeting at the hotel and this shared flight had frightened her more than it had pleased her. There was no joy in her surprise—only a sense of being cornered.

"Nath, things will get better. Believe me," Jeremy said, his voice dropping to a pleading undertone.

Natalie felt her chest tighten painfully. She wanted to escape the suffocating proximity of the cabin, but her rationality took over. She forced herself to nod and say, "Alright, I believe you."

But in her heart, she understood that "belief" meant very little now. Once trust has been shattered, rebuilding it is like trying to mend a glass vase; even if the pieces fit back together, the cracks remain visible. She felt a wave of guilt, wondering if she was being too headstrong or selfish for not being able to let go.

A few rows away, Austin could overhear their hushed conversation. He sensed immediately that they weren't like other married couples. He could tell that Jeremy had done something to force Natalie to bend her own principles. It was clear to him that Natalie was forcing herself to face this marriage head-on, suppressing her own will to accommodate Jeremy’s presence.

Although the flight was only three hours long, it felt like an eon. Natalie eventually gave up the pretense of reading. She knew every word on the page, but she couldn't process them; her mind felt as if it were filled with thick, heavy glue.

When it was finally time to disembark, Jeremy reached out and took her hand. Natalie jerked it back stiffly, her instinct screaming for space, but Jeremy’s grip remained tight and unyielding, silently signaling that he wasn't ready to let go.