Chapter 4

I didn’t have time to think.

I hurriedly booked the next flight to France and managed to get the last first-class ticket.

Claire came out behind me. She looked as if she wanted to say something.

But I had no time to deal with her. I left the company and rushed to the airport.

By the time I reached the gate, I was sweating heavily.

After boarding, I sat with my hands clasped, praying that my father would be safe.

I didn’t notice that the man taking the seat beside me was Ryan.

He stood there, looking at my pale, sweaty face, and mocked me.

“Well, well. Going on vacation too? If you can’t afford to travel, don’t pretend. Someone like you belongs in economy.”

I closed my eyes and refused to respond.

But Ryan wouldn’t let it go. He kept demanding that the flight attendants remove me.

Seeing their helpless expressions, I took a deep breath and stood.

“Fine. I’ll move to economy. Are you satisfied?”

I didn’t want a confrontation.

I only wanted to see my father one last time.

But just as I stood, Ryan suddenly cried out and began patting down his clothes.

“Where’s my watch? It was just here! Did you steal it? That watch is worth three million dollars. You must have taken it!”

With only a few words, Ryan easily set a trap for me.

I frowned and looked at him helplessly.

“Where’s your proof that I stole it?”

“You were sitting beside me the whole time. The moment you stood up, my watch disappeared. You stole it! I’m calling the police!”

The delay caused the flight to remain grounded, and the surrounding passengers began complaining.

Ryan didn’t care. He kept demanding that I admit to stealing the watch.

“Don’t call the police! I’ll buy you a new one, okay? Just stop making a scene!”

If Ryan called the police, the crew would remove us both from the plane—and I would lose my last chance to reach my father.

I had reached my limit. I even agreed to his unreasonable demand.

But Ryan only smiled triumphantly and waved his phone in front of me.

“Too late. If you’re this afraid of the police, you must be guilty. I already called them. Now we just wait.”

The police arrived quickly.

Without giving me a chance to explain, they restrained me and dragged me off the plane.

“Don’t touch me! I need to get on that plane! I need to see my father one last time!”

No matter how hard I struggled, I could only watch the plane carrying my final chance disappear into the sky.

I wouldn’t even get to see my father before he died.

I was taken to an interrogation room while Ryan continued insisting that I had stolen his watch.

Then my phone rang again.

My mother’s sobs came through the speaker.

“Ethan… your father… he’s gone!”

My fingers went numb.

The phone slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor.

Ryan leaned close to my ear, his voice malicious and contemptuous.

“Someone like you has no right to sit beside me in first class. You don’t have the right to compete with me for Claire either.”

So this was his plan.

Ryan had deliberately called the police and framed me so I would miss the flight.

I could no longer contain my rage.

I swung my fist into his face.

Then another.

And another.

Each blow landed solidly. Ryan couldn’t fight back at all.

We were only separated when Claire arrived in a hurry after hearing what had happened.

She shielded Ryan and glared at me.

“Ethan, have you lost your mind? How dare you attack Ryan? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

In Claire’s eyes, Ryan and I had never been equals.

He would always be above me.

I raised my bloodshot eyes to her.

Even now, she didn’t ask what had happened. She simply chose to protect him.

If that was how things were, then I had no reason to spare them any dignity.

“Claire, we’re completely over. These seven years—I’ll consider them a gift to a stray dog.”