Leila sinks into her seat and lets the quiet hum of the plane fade behind her. Her fingers find the worn edges of a book tucked in her bag—a story she's read before, but one that always offers comfort. Fiction started as a time-passer, something small to escape the weight of her world. But over the years, it became more than that—her shelter. Her quiet rebellion. Her private breath of freedom.
She doesn't lose herself blindly, though. Leila knows how to separate fantasy from reality. That line has always been clear. She reads not to forget her life… but to soften its sharp edges.
Soon, she's completely engrossed. Her face becomes a reflection of every emotion rising off the page. A quiet smile curves her lips at something witty. Her brows pinch at tension. She even lets out a silent laugh once, small and pure.
And beside her, Elias watches—stunned at first, then… intrigued.
He's seen many people read. But never like this. Never so unfiltered. So openly moved.
For a moment, he wonders if it's a performance. Girls have pulled all kinds of tricks to gain his attention—especially after recognizing his face from tabloids or Forbes covers. But this? This feels... different. She doesn't even seem to remember he exists.
Suddenly, Leila's eyes glisten. A tear slips down her cheek, then another, until she quietly closes the book, her fingers trembling slightly. She stares ahead, but her mind is far away.
Something in the story must have cut too close to memory.
She inhales deeply, grounding herself. A whisper escapes her lips—soft, but firm:
"They need me. Get a grip of yourself."
Elias doesn't look away. He's captivated—not by drama or beauty, but by something far rarer: authenticity. In her, he sees a moment of storm and sun. Strength and softness. A rainbow in the rain.
For the first time in years, he finds himself curious. And that… is dangerous.
As the plane begins to descend, neither of them realizes how close they've been sitting to fate. Leila adjusts her scarf, brushing away any trace of emotion, unaware of the quiet impact she's left on the stranger beside her.
Elias leans back, convinced for a moment that her calm was a mask—maybe even a move. But deep inside, a seed of doubt forms.
He doesn't know it yet, but he's wrong.
Soon, he'll learn that Leila Zaman's reserve has nothing to do with games.
It's the result of upbringing, principle, and the quiet resilience passed from mother to daughter in a world that often forgets how sacred boundaries are. From a young age, she's known her worth—rooted in faith, self-respect, and silence that never begs to be seen.
And as fate would have it, this quiet girl with soft eyes and stormy thoughts…
will become the only one who can unravel Elias Sinclair.