Chapter 5
Lucius might not have known who Grace was, but there was no way he didn’t recognize Ethan Howard, the wealthiest man in the country. He was instantly shaken the moment he spotted Ethan, realizing too late that he had crossed someone he never should have touched.
Having boarded the plane, Ethan headed straight for Grace’s original seat, where Belinda was still lounging. ” What makes you think you have the right to be sleeping in a seat that isn’t yours?”
Belinda had no idea who he was, so she snapped at him arrogantly. “You’d better mind your own business! It was my friend who bought this seat for five times the original price, so I’ll lounge here however I please!”
Ethan’s expression immediately hardened. “Who is this friend of yours?”
Lucius suddenly pointed right at me. “It’s her fault! She’s the one who took your grandmother’s seat by force, smashed her belongings, and shoved her onto the floor!”
Ethan’s frigid gaze swept across me, causing me to flinch and take a step backward.
Seizing the moment, Lucius whispered something to Belinda.
Belinda’s face drained of color as she realized who Ethan was. She instantly shifted gears, adopting her most fragile, innocent tone while saying, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Howard. I never meant to take your grandmother’s seat. I was just in so much pain, and I had no idea my friend was going to be so violent toward her.”
I immediately defended myself, saying, “You shouldn’t listen to any of their lies! They were the ones who forced their way into your grandmother’s seat! They’re also the ones who destroyed her pearl necklace!”
I held out the partially re–strung necklace for him to see. “You see, this is the pearl necklace I was talking about. Your grandmother told me that this was her most prized possession–a keepsake from her late husband. I helped her pick up the pearls earlier.”
Ethan recognized the broken string of pearls instantly. A flicker of doubt and suspicion crossed his face as he Hooked at the scattered pieces.
Lucius had no intention of letting up. “You must not fall for her lies, Mr. Howard! That woman ripped that necklace out of your grandmother’s hand, intending to sell it for some cash!”
He then turned toward the rest of the passengers, looking for backup. She’s nothing but a golddigger! If you don’t believe me, just ask anyone else in this cabin. You all saw what she did, didn’t you?”
Having just listened to Belinda’s venomous accusations against me earlier, a few of the passengers decided to take her side. They chimed in, adding their own weight to the false narrative being spun against me.
“It’s true! It was all her doing. We’re all witnesses!”
“You should just take her away and let us go. We’re all in a rush to get off this flight!”
Ethan’s expression hardened. He then signaled his bodyguards to step in and grab me.
It was then that Ms. Greene, the flight attendant, stepped forward to speak the truth. “It wasn’t her doing! It was these two who tried to forcibly take the seat and hurt the elderly lady! It was this man who broke the necklace and pushed the elderly lady, causing her to hit her head and lose consciousness!”
Lucius went pale in a heartbeat. “You shouldn’t listen to her nonsense, Mr. Howard!”
Ethan’s gaze swept between us, as if he were gauging our reactions. He realized it was one person’s word against
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another’s, so he looked up and pointed toward the ceiling. “I’m fairly certain that the surveillance cameras on this flight aren’t just props.”
Lucius immediately froze after heating that. His lips quivered as he struggled in vain to find his voice.
Ethan turned and ordered his bodyguards, “Have them all taken away and also pull the plane’s surveillance footage immediately.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
