Chapter 2 - The Sacred Offering
The silence that fell over the cabin was heavier than the turbulence rattling the wings outside.
Every bodyguard shifted. I heard the distinct, metallic slide of fabric against leather—the sound of men preparing to draw, of fingers hovering over triggers. They didn't know who I was, only that a passenger from the economy overflow seats was advancing toward the boss.
"Stop right there," the largest guard, a man with a jagged scar splitting his left eyebrow, growled, stepping into the aisle to block my path.
"Let her through," Matteo’s voice cut through the cabin like a blade.
He didn't look up from his daughter. He was staring at her face, his thumb gently wiping away a tiny tear that had dried on her pale cheek. The sheer desperation in his eyes was the only reason I kept walking.
I stopped two feet from his seat. The scent of expensive cologne, leather, and the faint, sweet smell of baby formula hung in the air.
"She's rejecting the silicone nipple," I said, my voice remarkably steady despite the terror vibrating in my bones. "Some babies are highly sensitive to flow speed, or they've been exclusively breastfed and can't adapt to plastic in a high-stress environment. She’s starving, Mr. Volkov. If she doesn't eat soon, her blood sugar will drop, and she’ll go into shock."
Matteo’s head snapped up. His eyes were a piercing, stormy gray, surrounded by dark circles of absolute exhaustion. Up close, his presence was suffocating. He looked like a man who could order a execution with a nod, but right now, he was just a father watching his world crumble.
"And you think you can fix this?" he asked, his voice low, gravelly, and laced with a thick Russian accent.
"I can," I whispered, my hand moving to the top button of my blouse. "But I need privacy. And I need you to trust me."
Matteo looked at me, his gaze dropping to the damp circles of milk that had bled through my shirt, betraying my secret to the entire cabin. He didn't ask questions. He didn't demand credentials. He saw the biological truth of what I was offering.
With a single, brief nod, he stood up. He was towering, his shadow completely swallowing me.
May you like
"Clear the rear cabin," Matteo commanded his men, his voice leaving no room for negotiation. "Anyone who looks toward the back of this plane will not see the ground again."
The bodyguards moved instantly, retreating to the front galley and pulling the thick, soundproof velvet curtain shut behind them.
