"Milo!!" Elora gasped, completely taken aback. When had he sat down next to her? She hadn't even noticed. "How did you end up sitting next to me?"
"I've been sitting next to you since we boarded the plane," Milo said, raising his ticket as if to further prove his point. "Don't believe me? I even covered you with a blanket just now. You didn't notice me until now, did you?" He looked at her with a playful, almost teasing smile.
Elora widened her eyes in disbelief. "That was you?!" She had to admit, she only just realized he had been sitting next to her all this time.
"Who else did you think it was?" Milo raised an eyebrow, his expression one of amusement.
She had thought it was the flight attendant who had covered her with the blanket. She had been too tired at the time to pay attention to anything else.
"Ah... ah... I need to get off the plane! Thank you for the blanket, goodbye!" Without waiting for Milo's response, she hurriedly rushed off.
Milo could only shake his head, bemused. Was he really that frightening? Was that why she ran away as soon as she saw him? When he first saw Elora sitting beside him, he was also surprised—he even thought he had mistaken her for someone else. But it seemed like fate had its hand in all these coincidences.
...
Elora was at a loss for words, and so, she ran away.
As soon as she exited the airport, Sylvie approached her and took the luggage from her hands. "Manager Carter, please get in the car. The hotel has already made arrangements for you, and we'll head there now."
Elora nodded approvingly at Sylvie, who was always meticulous in her work.
"Manager Carter, here is your itinerary for the upcoming schedule. Please take a look." Sylvie handed her the itinerary.
...
"What a coincidence!" Milo, who was attending to business near the food street, ran into Elora, who was out for a stroll. Out of courtesy, he offered to accompany her back to the hotel.
"Yes, quite a coincidence." Elora had been busy with contracts, reviewing documents, and conducting field visits for the past few days. Now that everything was done, she had no idea where to go or what to do. She had seen a show about City B's food on the hotel TV, and since she had always been weak when it came to food, she couldn't resist the temptation.
In A City, she had refrained from eating street food in fear of being seen by acquaintances. But here in City B, she could indulge without a care since no one knew her. So, with the afternoon free, she decided to visit the food street, and unexpectedly, she ran into Milo there.
"By the way, do you have a girlfriend?" Elora suddenly had a thought. She remembered how Serena had been practically glowing when she saw Milo. If he was single, maybe she could play matchmaker.
"What? Are you going to marry me?" Milo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm already promised to someone. What nonsense are you spouting?" Elora replied, a little exasperated. Her heart only belonged to Lucas, after all.
"I was just joking. Why so serious?" Milo laughed. He was a man of principles, and even though he had initially been drawn to her, he now respected her as his friend's fiancée.
Elora didn't bother responding and turned to walk away.
Perhaps in her haste, she didn't notice the step in front of her. As she tripped, Elora instinctively closed her eyes, bracing for the fall.
"It's okay, you're fine!" In an instant, Milo's quick reflexes saved her, pulling her safely into his arms.
No pain came, and Elora slowly opened her eyes to find herself in Milo's embrace. She froze for a moment before hurriedly pushing herself away from him. "Thank you!"
"It's nothing. Just be more careful next time. I'm leaving now," Milo said, realizing they had already arrived at the hotel. His task was complete.
"Mm... take care on your way," Elora murmured, her voice soft.
...
As soon as Elora entered the hotel room, she was abruptly pulled into a strong embrace. A sudden kiss, as overwhelming as a storm, caught her completely off guard.