A fleet of dark, luxurious cars invading the car park was a usual occurrence at the airport but what was unusual was the way and manner this particular fleet came to a sudden, calculated halt.
And much more unusual was when the doors of the lead vehicle swung open with precision, and out stepped Richard Domango…the richest and most eligible bachelor in Rovencia. He was tall, well built, and dangerously handsome as rumored.
Dressed in a crisp black suit that matched the storm in his eyes, he adjusted his cufflinks with a flick of his wrist as his polished shoes met the ground with quiet authority.
His very movement exuded power as he marched towards the arrivals section.
Trailing behind him was Gideon Kane, his ever-efficient assistant, rattling off details about the anticipated arrival while trying to keep up with his boss.
"The flight landed just five minutes ago. Elsa should be—"
Irritated by the sudden pause in his assistant's report, Richard, who was already on edge, barely spared him a glance as he demanded dryly. "Have you suddenly turned into an airport statue?"
When after a few more seconds Gideon remained frozen in place with his gaze locked onto something in the distance, Richard's already thin patience, snapped further.
"Have you also loosened a nut in addition to your immobility?"
Still, no response.
Richard clenched his jaw. Was this the right time to be distracted?! He had little or no patience for delays especially now that his company, Domango Enterprise, was hemorrhaging money, and the press was circling like vultures.
The only hope he had left was Elsa, and they were here to find her and not dilly-dally around. Gideon, like hell, should understand this.
He exhaled sharply, about to rebuke Gideon again but then he remembered they were in public glare with countless, jobless ladies already drooling at his presence. He sighed, swallowed his fury, and instead decided to follow his assistant's line of sight.
Instantly, his breath hitched. It was just for a fleeting second before his expression hardened, and the corners of his lips curled in unmistakable disdain.
Shantel Hale... the last person he needed to see at the moment, coming out from the arrival section amidst a sea of travelers, yet impossible to miss.
Flaming red hair framing an exquisitely structured and flawless face, cascaded over her shoulders like molten fire.
Her expression was emotionless, yet her piercing green eyes held an otherworldly sharpness.
She wore an emerald-green dress that not only hugged her curves perfectly but complimented her dangerously alluring eyes… She was indeed a vision to behold. Infact one that demanded attention without asking for it.
Richard's jaw tensed. Of all the people he could have encountered today, why did it have to be her?
Gideon finally found his voice, but he was still gaping foolishly.
"Shantel Hale," he announced hypnotically but unfortunately his boss despised everything about that name
It was precisely at that moment that Shantel caught sight of them. She arched an eyebrow as she watched the pair zone out then ever so slightly, like the unraveling of a wrapped parcel, her lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk—one that sent an unsettling prickle down Richard's spine.
She recognized him immediately— Rovencia's infamous billionaire, Richard Domango, known for his ruthless business tactics and his public disdain for women like her mother and of course, her daughters… herself inclusive and gloriously top on the list.
At close range, Richard felt something stir in his chest. Annoyingly strange was the fact that It was far from the anger that should naturally come with being in close proximity with her. And to further infuriate him, the nameless emotion seemed to increase as he locked eyes with Shantel briefly.
'Damn!' He cursed inwardly. Those eyes… held a gaze that could cut a man in half. She was breathtaking in a way that felt almost dangerous. No wonder his cool, calm, collected and no nonsense assistant was blown away as soon as he set eyes on her.
Then, just as casually as she had been walking towards them, she continued on her heels and walked past them… Not a word or a glance longer than necessary.
He barely had time to recover and she was gone, disappearing into the crowd with an effortless grace that made Richard's fists clench involuntarily
Richard's gaze darkened. What just happened? Was he just treated like air?! Or didn't she recognize him? But that smirk told him she had.
For the first time in his life, he understood the meaning of being ignored. He thought he was the only person who possessed the ability to make someone he didn't like feel ridiculously insignificant, but today, he'd been brutally proven wrong.
How dare she? Was she not just the daughter of a despicable woman? How come she has the nerve to put on airs around him?
Other women would have killed for a second of his attention. The moment he had stepped out of his car, he had felt their eyes on him. But not her. Why didn't she— of all people? She hadn't even blinked.
His pride demanded a reaction—at least some kind of acknowledgment—but she had just walked away as if he didn't exist.
What insolence?! Nobody has the right to treat him like that and he was going to make her pay. But for now, he had a more urgent and important matter to attend to.
Transferring his anger to Gideon, he snapped, "Get moving! Find Elsa!"
Gideon jerked back into action. "Yes, sir," he nodded and hurried forward. But as he walked, a strange unease settled over him.
Why did the air feel heavier, even colder—like a storm lurking beneath a deceptively calm sky all of a sudden?
It was only early autumn, thus there shouldn't be a chill, yet the sudden drop in temperature sent a prickle down his spine causing him to hasten his steps.
It appears his boss was on one of his temper tantrums today. Does it have anything to do with Shantel Hale?
They combed through the arrivals terminal, but there was no one in sight that fitted the description of the person they were looking for.
With his connections, Richard was able to bypass security and checked the flight records.
Elsa had been on the plane. The landing time was correct.
Ten minutes later, they were back at his motorcade. By this time, Richard's patience had been reduced to ashes.
Seething, he turned to Gideon. "Where the hell is she?"