Leo nodded once. "Yeah."
A small pause followed.
"She is a very good shooter," he added simply.
Bella blinked and did not say anything after that.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the twenty hour flight passed. Somewhere between movies, quiet conversations, working, sleeping, and long stretches of simply sitting close to each other, time slipped away unnoticed.
When the captain's calm voice announced their descent, the world outside the window had transformed. The sky was a pale golden blue, and the land below had resolved into a dramatic landscape of deep green mountain valleys and winding roads that looked like silver threads stitched through the earth.
They landed with a whisper in City D. The airport was small, private, and efficient. By the time they descended the jet stairs, two sleek black SUVs were already idling nearby, drivers standing ready.
Bella and Leo moved toward the lead vehicle without discussion. It was a silent agreement.
