Maya's POV
The brief moment of calm I'd managed to find, wrapped in Bernard's steady voice and our surprisingly natural conversation, shattered when the aircraft bucked violently. My stomach plummeted as if we'd dropped through empty air, leaving my heart hammering against my ribs.
Every ounce of false confidence I'd scraped together vanished in an instant.
"I can't die like this!" The words tore from my throat as I grabbed onto Bernard's arm, my fingers digging into what I now confirmed were definitely impressive muscles beneath that expensive suit.
"Death isn't on today's agenda," he stated with absolute certainty, as if he personally controlled our fate.
"What makes you so sure?" My voice came out as a pathetic whine.
