The plane hummed steadily as it cut through the clouds, signaling that their descent would begin soon. Jade sat rigid in her seat, her arms crossed and her jaw clenched. The tension from their earlier confrontation still hung thick in the air, but this time, she wasn’t going to let it slide.
She glanced at the three men seated around her. Milan, as usual, was buried in his tablet, his sharp blue eyes focused on whatever document he was reading. Enzo lounged in his seat, arms crossed, his dark gaze occasionally flicking toward her like he was waiting for her to say something. Thiago, sitting closest to her, drummed his fingers on the armrest, his usual smirk gone, replaced by a faint scowl.
Jade’s patience snapped. “That’s it,” she said, her voice louder than she intended.
All three men turned to look at her, their expressions shifting to varying degrees of surprise and wariness.
“What’s it?” Enzo asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.
“I’m done,” Jade said, sitting up straighter. “When we land, I’m quitting.”
Thiago let out a low chuckle, leaning back in his seat. “Quitting? You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve never been more serious,” Jade shot back, glaring at him. “This—whatever this is—has gone too far. You’re controlling, overprotective, and treating me like a prisoner instead of an employee. I can’t do this anymore.”
Milan set his tablet down slowly, his icy gaze locking onto hers. “You’re overreacting.”
“Overreacting?” Jade’s voice rose, incredulous. “I can’t even take a walk without being followed! You treat me like I can’t make decisions for myself, and every time I do something you don’t like, you act like it’s the end of the world.”
Enzo raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning faintly. “You’re upset because we care about your safety? Interesting.”
“No,” Jade snapped. “I’m upset because you don’t trust me. You’ve made it clear that you think I’m some helpless little girl who can’t take care of herself. Newsflash: I survived just fine before you came along.”
Thiago sat forward, his elbows on his knees as he studied her. “You survived, sure. But you have no idea what kind of world you’re in now, Jade. It’s not the same as whatever you were dealing with before.”
“And whose fault is that?” she countered, narrowing her eyes at him. “You dragged me into this. I didn’t ask for it.”
Milan’s expression darkened, his voice calm but firm. “You signed the contract, Jade. You agreed to this.”
“I didn’t agree to being micromanaged and treated like property,” she retorted, her voice shaking slightly. “This isn’t what I signed up for.”
The cabin fell silent for a moment, the hum of the engines filling the void.
Finally, Enzo broke the silence, his voice low and almost amused. “You’re not quitting.”
Jade turned to him, her frustration boiling over. “Watch me.”