Starting Over, Standing Tall - Chapter 12

“Noah, you’re shameless.”

“Yes, I’m shameless. It’s your fault. I can’t live without you, Sarah. I can’t live without you.”

Noah’s face twisted, his expression dazed.

I remembered what my best friend told me.

That after learning of my death, Noah locked himself in a room for months, not eating or drinking.

When he came out, his mind wasn’t quite right.

I raised my high heels and stepped on his shoes.

He winced in pain and let go of me.

Before I could reach the doorknob, my hair was pulled from behind.

“Help!”

Noah pulled out a towel and covered my mouth.

A pungent smell filled the air and my body began to soften.

He had planned it all.

His real intention was to take me away from Hong Kong.

When I woke up, I was in a small private jet.

Ropes bound me to the seat.

Noah knelt beside me.

“Sarah, I’m sorry. I made you think of your parents again. Don’t worry.”

“This is the last time you’ll be on a plane. When we get back, we’ll live a good life. I’ll do anything you ask.”

His voice was urgent, his eyes pleading.

“Mr. song. There’s a plane following us,” his assistant shouted.

In the rear view mirror, our eyes met.

“Get rid of him. Sarah is my wife. He can’t take her away.” Noah’s eyes rolled uncontrollably, flashing eerily.

I looked at the special storage compartment under the seat and decided to appease him.

“Noah, please untie me.”

“Sarah, you haven’t called me Noah in a long time. Call me that again, please.”

I called his nickname repeatedly, calming his unrest.

Noah relaxed his guard and untied me.

The assistant’s voice rang out.

“Mr. Song, the plane seems to have malfunctioned. You should come and check.”

While Noah went to check, I opened the door and jumped out as the plane slowed down for landing.

“Sarah, no.”

The moment I jumped, I opened my parachute.

Noah’s assistant was someone I introduced to the company.

He had been looking for a chance to repay me.

When he warned Noah about the pursuing plane, he used his eyes to signal the parachute in the storage compartment.

When Noah untied me, the assistant pressed the button to open the door in the cockpit, giving me a chance to jump.

“Sarah, please don’t go.”

Unexpectedly, Noah grabbed my hand.