Aveiro:

A boring day, as usual, the endless grind of work stretching out before me like a yawning chasm. I took a languid sip from my coffee, my gaze fixated on the hesitant man before me.

“Should we really cancel the plan? Do you have any idea the millions will vanish?” The words dripped from his lips, as he met my gaze.

A wry smile tugged at my lips. They never learned to stop lusting over money, even amidst danger. I set my coffee cup down, locking eyes with the man. “Would you prefer to lose billions, then? Abandon that plan before billions slip through your fingers. The cops are eyeing to catch us there.” I paused for a few seconds, as the rhythm of my fingers tapping against the table filled the silent room, before I stared back at him again. “If you wish to jump into a cat-and-mouse play with the cops, you're welcome to do so. From this moment, our cooperation ends here.” I exhaled a sigh, sinking back into the plush couch, while he leaped from his seat in shock.

“Aveiro Dos Santos!”

“It's 'boss' for you,” I said, my gaze hardening as I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. “And, get out of here. Before you die by my men's hands, even before the cops get you.” His teeth clenched, as he controlled his tumultuous storm of anger before he stormed out with his men.

I sighed heavily, lighting a cigarette. This man walked into the rattrap on his own and now was a sure goner.

“He should've listened to you,” Xavier chimed in, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he helped me into my suit.

I returned the smile, and together we exited the room. “Don't give a **** to him. Clearly, a waste of time. He doesn't even know who his boss is.”

“Shall I dispose of him here, then?”

I glanced back at him, the idea lingering in the air for a moment. “Today is boring enough. I don't want to add blood to worsen it.”

He pondered for a few seconds and glanced back at me. “Would you like to visit the Skydive Atlanta?”

“Skydive Atlanta? Did you start a new hobby?” I teased, an eyebrow raised.

“No. How would I get time for that when I'm beside you 24/7? I was just thinking maybe the rush of free-fall might just be the tonic to lift your spirits.”

A chuckle escaped me. “You want me to go skydiving in a suit?”

Xavier cleared his throat, his cheeks flushing slightly. “I've bought many sets of your clothes. Golf clothes, tuxedo, shirts, t-shirts…”

“Stop. Are you my nanny or something?" I quipped, shaking my head in bemusement.

“I don't know when you may accidentally require them, so, I always keep them with me.” He answered, a playful smirk displayed on his face. “So, will you be going?”

I rubbed my temples, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips. “Why not.”

Within instants, I watched sets of outfits displayed on the bed.

Xavier had always been efficient, as my secretary. Without him, even if I had achieved the best results at work, my life would've been messy. He basically does the work that nannies do, including cleaning after the messes I made. I laughed. He certainly had great patience, and that's maybe the reason he was my buddy.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I plucked a simple white-colored shirt and denim jeans among them and put them on, before stepping out of the room.

“You're fast.” He remarked, his attention shifting from his phone to me as he leaned against the railing.

My brows twitched. “Now, it's your time to get quick.”

With a quick nod, he put his phone back in his pocket and went inside the room. “The driver is already waiting. I'll be there in five minutes.”

I crossed my arms, as I watched him put the clothes back in the backpack. “You know, you can simply call for someone and let them do these things.”

He laughed, turning toward me, almost as if to scorn me. “That's going to take an extra few minutes. They aren't fast as me, and you never learned to wait.”

“You know, if you ever get a girlfriend, I think you will be her mamma.” I quipped, a mischievous grin playing on my lips.

He blinked his eyes and tilted his head slightly. Where's this random Aveiro-esque commentary coming from?”

I chuckled. “Can you honestly deny that I'm just teasing you? It's not far from the truth.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “Give me a moment to rest first. Only after then can I get a girlfriend, no? But here is my advice for you, you should be the first to get a girlfriend, maybe my work burden will be lessened.”

“Don't joke about your boss. I'm heading down, be quick.”

“I'm almost there!”

True to his word, Xavier appeared almost as soon as I went down. It took only about ten minutes from the villa to Skydive Atlanta. Thankfully, there wasn't a crowd here. Otherwise, that was going to worsen my mood further than I already had.

As the instructor assisted me into the skydiving suit, my gaze wandered to a familiar face on my other side.

A sharp twinge of surprise coursed through me. What was she doing here? Shouldn't she be at the university during this time? A barrage of questions flooded my mind. Despite my numerous questions, I pretended not to know her. I only knew her face-to-face, and have never even chatted with her.

My lips gaped, and a small snicker displayed on my face. There was no point in getting to know her. Our worlds were as distant as night and day. She lived in a sheltered realm, untouched by the shadows that consumed my existence. It was almost as if she were stupidly naive. Even if someone walked over to her, she wouldn't say anything. Easy to be taken advantage of.

Shaking off the thoughts, both Sarah and I leaped into action. My parachute unfurled as my attention remained fixated on Sarah. Something was amiss. She was plummeting, her parachute still unopened.

“Is there any issue with the suit?” I muttered, my eyes narrowing as I observed her closely.

Tears glistened on her cheeks, her eyes squeezed shut in an odd mixture of fear and determination. Her lips quivered, curving into a faint, melancholic smile. There was something amiss… It almost felt like she was planning to suicide. Suicide….

“Fuck!” I groaned under my breath, veering towards her, my own parachute still guiding me downward. With a swift, practiced motion, I made my way toward her, and opened her parachute, pulling her toward me.

“Wh-what?” She exclaimed, attempting to utilize all her strength to push me away. “Who are you? What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“I should be asking you! Snap out of it, SARAH JONES! What in the world were you thinking?”

She flinched at the sound of her name, her resistance waning as we safely descended back to solid ground, our feet touching the land again.

Xavier rushed over, a mix of confusion and concern etched across his features. I motioned for him to hold his position, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. “And, now, what the **** were you planning to do, SARAH? Were you out of your mind?”