Chapter 1 - The Cashmere Shield
The entire first-class cabin held its collective breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion.
Tariq Al-Farsi, a man known to destroy corporate empires before his morning espresso, slowly reached across his seat.
He did not shove the exhausted nurse away.
Instead, he lifted his custom-tailored, thousand-dollar cashmere blazer.
With surprising gentleness, he draped the heavy, warm fabric over Chloe's trembling shoulders.
He then adjusted his own posture, shifting slightly to give her head a more comfortable resting place against his chest.
One of the flight attendants dropped a silver pair of tongs in the galley, the clatter echoing loudly.
Tariq shot her a glare so terrifyingly cold that she immediately retreated behind the curtain.
He raised a single finger to his lips, silently commanding the entire cabin to remain absolutely soundless.
For the next four hours, the most ruthless tycoon in the financial district did not move a single muscle.
He worked on his tablet with one hand, his other arm securely bracing the sleeping girl so she wouldn't slip during turbulence.
When the plane finally touched down on the tarmac, the sudden jolt woke Chloe instantly.
She gasped, her eyes flying open as she realized she was pressed intimately against a massive, solid wall of muscle.
She looked up, freezing as she met a pair of piercing, obsidian-dark eyes staring down at her.
"I... I am so incredibly sorry," Chloe stammered, her face burning crimson as she scrambled backward.
"You were tired," Tariq replied, his voice a deep, velvet rumble that sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.
Chloe hastily shoved the cashmere jacket back at him, grabbed her worn canvas bag, and practically sprinted off the aircraft the moment the doors opened.
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She was so focused on reaching the hospital that she didn't see Tariq ordering his head of security to follow her.
"Find out everything about her," Tariq commanded, his eyes fixed on the terminal doors. "By tonight."
