Friday arrived before dawn.
The city was still asleep as Lily’s alarm rang at 3:45 a.m.
She got out of bed immediately.
Today was important.
It was her first business trip with Wayne Corporation—and her first time traveling with Damian Wayne.
After taking a quick shower, she dressed in a cream-colored pantsuit, tied her hair into a neat low bun, and checked her luggage one final time.
Laptop.
Company documents.
Presentation folders.
Passport.
Travel itinerary.
Everything was in place.
She smiled to herself.
“Don’t make any mistakes, Lily.”
Entebbe International Airport
By 5:00 a.m., the airport was already busy.
Travelers queued at check-in counters while announcements echoed through the terminal.
Lily wheeled her suitcase inside and looked around.
A familiar deep voice spoke behind her.
“You’re early.”
She turned.
Damian stood a few feet away in a charcoal-gray suit with a black overcoat draped over one arm.
Even at that hour, he looked composed.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Good morning.”
He glanced at his watch.
“Five minutes early.”
She smiled.
“I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”
He nodded once.
“I appreciate punctuality.”
Marcus Reed approached with their boarding passes.
“Everything is ready, sir.”
Damian thanked him before handing one boarding pass to Lily.
“Let’s go.”
The Flight
Their seats were next to each other in the business-class cabin.
Lily had never flown in business class before.
Everything felt luxurious.
As the plane taxied toward the runway, she looked out of the window.
“You’ve never flown before?”
Damian asked, noticing her curiosity.
She laughed softly.
“Is it that obvious?”
“A little.”
“I’ve always wanted to travel.”
“You’ll probably do a lot of it now.”
Before Lily could answer, the plane took off.
She instinctively gripped the armrest.
Damian noticed.
“Nervous?”
“Just a little.”
Without thinking, he gently placed his hand over hers.
“It’s normal.”
His voice was calm.
“You’ll be fine.”
Lily looked at him in surprise.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment…
Neither of them spoke.
Then Damian realized what he had done and quietly withdrew his hand.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Neither mentioned it again.
But both remembered it.
The Storm
Halfway through the flight, the seatbelt sign came on.
The aircraft suddenly shook.
Passengers gasped.
The captain’s voice echoed through the cabin.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re encountering severe weather. Please remain seated.”
Another jolt sent the plane dipping slightly.
Lily grabbed the armrest again.
The turbulence grew stronger.
A child nearby started crying.
The lights flickered.
Damian turned toward Lily.
“Look at me.”
She did.
“Take a slow breath.”
She followed his instructions.
“In…”
“…and out.”
Gradually, her breathing steadied.
“You trust me?”
He asked quietly.
She nodded.
“Yes.”
“We’ll be okay.”
A few minutes later, the turbulence eased.
The captain spoke again.
“Due to the storm affecting our destination, we will make an unscheduled overnight stop before continuing tomorrow morning.”
Murmurs spread throughout the cabin. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Passengers began discussing the delay.
Damian sighed.
“So much for keeping the schedule.”
An Unexpected Delay
By afternoon, the airline had arranged hotel accommodations for all passengers.
Lily and Damian arrived at the hotel lobby carrying their luggage.
The receptionist smiled apologetically.
“We’re terribly sorry.”
“Because of the emergency landing, almost every room has been booked.”
She checked her computer.
“We only have one executive suite and one standard room left.”
Damian looked at Lily.
“You take the executive suite.”
She shook her head immediately.
“No, sir.”
“I’m your employer.”
“And you’re the CEO.”
“You should take it.”
Damian gave a small sigh.
“We’re not arguing about hotel rooms.”
Lily smiled despite herself.
“I wasn’t arguing.”
“You were.”
“I was negotiating.”
For the first time that day…
Damian laughed.
The receptionist looked between them, amused.
“I’ll prepare the keys.”
Just then, another staff member hurried over and whispered something to the receptionist.
She looked embarrassed.
“I’m so sorry.”
“The standard room has just been given to another guest.”
Lily blinked.
“So…”
The receptionist offered an apologetic smile.
“The executive suite is the only room available.”
Lily and Damian exchanged an awkward glance.
Neither spoke for several seconds.
Outside the hotel windows, rain poured relentlessly.
The roads were flooded.
Traveling to another hotel wasn’t an option.
Damian finally broke the silence.
“We’ll figure something out.”
Lily nodded.
“Yes… together.”
Neither of them realized that hundreds of kilometers away, Victoria was smiling as she read a message on her phone.
Flight delayed.
Overnight stop confirmed.
She slowly locked her screen.
“Perfect.”
She whispered.
“Everything is going exactly as planned.”