Transferred The flight home was uneventful.
Which was exactly how Ava liked it.
After years of working as a flight attendant, she had developed a deep appreciation for uneventful days.
No difficult passengers.
No medical emergencies.
No delays.
No unexpected disasters.
Just work.
Simple.
Predictable.
Comfortable.
By the time she and Mia stepped out of the airport, the sky had already begun to darken.
The city glittered beneath the evening lights as they made their way toward the parking garage.
Ava let out a long sigh as she dropped into the passenger seat of her car.
Her feet were killing her.
Her shoulders ached.
And all she wanted was a hot shower and her bed.
Beside her, Mia started the engine.
For approximately thirty seconds, there was silence.
Then- “You know…” Ava immediately groaned.
Mia smiled.
“You know exactly what I’m about to say.” “I really don’t.” “The brothers.” Ava closed her eyes.
Of course.
The brothers.
“What brothers and what about them?” Mia pulled out of the parking space.
“They were gorgeous.” Ava stared ahead.
“I knew this was coming.” “No, seriously.” “Mia.” “I’m serious.” “Mia.” “The older one looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine.” Ava resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“They always seem to belong in magazines to you.” Ava said looking very frustrated.
“You barely spoke to to them.” “I don’t need a conversation to know when someone is attractive.” Ava turned toward her.
“That sounds incredibly shallow.” “Thank you.” “That wasn’t a compliment.” Mia grinned.
The conversation should have ended there.
Unfortunately, Mia wasn’t finished.
“In fact,” she continued, “I think you and the older brother would look really good together.” Ava nearly choked on absolutely nothing.
“What!” she said as she looked at Mia shocked.
“How do you know they’re even brothers?” “I’m just saying.” “There is nothing to say.” “There is plenty to say.” “Mia.2 “He’s rich.” “I don’t care.” “Handsome.” “I don’t care.” “Tall.” “I literally do not care.” Mia gasped dramatically.
“You’re impossible.” Ava laughed despite herself.
“I don’t even know what he looks like.” Mia nearly slammed on the brakes.
“You don’t know what he looks like?” “No.” “The man was sitting three feet away from you.” “I was working.” “You didn’t look at him?” “I looked at his boarding pass.” Mia stared at her as though she had just confessed to a crime.
“Ava Carter.” “What?” “You are genuinely hopeless.” Ava shook her head.
People always assumed hospitality came with hidden intentions.
That every smile meant flirting.
That every act of kindness carried some deeper meaning.
For Ava, it never had.
She treated every passenger the same way.
Young.
Old.
Rich.
friendly.
Difficult.
It didn’t matter.
Kindness wasn’t something she reserved for people she liked.
It was simply part of who she was.
Eventually, the conversation drifted toward other topics.
Work schedules.
Weekend plans.
A television show Ava had recently become obsessed with, she was always how aside work so she always had movies to tell Mia about, even when all Mia ever did was get drunk and go on dates with different men.
By the time they reached their apartment building, both women were exhausted.
“See you tomorrow,” Mia called while unlocking her apartment.
“Goodnight.” “And try dreaming about your mystery billionaire.” Ava rolled her eyes.
Then shut her door.
Immediately.
– The hot water from the shower washed away most of the tension sitting in Ava’s shoulders.
Most.
Not all.
She changed into an oversized shirt and comfortable shorts before making herself a cup of tea.
The apartment felt peaceful.
Quiet.
Safe.
The way she liked it.
For a little while, she sat curled up on the couch scrolling through her phone.
Then her screen lit up.
A new email notification appeared.
At first, she barely paid attention.
Probably another company update.
Maybe a schedule change.
She opened it anyway.
And froze.
The mug nearly slipped from her hand.
Her eyes moved across the screen once.
Then twice.
Then a third time.
Surely she was misunderstanding.
Surely she had opened the wrong email.
But no matter how many times she reread it, the words remained the same.
NOTICE OF INTERNAL STAFF TRANSFER Due to ongoing operational restructuring within the Hawthorne Hospitality Group, selected employees have been reassigned to Aurora Grand Resort for temporary placement.
Employee: Ava Carter Previous Position: Flight Attendant New Assignment: Executive Secretary to Mr.
Ethan Hawthorne Effective Immediately.
For several seconds, Ava simply stared.
The room felt strangely quiet.
Then- “WHAT?!” Her scream echoed throughout the apartment.
A loud knock immediately followed.
“Ava!” Another knock.
“Ava, open the door!” Ava stumbled toward the entrance and pulled it open.
Mia practically burst inside.
“What happened?” Without speaking, Ava shoved her phone into Mia’s hands.
Mia began reading.
Halfway through, her eyes widened.
By the end- “Oh my God.” “I KNOW.” “You’re becoming a secretary?” Mia looked horrified.
Ava looked worse.
“This has to be some kind of mistake.” “Right?” “Maybe they sent it to the wrong person.” “Exactly!” Before either of them could continue- Mia’s phone buzzed.
The two women slowly turned toward it.
Silence filled the room.
Then Mia unlocked her phone.
Read the email.
And screamed.
“Oh no.” Ava’s stomach dropped.
“What?” Mia held up the screen.
The transfer notice looked almost identical.
Except for one detail.
Executive Secretary to Mr.
Lucas Hawthorne The apartment exploded into chaos.
“No.” “YES.” “No.” “YES.” “This can’t be happening.” “It is happening.” Neither women looked remotely pleased.
For years, they had built careers they genuinely loved.
They loved flying.
They loved traveling.
They loved meeting people.
Being trapped behind a desk wasn’t part of the plan.
Ava collapsed dramatically onto the couch.
Her face disappeared into a pillow.
“I hate everything.” Mia sat beside her.
“You don’t hate everything.” Ava lifted her head.
“I hate most things.” “That’s better.” For a moment, silence settled between them.
Then Mia sighed.
“We don’t really have a choice, do we?” Ava already knew the answer.
The transfer wasn’t optional.
Declining would likely cost them their jobs.
And neither of them could afford that.
Slowly, she sank beck into the cushions.
Somewhere in the city, a man named Ethan Hawthorne was probably completely unaware that his new secretary had just suffered a minor emotional breakdown because of him.
Unfortunately for Ava Carter…
She would be meeting him very soon.