When war broke out in Irestan, my fiancé, Everett Jones, caused a scene at the airport and refused to let the evacuation flight take off.

He was determined to wait for his precious first love, Annie Scott, who had taken advantage of the chaos to loot a cosmetics counter for luxury goods.

By then, the insurgent forces were already closing in.

The shriek of explosions grew louder, drawing nearer by the second.

With an entire plane full of people in mortal danger, I had no choice.

I knocked Everett unconscious and dragged him aboard.

After we returned home, far from the battlefield, we lived a period of quiet, comfortable happiness. I truly believed he had finally put that woman behind him.

I was wrong.

On our wedding day, he tied me up, drove me away, and deliberately crashed the car, killing me.

As my life slipped away, I heard his twisted laughter.

"Daniela, you're the one who killed my Annie. Because of you, she was killed by an insurgent missile.

"She was just a young girl who liked to look pretty. What was so wrong with that?

"This is what you owe her. I'm going to make you suffer far more than she ever did."

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the boarding gate, at the exact moment he blocked the plane.

This time, I chose to grant his wish and let him stay behind with his beloved first love, together, forever.

"We've got to take off now, or we'll never get out of here. The insurgent forces are practically on top of us!"

The cabin was filled with the growing roar of explosions and the chilling sound of gunfire. Outside, the air was thick with the desperate screams of people.

Inside, some passengers were praying, others begging for mercy, while a few guys in full panic mode tried to get the fiancé to see reason.

However, he was having none of it, lashing out with a kick that sent them sprawling.

His eyes were like lasers, burning into anyone who dared approach. "Annie is coming. Just hold tight for a sec, okay?"

The guy with glasses who had been kicked down clutched his chest and spat out, "What, so we're just gonna sit here and wait to get blown up with her?!

"The clock's ticking on this evacuation, and the insurgent forces are closing in. How long are we supposed to wait for her? We've got Mr. Lynch on board, for crying out loud!"

He gestured to an elderly man with a shock of white hair and a ghostly pale face.

Zayden Lynch was a legend in the medical world, the VIP of that whole operation.

He would come to Irestan to help the victims of the disaster, and if anything happened to him, it would be a death sentence for countless patients back home.

"So what–our lives matter, but Annie's doesn't?" challenged Everett Jones, his face an icy mask.

"We're all in this together, we're family, we stick together."

His words sent a wave of anger through the crowd, but nobody could find the words to argue.

Just as pissed off, a colleague turned to me and said, "Ms. Larson, talk some sense into your fiancé, will you? This isn't just about us; this is about every single person from Irestan!

"Any minute now, this place is gonna be on total lockdown. This is our one shot!

"And Mr. Lynch can't afford to take any more risks!"

Suddenly, all eyes in the cabin were on me.

As the flight's captain and co-leader of our emergency evacuation, I knew everyone was counting on me to make the right call.

Everett whipped his head around to stare at me, his eyes flickering with a dark edge I knew all too well.

He was scared, terrified that I would suggest we leave Annie Scott behind.

For a split second, I even spotted a flash of something deadly in his gaze.

I inhaled deeply, making a choice that was nothing like the one I had made in my past life. "Everett's got a point. We can't just ditch any of our own."

A chorus of boos and hisses broke out in the cabin, but Everett's tense shoulders dropped, and a smug smile crept onto his face.

"Insane. All of you are freaking insane!" exploded the guy with the glasses, fighting to get on his feet.

Everett's face twisted into a snarl. He decked the glasses guy with one punch, then yanked a hammer from the overhead compartment.

As the plane's fix-it guy, he knew every nook and cranny of that bird.

He slammed the hammer down menacingly, giving everyone a look that said he meant business.

"Open your mouth again, and you'll regret it," he growled.

…

The cabin went dead quiet, except for the distant booms of explosions creeping closer, a grim reminder that trouble was on our tail.

Everett scanned the room, a satisfied grin on his face as he saw the fear he had sparked.

He gave me a softer look and said, "Thanks for backing up Annie, Daniela. I always knew my girl was the most understanding, the most decent person out there.

"Since you've been such an angel, here's my vow. We make it back safe, and we're heading straight to the altar.

"From then on, it's just you and me."

That promise, so hauntingly familiar. He had played me with those same words in my previous life. I kept that thought to myself, fighting back the urge to gag, and managed a timid nod.

He leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead.

I dropped my gaze, a silent shield against the icy fear inside.

Outside, the cabin was rocked by a relentless barrage of explosions. Through the chaos, the silhouettes of insurgent tanks emerged like dark specters in the smoke.

Everett was a human barricade at the door, his eyes fiercely fixed on the airstrip.

However, deep down, I knew the truth: even if Annie showed up, we would not make it out of there.

The hammer's blow had been telling; a tiny 'click' from the wing had not escaped my ears.

I remembered a similar scenario from an aircraft maintenance manual I had once read.

Metal fatigue, a loose screw–it could spell disaster at high altitudes, tearing a plane apart.

That very screw was gone, too. If we took off, we would not last beyond 3000 meters.

Tension thickened the air inside the cabin. Whispers of fear, the death grip on armrests: it was a portrait of despair.

Some of the younger passengers glared at Everett, their anger held in check only by the hammer in his grip.

"We'll all be dead if we just sit here!" one man exploded.

Everett's sneer was icy as he hammered the cabin wall. "If you're in such a hurry, go jump off the plane!"

That was when the clatter of high heels echoed in the distance.

"Everett! I'm here!"

Annie burst onto the scene, breathless, her cheeks a rosy flush, her hair a wild cascade.

She was toting a designer bag, plump with her latest haul, her lips a fresh slick of Chanel, her eyes done up like she was off to a gala.

Everett's face transformed, the hammer forgotten as he swept her into an embrace. "Annie! You made it!"

She gave him a playful jab. "I nearly missed out! Good thing I'm quick on my feet."

She flaunted her treasures with a twirl, her eyes scanning the cabin until they landed on me. Her lips twisted into a smirk, a silent challenge.

Everett's eyes followed her pointed look, his face freezing for just a second before melting back into a gentle smile. "Daniela, Annie's here. We're good to go now."

At that moment, the guy with glasses lost it.

"Seriously? A whole bag of fancy makeup? What's that about?!

"He made us all wait, risking our necks, just so she could swipe some extra beauty products!?"

His outburst ignited everyone's anger.

Everett scooped up a hammer from the floor, glaring daggers at the guy with specs.

"Utter one more peep, and believe me, I'll crack your skull open."

The cabin went dead quiet, except for the guy's bitter, ragged breathing.

Annie peeked out from behind Everett, grinning like the cat that got the cream, and gave her haul of designer goodies an extra little flaunt.

She snuggled up to Everett and, as she breezed by me, murmured, "Thanks a bunch for hanging tight, Daniela."

I kept my mouth shut, my eyes fixed on the gun-toting goons charging our way.

As the cabin door slammed shut, a volley of gunshots rang out.

"The insurgents are coming!" someone shrieked.

…

The crowd's curses exploded all at once.

"Happy now, Everett?!"

The guy with glasses shot up, jabbing a finger at the insurgents closing in outside. "We're all gonna end up dead here because we waited for her!"

A mom clutching her kid started bawling, "My baby's only three... All because we waited for her to snatch up some makeup..."

Annie's eyes welled up, and she curled into Everett's arms, looking hurt.

"It wasn't on purpose. I just wanted to grab a few things to take home, for the kids at the orphanage..."

Everett wrapped his arms around Annie, his voice full of hurt as he said, "She's right. Annie's got a heart of gold. Why are you all ganging up on her?"

Panic had taken over the cabin. Some passengers were sobbing uncontrollably, while others were glued to their phones, sending desperate messages to loved ones.

The distant cries of the insurgents and the occasional crack of gunfire were getting louder by the second.

I surveyed the frightened faces and whispered, "The plane is a sitting duck. We need to make a break for the nearby bomb shelter."

The guy with the glasses piped up, "But the insurgents are swarming outside. How are we supposed to get out?"

I pointed to a hatch leading to a service tunnel under the boarding stairs. "This way leads to the ground crew's passage. There's a hidden path to the bomb shelter."

I swung the hatch open. "Stick with me, and keep it down."

The passengers shuffled out in a nervous line, except for Annie, who stood frozen, eyeing the grimy hatch with disgust. "Everett, I can't go down there. My skirt is brand new..."

Everett stepped up to her, all reassuring smiles. "No worries, Annie, I've got you. I'll carry you."

I shot them a look and did not wait for a response, leading the rest into the murky tunnel.

Zayden's cough echoed weakly behind me. "Ms. Larson, I don't think my old bones can take much more..."

"Don't talk like that, Mr. Lynch," I said, steadying him. "Your work is too important. I'll get you home safe and sound."

The tunnel was a damp, shadowy vein under the chaos, the insurgents' shouts a haunting backdrop.

We crept along, breaths held, until we reached the safety of the bomb shelter.

"Stay put. I've called in the cavalry," I assured them in a hush. "They'll be here in two hours."

Everyone collapsed in relief, finding spots to rest.

Just then, a wave of perfume hit us like a freight train.

"What in the world is that smell?" The guy with glasses looked around, alarmed.

There was Annie, spritzing Chanel like it was an air freshener. "Ugh, it reeks here. A little perfume never hurts anyone, right?"

Zayden's cough turned into a fit, his face going ghostly white. "Stop... Please stop... I'm allergic..."

I dashed to grab the perfume bottle, but I was too late.

Zayden was already gasping for air, his lips a frightening shade of blue.

"You fool!" The guy with glasses exploded in rage. "If anything happens to Mr. Lynch, you'll have the whole country on your back!"