Chapter 286

The flight back to Skyline stretched on endlessly, though the captain insisted it was just under seven hours. Time did not obey clocks when your mind was chasing itself in circles. I barely touched the champagne the flight attendant pressed into my hand. Instead, I spent most of the journey staring at the clouds through the oval window, chewing on the inside of my cheek until I could taste copper. The man in the seat beside me, a trim sort of executive with a navy suit and a smile polished to boardroom standards, decided I looked like an easy target for conversation. ‘First time visiting Skyline?’ he asked, with the kind of bright cheerfulness that belonged to someone determined to network at thirty thousand feet. ‘No,’ I said, adjusting the blanket across my lap. He leaned closer, as if I had just opened the door to more. ‘Do you live there or work there? I’m in tech investments myself. Always interesting to meet someone new in the city. What line are you in?’ ‘I design jewellery,’ I