Chapter 228
Chapter 228
Briony froze, yanking her hand back in an instant.
The plane jolted violently, the turbulence so intense that lightning flashed outside the window, thunder rumbling so loud it rattled her skull.
Over the chaos, the flight attendant’s calm voice came through the speakers:
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re experiencing turbulence as we pass through a storm cloud. Please make sure your seat belts are securely fastened, follow the crew’s instructions, and keep your hands on the seatback in front of you…”
Briony had never been through turbulence this bad before.
As the shaking grew worse, panic started to ripple through the cabin.
“Mum, I’m scared, I want to go home-”
“Are we going to die? I haven’t even met my boyfriend yet-”
“God, please, just get us through this, please-”
Cries and prayers overlapped in a rising tide of fear. Suddenly, the plane lurched with a sickening drop. Screams erupted as the cabin depressurized and the oxygen masks fell from overhead with a thud. Stewart grabbed a mask and quickly fitted it over Briony’s face. “Don’t panic. Deep breaths.”
Briony squeezed her eyes shut, mind blank with terror.
But the turbulence was so fierce her stomach rebelled. Nausea twisted through her, and she clung to the armrests, desperate for it to end.
Five endless minutes later, the shaking finally eased. The plane broke free of the storm clouds, leveling out at cruising altitude.
The flight attendant’s voice returned, gentle and reassuring. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve safely passed through the storm. We apologize for the scare. Our crew will be coming through the cabin–if anyone is feeling unwell, please let us know right away…”
Briony unclasped her seat belt and stood, hand over her mouth, but her legs nearly gave out beneath her. Stewart caught her just in time.
“Do you feel sick?” he asked quietly.
Briony glanced up at him, face drawn and miserable. She shoved his hand away, voice tense. “Just leave me alone. Honestly, that would help me the most right now.”
Seeing how pale she was, Stewart didn’t argue. He called over a flight attendant, who quickly guided Briony to the restroom.
Inside, Briony was violently ill.
Afterward, she splashed cold water on her face, waiting for the dizziness to fade. Gradually, her stomach settled and she felt almost alive again.
When she returned to her seat, the flight attendant greeted her with a warm smile and offered a cup of hot water and some motion sickness tablets.
Briony accepted just the water. “No pills, thank you. I’m feeling much better now.”
“If you need anything at all, just let us know,” the attendant replied kindly.
“Thank you.” Briony managed a small, grateful smile.
Once the attendant left, Briony sipped the warm water, feeling the comforting heat settle in her belly. The worst
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Chapter 228
had passed.
With only about fifteen minutes until landing, Briony gave up on sleeping. She pulled out a paperback from her bag and opened it, eyes scanning the pages.
Beside her, Stewart kept silent, only glancing at her now and then.
In the soft light, Briony’s profile looked calm, her skin pale and delicate.
Stewart turned away, leaned back, and closed his eyes, letting out a silent breath.
Meanwhile, the coach bus was winding its way into the mountains.
The closer they got, the lighter the rain became.
Stella had never been anywhere like this before. As soon as the bus left the highway for the narrow mountain roads, she pressed her face to the window, watching the scenery with wide–eyed fascination.
She kept staring until dusk fell and the world outside faded into darkness.
Finally, she turned to the man beside her. “How much longer till we get there?”
Cedric Clarke looked up from his book, glanced out into the pitch–black, then checked his watch and did a quick mental calculation. “We should be getting close. If it weren’t for the rain slowing us down, we’d have arrived by now.”
“Oh.” Stella glanced down at his book. “What are you reading?”
“Harry Potter.”
Stella blinked in surprise. “Really? I thought you’d be reading something medical.”
“I do read medical texts,” Cedric said with a faint smile, “but I read Harry Potter to relax.”
“What about you?” he asked. “What do you usually read?”
“Me?” Stella shrugged, completely honest. “I only read novels.”
Cedric’s interest was piqued. “What kind? Mysteries? Thrillers?”
“Nope!” Stella grinned, wagging a finger. “I only read CEO romance novels–like Dumping My Cheating Husband: Now I’m Living My Best Life, or I’m the Billionaire Heiress and Juggling Eight Boyfriends, So What? That kind of thing!”
Cedric stared, momentarily speechless.
Stella laughed. “They’re all about strong female leads, you know? Med school is stressful. These stories are my guilty pleasure.”
Cedric managed an awkward chuckle. “The titles alone sound pretty… therapeutic.”
“Oh, they so are!” Stella said brightly. “Want to borrow one? I can give you some recommendations,”
Cedric coughed softly. “Maybe next time.”
“Fair enough.” Stella paused, then added, “Of course, I do read some actual published books too.”
Cedric seized on the topic. “Like what?”
“Like… The Life–Changing Magic of Tidying Up, or The Power of Not Caring What Others Think–stuff like that.”
Cedric nodded. “Those are good books.”
“And very good for falling asleep, too!” Stella added with a straight face.
Cedric’s expression went blank.
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Chapter 228
Stella frowned at him. “Dr. Clarke, are you okay?”
He sighed, then smiled, shaking his head. “I’m fine. Just… surprised, I guess.”
He looked at Stella, taking in her breezy, untroubled attitude, and his smile softened. “But honestly, that’s very you, Dr. Joyner. I think it’s great.”
Stella was about to reply when, without warning, the bus lurched violently-
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