Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 45 Chapter 45: "I want one million, or the freedom to work. That's non-negotiable," Yvonne said firmly.

Norton had never allowed Yvonne to work in the past, but given the current situation, she was confident that he would much rather not give her any money. This was a rare opportunity she couldn't afford to miss.

"Do whatever you want, I'm not giving you a single dime. But..." Norton paused, fixing her with a cold stare. "Don't go parading yourself around as my wife. Don't drag my family ndown with you." "You have nothing to worry about," Yvonne reassured him. “I'll make sure no one else knows, apart from those who are already aware of our relationship." Norton let out a derisive snort. "See that you do just that." Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Rachel calculated her savings, including the money sent by Yvonne. In total, she had about 1.5 million. That meant she still needed to raise an additional 500,000.

Luckily, her business trip to Amberfield was for a huge project. If she managed to land the deal, and added in her year-end bonus, she should have enough, with a little change to spare.

Rachel wasted no tand asked Samira to prepare the necessary documents and travel with her.

They were set to leave when Trey suddenly ran up to them. "Ms. Marsh, you can't leavebehind while you go on a business trip!" "You still lack experience," Rachel replied patiently. "It would be best for you to stay in the office and master the ropes for now." "I get what you're saying, but... Well, you can't just travel all by yourselves, you two are women! People might give you a hard tat spoint. If you takewith you, I can be your guardian and save you all the trouble. I think I would be a great help in dealing with potential harassment." Rachel had to admit that Trey made a good point. Still, she took a moment to think it over before finally relenting. "All right, you can cwith us. Go hand pack your things. Meet us at the airport in an hour." "Got it!" The two women went ahead to pick up Jeffrey. For the first time, Rachel opened up about their situation and told Samira everything.

Samira was understandably shocked. "You're a tough woman, you know? I really admire you. Since you're like a sister to me, that makes your brother my family as well. I'll treat him like my own from now on. Trust me, I'll start by looking after him throughout our trip." Rachel nodded, offering a grateful smile. "That really putsat ease." After picking up Jeffrey, they headed straight to the airport.

They were halfway there when Rachel received a call from Brian. She stared at her phone for a few seconds before forcing herself to answer. "Hello?" "Ronald toldyou're on your way to the airport." "That's right." "Did you pack everything you need? You didn't forget anything?" "Yes and no." Rachel kept her responses short.

On the other side, Brian bristled in his seat. He couldn't quite explain the displeasure that had crept into his chest. He didn't know what had caused it, but it latched onto him, leaving his nerves a little frayed.

"If that's all you have to say, I'm hanging up," Rachel said.

Brian's brows furrowed at her businesslike tone. He opened his mouth to say something else, but no words cout.

"Take care of yourself," he finally said. "If you need me-" He was abruptly cut off by the beeping tone. Rachel had already hung up on him.

Jeffrey glanced at his sister, immediately noticing her low spirits. He gently took her hand and squeezed it. "Don't be sad. You've got me. You'll always have me." Rachel pulled him in for a small hug. "Yes, as long as I have you, I can weather anything." Trey was already at the airport when they arrived. He bounded over to them like an excited golden retriever. "Over here! Lethelp you with your bags." It was Jeffrey's first encounter with him, though, so he was as good as a stranger to Jeffrey.

Clutching the cuff of Rachel's sleeve, Jeffrey hid behind her, refusing to cout.

Rachel couldn't help but feel a little anxious at her brother's unexpected reaction. But before she could do anything, Trey dropped a large duffel bag in front of Jeffrey and zipped it open.

Inside were all sorts of toys, ranging from plushies to puzzles and mechanical gadgets.

Jeffrey's eyes lit up with undeniable interest, though he hesitated to approach Trey and his bag of goodies.

Trey took the initiative, pushing the bag closer to Jeffrey. "Hello, Jeffrey. My nis Trey, and these are my gifts for you, in honor of our first meeting." Jeffrey was still shy, but no longer fearful. He stepped out from behind Rachel, though he still clung to her. Trey patiently spent a few moments calming him, until Jeffrey, on his own, took the bag. Rachel let out a sigh of relief.

They gathered their luggage and proceeded with the boarding procedures. At one point, Rachel pulled Trey aside and asked, "How did you know about Jeffrey? You cso well-prepared." "Samira gavea heads-up," Trey explained. "She was worried that Jeffrey might be scared ofor think I was a bad person." Rachel gave him a grateful look. She always cherished the moments when the universe reminded her that there was still kindness in the world for her and her brother. Not everything was cruelty and endless struggle.

As the plane took off, Jeffrey curled up in his seat and closed his eyes. Soon, he was fast asleep. Rachel held his hand tightly in hers.

Across the aisle, Trey glanced at them, his chest tightening with emotion. "Samira, can you tellmore about them?" he asked quietly.

"I'm not sure," Samira responded. “I just found out about Jeffrey myself today. They've had a hard time, and Rachel really cares about him. That's why she brought him along-she didn't want to leave him alone." Trey frowned. "What about their family?" "Their mother passed away a long tago. Their father remarried and now lives with his new family. Rachel's been working hard over the years, just to support herself and Jeffrey. She joined the White Group and climbed up its ranks through sheer grit and hard work. So, don't cause us any trouble, okay? We don't want to give her any more headaches." Trey nodded readily, then glanced over at Rachel again.

Rachel and Jeffrey were still holding hands, leaning on each other as they both slept.

Seeing them like that, Trey found himself reminiscing about his own past. Much like them, he and his sister had relied on each other since childhood. They had lost their mother when they were very young. If it hadn't been for his sister, he might have...

He had ended up in an orphanage somewhere. For most of his as childhood, he had felt though fate itself hated him. Why did other kids get to have mothers who loved and cared for them? Why did others have happy, complete families? He still carried sof that resentment, but looking at Rachel now, it all seemed to melt away.

He had thought he was marked by misfortune, but it turned out there were many others who carried heavier burdens.

Truth be told, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have imagined that Rachel was facing such difficulties.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden jolt. They had been in the air for an hour, and it seemed they were encountering sturbulence.

A flight attendant's voice cover the speaker. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing sunexpected turbulence. Please remain calm, stay seated, and keep your seatbelts fastened." The announcement slowly roused Rachel from her sleep.

At first, the turbulence was mild, and everyone remained calm, barely reacting to the occasional shake of the plane.

But just ten minutes later, the plane was rattling violently.

Panic spread among the passengers, quickly escalating into chaos. People were shouting and and cryingsuccumbing to their fears. Soverhead compartments had opened, and carry-on luggage fell to the aisles amid the violent shaking. "What's going on, Rachel?" Jeffrey stirred awake, rubbing his eyes innocently.

you." Rachel gathered him into her arms and stroked his cheek. "It's nothing. You can go back to sleep. I'll watch over At that moment, Ronald burst into Brian's office, panic evident in his eyes. "Mr. White! I've just received news- Ms. Marsh's plane is experiencing severe turbulence. Ground control has lost communication with it.”