The plane continued to cut through the sky with a steady, monotonous hum, as if it were gently rocking its passengers. Outside, the sun was already high, but the cabin remained bathed in soft light, the shades drawn halfway down, the air vents barely stirring. The world was out there – far below, beneath the clouds. Up here, there was only silence.
Sloane had barely moved for the past half hour. She'd tucked her tablet back into her bag, slid the stylus into its case, and her movements had grown heavy. Her head tilted back, and her gaze lingered on random points, no longer reading – just staring. Her fingers lay slack on her knees.
And then... slowly, almost imperceptibly, she let her hair down.
It fell around her face first – soft golden strands framing skin that was no longer tense, o
