"You ready?" Kenzii asked Cariz, who was sitting next to him, as they buckled their seatbelts. The flight attendant had just announced that their private plane was preparing for takeoff.
Cariz took a deep breath and nodded. It was her very first time flying on a plane, let alone leaving her home country, so her nerves were getting the best of her. The moment the aircraft accelerated and lifted off the ground, she instinctively gripped her armchair, startled by the unfamiliar feeling of turbulence. However, she calmed down almost instantly when a hand gently held hers. It was Kenzii.
"Relax, it'll pass in a few moments," he smiled reassuringly before looking across the table at his cousins, who were seated opposite them. "Hey, how long is the total flight?" he called out to them. Sota didn't seem to hear him over the noise of the engine and the initial turbulence. Kenzii, was entirely unaffected—traveling internationally on a weekly basis made this routine for him. He simply sighed and waited for the aircraft to reach its cruising altitude and stabilize in the air.
Once the plane leveled out, Cariz felt Kenzii gently release her hand. She watched as he unbuckled his seatbelt, walked over to a small cabinet to pour himself a glass of wine, and sat down on the comfortable leather sofa on the other side of the cabin.
Alas and Sota followed suit, unbuckling their seatbelts to grab drinks of their own. Cariz carefully unlocked her own belt but chose to remain safely in her seat.
"To answer your question from earlier, our total travel time will be around 18 hours," Sota explained after taking a sip of cold water. "We'll be stopping at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in the UAE for about an hour to refuel. After that, it's a straight flight to NAIA in Manila."
"Let's drop by Expo City Dubai for a short walk while we're there. It's only about 15 to 20 minutes away from the airport," Kenzii suggested, catching Sota and Alas off guard.
"Wow, is that really you talking?" Alas teased, letting out an amused smirk. Kenzii just rolled his eyes, throwing a brief glance at Cariz, who was staring out the plane window before she softly closed her eyes.
Sota caught the subtle interaction and smiled to himself. He then walked toward the cockpit area to arrange their ground transportation for when they landed at DWC.
.
After an exhausting six-hour flight, the aircraft finally touched down at DWC for its refueling stop. Leaving their heavy luggage on the plane, the group grabbed only their wallets and phones before being met on the tarmac by a private driver. They were quickly escorted into a sleek black van provided by the FBO services.
As they walked around Expo City, Cariz looked up in absolute awe, completely mesmerized by the towering, modern architecture of the city. Since they had only eaten light snacks during the flight, they decided to sit down at a high-end restaurant for a proper dinner.
"What would you like to eat?" Kenzii asked, looking over at Cariz. The others had already placed their orders, but she was still staring blankly at the menu.
"Ahm, well..." Cariz stammered, avoiding his eyes. Realizing that all three cousins were now staring at her, she nervously hid her face behind the large menu sheet. She was having a hard time pronouncing the fancy foreign dishes listed. Shaking her head, she decided to stick to something familiar. "I-I'll just have the beef steak, please."
"How would you like your steak prepared, ma'am?" the waiter asked politely.
"Um, m-medium rare," she replied with a shy, nervous smile.
Once the waiter walked away, Cariz couldn't help but worry about the cost of the meal. There were no prices listed anywhere on the menu, and the luxurious atmosphere of the restaurant screamed expensive.
"Don't worry about the bill. The moment you decided to come with us, you became my responsibility. Everything is on me," Kenzii said quietly, as if reading her mind perfectly. "By the way, is there anything specific you want to achieve? Any dream job you've always wanted?" he asked, looking at her intently.
"Ah, n-not really. I don't dream big since life has always been difficult," Cariz admitted with a soft smile, nervously playing with her fingers under the table. "My only real wish was to provide a good life for my family."
"Are you sure?" Kenzii pressed.
"Yes. I-I can handle any kind of work. I'm a very fast learner."
Alas and Sota quietly observed the exchange from across the table. They still found it hard to believe that Kenzii had actually brought along a girl he barely knew. They were genuinely happy to see him opening up to someone, even if it was incredibly surprising.
"In that case, I'm hiring you as my personal assistant, if that's fine with you?" Kenzii offered smoothly, taking a sip of his wine.
"Yes, that sounds perfect to me."
"Good. You'll start the day after tomorrow. My secretary will handle your training."
When the food arrived, they enjoyed their dinner together. Not wanting to delay their flight, they quickly prepared to leave the restaurant after. However, right before they reached the exit, Kenzii accidentally bumped into a heavily built, muscular man.
The man, who was wearing sunglasses, immediately pulled them down and glared at Kenzii. Kenzii simply met his gaze with a cold, expressionless look.
"Are you blind? Watch where you're going!" the bearded man snapped aggressively. Behind him stood two other men dressed in matching, formal attire.
"I think you're the blind one. Who wears sunglasses in the middle of the night?" Kenzii retorted coolly, sizing the man up. A few nearby customers who overheard the remark burst into snickers.
"What did you just say?" the man hissed, his face turning red with rage as his hands balled into tight fists.
"See? Not only are you blind, but you're deaf too," Kenzii added dryly, fueling more hushed laughter around the room. Sota quickly stepped in, grabbing Kenzii's arm to urge him to stop.
"You little piece of—" The man lunged forward, raising a fist, but two restaurant security guards immediately rushed over to intervene.
"Sir, please, not in here," one of the guards said, stepping between them.
"Do you have any idea who I am?!" the bearded man yelled at the guard.
"We apologize, sir, but we absolutely cannot tolerate any fights inside."
"Boss, let it go for now. There are too many people," one of the man's companions whispered, gently taking his arm to pull him back. The man violently shook off his grip and glared murderously at Kenzii one last time.
"You better pray our paths don't cross again, because I'll make sure you never see the light of day."
Kenzii opened his mouth to fire back another insult, but Sota forcefully pulled him by the shoulder, apologizing to the staff as he dragged his cousin out of the restaurant.
"Hey! What the hell were you thinking, picking a fight like that?" Sota whispered angrily once they were outside.
"Tch. Let's just go back to the plane," Kenzii muttered coldly, walking ahead of the group.
Sota let out a frustrated sigh and followed him toward the waiting van.
"Is he... always like that?" Cariz asked nervously, walking beside Alas.
"He just absolutely despises arrogant people, especially bullies who try to flex their power," Alas explained with an awkward, reassuring chuckle.
Cariz nodded slowly, her brows furrowing slightly. She brushed the incident aside, keeping in mind that despite his sharp edges, Kenzii had been nothing but kind to her and the people of Blatce.
.
After returning to DWC, they boarded their private jet and continued their journey toward the Philippines. The remaining time of the flight passed in quiet comfort until they finally arrived in Manila. It was 8:00 AM when they walked out of NAIA, where Sota's private driver was already waiting to pick them up.
When the car arrived at the luxury high-rise condominium building where Kenzii resided, Elena, his secretary, was already waiting in the lobby to greet them.
"Good morning, Sir. Welcome back."
"Gorning. Did you take care of the arrangements I requested?" Kenzii asked, walking briskly through the lobby with Elena, Sota, and Alas trailing close behind. Still overwhelmed by the sudden change in environment, Cariz quietly followed them.
"Yes, Sir. Her unit is ready and fully furnished. It is located right next to yours," Elena explained professionally.
They stepped into the private elevator, and Elena pressed the button for the 31st floor.
"Thank you. Are there any urgent matters at the office? Do I have pending documents to review?" Kenzii continued to ask as the elevator went up.
Cariz stood quietly in the corner, taking everything in. While Kenzii was talking business with his secretary, both Sota and Alas were glued to their phones, intensely discussing separate, urgent matters with people on the other end. She wasn't naive; she could easily put the pieces together now. Her initial instincts back in the village had been entirely correct: these three cousins weren't just well-off—they were incredibly, obscenely wealthy.
As the elevator clang, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. What kind of life was waiting for her on the other side of these doors?