The atmosphere at the airport was a chaotic blend of corporate efficiency and the giddy energy of a school field trip. The migration team had settled into a waiting area near the gate, though the group had fragmented into smaller clusters of private conversations. Isaac stood several paces away, his face lit by the glow of his phone as he spoke animatedly to Mia.

A few yards in the opposite direction, Eva held her phone to her ear, finally connecting with her mother after several failed attempts. "Mom! Finally, I reached you," Eva breathed, a smile tugging at her lips. "How are you?"

"I’m good, darling," Penny, Eva’s mother, replied through a layer of static. "We haven’t had any network here; it’s a very rural area."

"So how is the archaeological work going with Dad?" Eva asked. "How is he?"

"He’s fine, honey," Penny said, her voice crackling with excitement. "It seems our work will take longer than expected. We’ve found a new hidden village underneath the earth! A new crew and government officials have already arrived."

"Wow, that’s great," Eva said, genuinely impressed by her parents' discovery.

"So, how is the Southern Land?" Penny asked.

"It’s good. I’m actually traveling to the Eastern Land right now to visit a client's office," Eva explained. She paused, her heart fluttering. "And Mom... I found Gabriel in our office. We patched up."

The line went quiet for a beat before Penny’s voice changed completely. "What? That Gabriel? The boy who disappeared? Eva, how can you trust him again? He isn't worth it; don't waste your time on him".

"Mom, listen to me," Eva pleaded. "I know what you thought happened, but let me tell you the story."

"That girl Delilah," Penny interrupted, her voice sharp. "I already told you back then she was not a nice person and was faking everything, but you didn't trust me. Anyway... are you happy with Gabriel?"

"Yes, Mom," Eva said, her voice softening as she caught sight of Gabriel across the terminal. "We even moved into the same apartment. I’m happy. I feel like I’ve won the world."

"I am happy if you are happy, darling," Penny sighed, conceding. "Eva, I’m not sure when you'll be able to reach us again, so I’ll call whenever I can connect. I have to go."

"Okay, Mom. I think boarding is starting. Love you!"

"Love you too, honey," Penny said before the line went dead.

As Eva tucked her phone away, she overheard Isaac nearby, still deep in his own conversation. "So, Mia, cotton candy is famous in the Eastern Land. I'll buy you some!" He pulled the phone away, looking confused. "She disconnected. I think she took my joke seriously and thinks I'm only going there for candy." He quickly redialed to clarify.

Inside the flight, the cabin hummed with the steady drone of the engines. Eva and Gabriel were settled into their seats, the intimate space of the aircraft allowing for a quiet moment of reflection.

"I told my mother about our reconciliation," Eva whispered, leaning toward him. "She was angry at first—she still remembered how you left—but I told her the entire story. She’s fine now."

"That’s a relief," Gabriel said, offering a small, appreciative smile.

"Speaking of which," Eva continued, her gaze turning curious. "You thought I was the one who left you. Now that we’ve cleared that up, do you have to convince anyone from your side about us? I know your mother passed away when you were younger, but what about your father?"

Gabriel’s expression shifted, a flicker of shadow crossing his eyes before he looked away. "I have no one to convince," he said shortly, before expertly pivoting the conversation. "I had a meeting with Philip before we left. I asked him to send me documentation of any work Delilah asks him to do. Theo is returning next week, and Philip will brief him. I need to know if she's getting help on that project."

"Did you see the roadmap she sent?" Eva asked, skeptical. "Are you sure she prepared that herself?"

Gabriel nodded slowly. "She sent it, and it looks good to go. Either she’s suddenly become a genius, or I’m not good enough to find out who actually did it for her yet".

Upon reaching their hotel in the Eastern Land, the team gathered in the lobby as Gabriel distributed key cards. Grace stared at her card in shock.

"What is this, Gabriel? Separate rooms for everyone?" she asked. "Caleb and I already live together!"

Gabriel laughed, shaking his head. "Company policy, Grace. Even Eva and I are in separate rooms for the duration of the trip."

"I think it's great," Isaac chimed in with a grin.

"What’s great about it?" Eva asked.

"Well, everyone else is a pair now," Isaac said, gesturing to the group. "Even Phoebe and Samuel have become a duo. I’m the only one here with no one, so I’m happy everyone has to sleep alone."

"I'll just go to Caleb’s room," Grace shrugged, unbothered. "Or he can come to mine."

"Exactly," Caleb agreed.

Samuel looked hopefully at Phoebe. "So, I can come to your room too, right?"

Phoebe fixed him with a perfectly straight face. "In your dreams, mister. We haven’t crossed that stage yet."

"We could upgrade!" Samuel suggested.

"I'll kill you," Phoebe deadpanned, though the corner of her mouth twitched. The group dissolved into laughter as they headed toward the elevators.

A week later, back at the office, Delilah arrived with a spring in her step. She was thrilled that Gabriel was away, but she was even more excited to enact a plan for "revenge" against Eva for the humiliation at the mall.

Her evil smile vanished the moment she walked into the migration suite. The room was deathly quiet and entirely empty.

"Philip!" she shouted, spotting him at a nearby desk. "Where is the team? Are they in the cafeteria?"

"No," Philip said, not looking up from his code. "They all went to the Eastern Land."

Delilah froze. Eva went with them? panic flared in her chest. If they were alone in a foreign country for two weeks, any progress she had made would be undone. She assumed Isaac would be there to act as a barrier, but she couldn't take the risk.

"I can't give them any more chances," she whispered to herself. She needed to accelerate her secondary plan: meeting Mr. Sebastian St. James. If she could win over the patriarch of the JND Group, she would be seen as the "angel" who brought his son back to the family.

She retreated to a private corner of the office and dialed a number she had spent weeks digging for.

"I want an appointment with Mr. Sebastian St. James," she said, her voice dripping with artificial importance.

"May I know who is calling and the nature of your visit?" a professional receptionist asked.

"My name is Delilah. I am his son’s fiancée," she lied effortlessly. "It’s regarding family matters."

"I see," the receptionist replied. "I’ll message the appointment details to your phone once confirmed. I don't see any openings in his calendar for at least a week."

"That’s fine," Delilah said, clicking off the call. She stared at the empty migration room, a cold determination settling over her. She would get that appointment, and when she did, the St. James legacy would be hers.