CHAPTER 358: CHAPTER 356: HOPE SO [1ST UPDATE]

Maya Spencer listened to Lillian Morris’s comforting words, raised her right hand, and bit her own hand back. Then she turned around and looked seriously at Lillian Morris, saying, "Did you book the ticket for return flight? Book the earliest one! This way, I can go back tomorrow morning. Could I borrow your phone? I want to ask Ella to cover for me and take a leave for Liam Spencer, saying I’ll be with her tonight and will return home tomorrow morning."

After thinking it through, Maya Spencer finally came up with a way to cover up the past, albeit unreliable, and Liam might not believe her. Yet for the moment, she couldn’t think of a better plan.

Lillian Morris looked at Maya’s anxious expression, lifted her right hand to rub her forehead, sighed helplessly, and explained weakly, "Maya, we have already left S City. We’re no longer under Liam’s control."

Maya listened to Lillian’s reminder but didn’t heed the issue he mentioned. She simply said calmly, "We might as well book the tickets in advance to avoid not being able to get them."

Lillian felt utterly helpless, turned to face Maya, and sat down, grabbing her arms, and reminded again, "Maya, look into my eyes — confront me. Stop worrying about Liam, okay? He can’t threaten you anymore."

"Brother Morris, he isn’t as easy as you think."

"After we get off the plane, we’ll assume different identities. Plus, we’re taking three connecting flights to reach Canada, he won’t be able to find us."

"What about the Morris Clan Group after we leave? What about your parents? My uncle? What about Ella?" Maya forcibly shook off Lillian’s hands, stared directly into his eyes, and demanded.

She didn’t care about many people, just those two. She couldn’t imagine what her uncle would be like without the Hanson Clan Group, nor could she imagine Ethan Turner being retaliated against by Liam Spencer. She had just this one good friend; how could she let Ethan Turner be hurt for her sake.

Lillian was rendered speechless by Maya’s questioning. Although he had arranged work-related matters, what about Ethan? If Liam retaliated against her, what would happen? Why watch helplessly as she becomes another Maya?

Moreover, Ethan wasn’t Maya; Liam would be even less lenient with her.

After pondering for a moment, he said, "I’ll bring Ethan here."

"What about Ethan Turner? What about their parents?" Maya couldn’t let others suffer for her happiness.

Even though she wanted to be selfish, she had no right to make them pay for her happiness.

"Maya, stop overthinking. We’ll wait and see how things unfold. If anything really happens, I won’t let you return to S City." Regarding this escape, Lillian made the worst-case scenario plan; if things spiraled beyond his control, he would return and face Liam alone, instead of letting Maya bear the consequences.

"Dear passengers, due to the airline’s error, your flight will be returning for transfer to another flight. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause." Just as the two were debating whether to return to S City, the broadcast suddenly announced the flight’s return.

Instantly, the cabin was chaotic, and Maya could even hear the commotion from the standard cabin.

"Is there something wrong with the plane?"

"Is our life at risk?"

Immediately, the crew was surrounded, as everyone worried about safety issues.

Maya, too, having flown many times, had never encountered a flight return announcement before.

So, she immediately halted her dispute with Lillian and listened intently to the crew’s reply.

She heard the crew explain, "Dear passengers, please rest assured, there are no faults with the plane, and there will be no threat to your safety."

"If that’s the case, why return to switch planes? Isn’t this a waste of time?"

"Sorry, this is the company’s policy."

"Wasting our time is depleting our assets."

"Ma’am, regarding this, I believe the company will provide a satisfactory solution, so please bear with us."

Maya listened to the crowd’s arguments, breathed a long sigh, but still wasn’t entirely at ease, unsure if the plane would land safely.

She wondered if this was karma for her elopement with Lillian or if the return was simply an order from someone who discovered her escape.

Thinking thus, Maya couldn’t help but hold her breath, turning to look at Lillian.

Lillian observed the girl’s concern, gently squeezed her hand, and comforted, "There won’t be any danger."

Following that, he further explained, "We booked this on a new identity; Liam can’t trace it. By the time he finds this identity, we’ll be in Canada."

Though Maya verbally didn’t express her worry, Lillian guessed it, since his first reaction hearing the broadcast was to think of Liam.

But his reassurance had no impact on Maya; she remained fearful and worried, her palms sweating coldly.

She said, "I hope so."

"It’s just a coincidence," Lillian said.

Half an hour later, the plane began descending. Maya looked at Lillian and calmly said, "Brother Morris, I’m heading straight home later. Even fate believes we shouldn’t leave, shouldn’t abandon Ella."

At this moment, Maya had made up her mind, immediately taking a car to dash to Owen Clan Group to see Liam, trying to reconcile her guilt, after all, getting on the plane with Lillian was her initial mistake.

When the plane landed smoothly, the passengers hurriedly complained and scrambled to catch another flight while a few troublesome passengers grabbed crew to negotiate compensation.

In the first-class cabin, Maya and Lillian remained seated; she waited for everyone to leave before disembarking.

"Sir, Ma’am, you can disembark. The backup flight is ready and waiting. Your ticket gives you direct boarding, still in the current class."

It wasn’t until the crew reminded them that Maya smiled, unbuckled her seatbelt, and prepared to disembark.

When Maya and Lillian took the airport shuttle bus to transfer to another boarding hall, unexpectedly, the hall was deserted.

Maya thought, everyone moved so quickly, surprisingly fast, and there were no other passengers in the hall.

Taking a deep breath upon arrival in the boarding hall, she headed toward the exit.

But when she saw the passengers at the exit, she suddenly froze, her legs turned soft, stepping back two paces then bumping against the railing behind her.

Holding her breath, she stared intently at the man walking into the boarding hall, her hands gripping the railing tightly to steady herself.

The thing she feared the most happened; she was caught at the scene again, and this time, it was the elopement being caught.

At this moment, she was 200% sure that the flight return was deliberate, not an airline error.

Only now did she understand why the boarding hall was cleared — specifically to deal with her and Lillian.