"Fasten your seatbelt and hold on tight," Mavi said as he started the sports car. As soon as Jennifer buckled up, he stepped on the gas, causing the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren's V8 engine to roar loudly.
"Vroom!" A thunderous sound echoed across the airport.
Mavi turned the steering wheel, made a swift U-turn, and sped off with Jennifer, leaving a trail of dust behind.
Bob, who had silently witnessed everything, stood there with a mix of frustration, jealousy, and helplessness as he watched the Mercedes disappear into the distance. He sighed, then let the red rose in his hand slip from his fingers. The delicate petals were caught by the wind, scattering them across the ground.
"Young Master, are you really going to let Miss Jennifer leave with that man? Do you want us to go after them?" a servant, who had just stepped out of an Aston Martin, asked Bob with concern.
But Bob, still reeling from the blow, said nothing.
He had clearly lost this time. And what stung even more was that Mavi hadn't even considered him a competitor. From his expression to his attitude, Mavi had never taken him seriously.
Bob had grown up getting everything he wanted. But today, he had suffered an unexpected defeat.
Fortunately, he wasn't some brainless rich second-generation heir. He wasn't the type to say things like, "If I can't have her, no one can," or "How dare he steal my woman? I'll ruin him!" like in some cliché novels or movies. After all, this was the real world—where there were actual laws. Anyone who thought they could commit crimes without consequences would soon find themselves behind bars… and let's just say, statistics show that enough inmates in U.S. prisons get assaulted each year to fill three 50,000-seat football stadiums.
---
Meanwhile, Mavi had already driven the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren out of the airport. He planned to take Jennifer for a short drive around the area.
As they waited at a red light near the terminal, Mavi noticed the curious gazes of travelers passing by. Through the car window, he could see them trying to get a closer look, wondering who was inside the luxury vehicle.
With both hands on the wheel, Mavi focused on the traffic light ahead. Jennifer, sitting in the passenger seat, was still thinking of a way to get back at him for teasing her earlier.
But no matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't find an opening. Frustrated, she would sneak glances at Mavi's profile, only to get annoyed with herself for not coming up with anything clever.
Women's inner thoughts were truly complicated.
Mavi, on the other hand, had no interest in guessing what was going on in her head.
"After we drive around for a bit, I'll be heading back to Russia," Mavi broke the silence, keeping his eyes on the road.
As soon as he said it, Jennifer unexpectedly felt a sense of loss. She had hoped to spend the entire afternoon with him, but now she realized he'd be leaving much sooner than expected.
"You're leaving… Will you come back?" Jennifer's words tumbled out without proper structure—just a fragmented thought that barely made sense.
All she could think about was that once Mavi left, she might never see him again.
Mavi turned to look at her and said, "It depends."
"Oh… I see…" Jennifer bit her lip and stared out the window. Even though the sun was shining brightly, she couldn't seem to feel happy.
Mavi glanced at her. Her delicate profile was far more captivating than the scenery outside.
"What do you mean, 'you see'?" he asked, deliberately poking at the sore spot.
"What else could I mean? You're going back home." Jennifer could tell he was teasing her on purpose.
International romances were frustrating—no status, no promises, and they could end just like that.
"So… you don't want me to leave?" Mavi smirked, his keen instincts easily picking up on her emotions.
"There's nothing to want or not want," Jennifer said stubbornly, though deep down, she wished he would stay.
"Alright then." Mavi raised an eyebrow as if he understood. When the light turned green, he stepped on the gas, unleashing the SLR McLaren's full roar, shaking the entire street. Pedestrians turned their heads to watch the car speed away.
---
After casually driving around for 20 minutes, Mavi took Jennifer back to the airport. Her personal bodyguards were already waiting outside the terminal with her car, and Mavi's private jet was ready for departure.
As the Mercedes-Benz rolled to a stop at the curb, neither Mavi nor Jennifer spoke. They had remained silent for the past 20 minutes, as if trying to savor their last moments together.
"We're here," Mavi said, tapping his index finger against the steering wheel.
"Mm." Jennifer responded softly, unbuckling her seatbelt—but she didn't get out right away.
Mavi didn't rush her. He simply continued tapping his fingers on the wheel, waiting.
After about 30 seconds, Jennifer, dressed in a flowing blue dress, took one last look at Mavi, biting her lip. Then, just as she reached for the door handle, she suddenly leaned in—catching him completely off guard.
Before Mavi could react, she pressed her lips against his cheek.
The unexpected kiss left Mavi stunned. He had assumed she would just get out and leave, but instead… this happened.
He turned to look at Jennifer, only to see her grinning mischievously.
"You really thought I'd believe you're never coming back?" she teased. "Next time you're in the U.S., you better come find me first!"
With that, she stepped out of the car, her smile even brighter. Standing outside, she waved at him with her slender fingers.
Mavi sat there in a daze.
So this whole time… she was playing me?
He watched as Jennifer got into her bodyguard's car, and realization hit him.
Did I just get seduced?
Touching the spot where she had kissed him, he noticed a faint red lipstick mark.
Shaking his head with a smile, he muttered, "Women like her are definitely not easy to fool."
Especially not a wealthy heiress like Jennifer—she was no naive, innocent girl from a drama series.
Wiping away the lipstick, Mavi took out his phone and sent her a text:
"Not bad for a sneak attack. Who taught you that?"
A few seconds later, his phone buzzed with a reply:
"Self-taught~"
Seeing the little tilde at the end of her message, Mavi could almost feel her smugness through the screen.