Chapter 98

Maya’s POV

I must have dozed off not long after takeoff. With the perk of flying on a private jet, the flight time was surprisingly short, and I slept soundly in the fully reclined seat. I didn’t stir until the engines eased back and we began our descent. Blinking awake, I peered out the window just as we broke through the clouds—our destination lay spread beneath us.

“Nice to see you awake,” Elias said, his voice clipped.

He still sounded annoyed, and I could already feel the tension settling between us. My simple request—just to see proof of that photo—had somehow escalated into this icy stalemate. I had started by giving him the cold shoulder; now he was returning the favor.

I exhaled slowly, chastising myself. If I’d handled things differently, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Old habits died hard—I was so used to