Chapter 78: Is this the end for the Hahn and Kicher Heirs?

For a few seconds, Bella's body froze when she saw Dylan right in front of her, with a suitcase in his hands and Oliver by his side. A whirlwind of thoughts flooded her mind: "How did this happen?" She considered giving up on the trip, canceling everything and grounding Theo for an indefinite period of time. However, before she could react, Susan noticed her condition and approached her, worried: "Miss Hahn, are you okay?" Bella blinked a few times, coming back to reality, and without saying anything, grabbed Theo's arm, pulling him to a more distant corner.

"What do you think you're doing?" she said, lowering her voice. "Inviting Dylan on our trip? That doesn't make any sense!" Theo crossed his arms, staring at his mother firmly." First of all, this trip was supposed to be just for us, but you decided to bring more people. Secondly, Dylan Kicher is my father, and I have the right to spend time with him wherever I want. Since you would never let me go to Miami or visit him at home, I invited him." Faced with her son's irrefutable argument, Bella sighed heavily, maintaining her displeased expression. However, deep down she knew there was no way to contradict him. Returning to the group, which remained in an uncomfortable silence, she shook her head and declared: 

"Ugh! Let's get on that plane right now. The Bahamas wait!" She walked past everyone with determined steps and, when she passed Dylan, gave him a glare before moving on. As they walked on board, Susan caught Bella's attention, bringing an important update: 

"Miss Hahn, the pilot asked to let you know that he had to replace the co-pilot. He was feeling ill." Bella stopped immediately.

"Oh my! What about this replacement co-pilot? Does he have experience?"

"More than Mr. Liam Zelly, who is on your payroll today."

"Have you found out anything about Zelly yet? Is he still on the suspect list?"

"Miller is investigating. These last few days have been quite hectic, as you know."

"Understood. If you hear anything new, let me know."

Dylan, who had been listening to the conversation without being invited, decided to intervene:

"Are you having problems with an employee? If you suspect someone, I can help."

Bella turned quickly, giving him a sharp look.

"I don't need your help, Dylan. And please don't intrude on my conversations."

"Calm down, I just wanted to help."

Once inside the plane, the passengers settled into their seats as the pilot's voice echoed through the speakers, instructing them to put on their seatbelts for takeoff. The flight attendant hired by Bella gave the final instructions, and in a few minutes the aircraft was in the air, heading for the Bahamas.

Outside, in a safe and distant area, Dean watched the private plane take off. He smiled with satisfaction as he called Rebecca, bringing her updates on the plan.

"Our plan is in practice. I've modified some of the plane's instruments. Soon, they'll start to fail. According to my calculations, this will happen when they're flying over the ocean. There will be no survivors."

"Excellent, Dean!" Rebecca replied in a cold and calculating tone. "Now we just have to wait. For the world, it will be a tragedy, but for us, it will be a victory."

"There's a problem."

"Ugh! What's up now?"

"DK and Oliver showed up at the last minute and boarded too."

"What?" Rebecca shouted, irritated, but after she relaxed.

"Damn it! I'll need to prepare my black dress and practice some fake tears."

Dean hesitated, confused by the reaction.

"I thought you'd be more shaken up... Don't you love DK? Won't you miss him?"

"Probably." Rebecca shrugged, cold as ice. "But I'll get over it. I'm tired of being humiliated, Dean. Now it's time to reap the rewards of my victory."

With a wicked smile, she hung up the phone.

Bella, sitting next to the window, watched the clouds in silence, lost in thought. Suddenly, she felt a light touch on her leg and turned to Carter, who seemed hesitant but determined to speak.

"If his presence bothers you so much, why did you let him come?" Carter asked, frowning, trying to understand.

"Ahh! Let's just say that Theo presented a very convincing argument." Bella sighed, avoiding going into details.

"I confess that I don't like the idea of ​​him traveling with us." Carter let out his evident dissatisfaction.

"I understand you." Bella tried to be conciliatory. "But let's try to ignore this situation. It's not worth focusing on."

"It's going to be difficult. He won't stop looking at us."

Carter, perhaps on impulse, leaned in and kissed her. Bella's eyes widened for a moment, surprised, but she soon kissed him back. Dylan, sitting further back, watched the scene with a lopsided, almost mocking smile.

Theo, who noticed his father's smile, looked at him curiously: "Why are you smiling? They're kissing right in front of you." Dylan sighed, as if he was explaining something obvious. 

"Oh, Theo, you still have a lot to learn. That doctor is only kissing your mother because he feels insecure. Bella is smart... She'll soon realize. I might not end up with her, but I guarantee you that guy won't either." Theo stared at him, confused. 

"I don't get it. They look really very well, can't you see?" Dylan smiled calmly, resting his hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, son. You're still too young to understand certain things." The boy rolled his eyes, frustrated. 

"Why do I always hear that?" Dylan just laughed, diverting the conversation to lighter topics, while Theo continued with an intrigued expression. Further back, Susan and Oliver were sitting in different rows, but close enough to look at each other. Oliver, apparently bored, fixed his eyes on Susan, who finally noticed and challenged him:

"Did you miss something here?"

Oliver smirked. "I'm just watching. Can't I?"

"No. And if you keep staring at me, I'll start charging you for admission." Susan turned her attention back to her laptop, while Oliver, with a satisfied smile, returned to the game on his cell phone.

The tranquility didn't last long. Suddenly, the plane began to shake, becoming unstable. The passengers, restless, exchanged worried glances.

Soon, the pilot's voice echoed through the speakers: "Attention, passengers. We are experiencing severe turbulence. The control panel is showing faults, but we have identified a small island on the radar. We will attempt an emergency landing. Please fasten your seatbelts immediately."

The plane shook violently. Bella gripped the arms of her seat, her heart racing. The tension increased as the pilot struggled desperately to control the aircraft.

Suddenly, the plane began to lose altitude rapidly. Bella turned to Theo, who was on the other side of the aisle, tears streaming down his face.

"Son, I love you! Despite everything, you were the best thing that ever happened to me."

Theo sobbed, shouting back: "I love you too, Mommy!"

Before he could try to reach her, Dylan grabbed him tightly, hugging him tightly in the midst of the chaos.

"Close your eyes, Theo. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

The boy, frightened, obeyed. The deafening noise of the engines and the screams of the passengers filled the air. And then, the impact.

The plane crashed.