Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 485: Chapter 485

Zoe and Firefox were clearly the same person, and she was the only one Shawn loved. He couldn't understand how he ended up being accused of two-timing. To make matters worse, he couldn't even explain himself.
'He still doesn't know I'm Firefox. Otherwise, he wouldn't be getting blamed for nothing right now," Zoe thought, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes.
She burst out laughing and poked Shawn lightly on the cheek. "Are you really that upset?" she teased.
"I admire Firefox, but you're the one I love—right here before me." Shawn looked at Zoe with utter seriousness. 'Whether you're Zoe, the Evans heiress, or Firefox, the Queen of Mercenaries, it's always you.'
Zoe couldn't help but laugh. "I like you better this way, smooth talker," she teased, then leaned in and captured his lips in a kiss.
Shawn barely had time to respond before Zoe darted away. He shook his head, his heart overflowing with nothing but adoration for her playful antics.
Soon, the car pulled up at the airport, and Shawn and Zoe headed inside to wait for their flight.
Aileen strode into the lounge flanked by her two bodyguards, her eyes instantly locking onto Shawn as she called out, "Shawn, what a coincidence. I never expected we'd be on the same flight."
Without even glancing at Aileen, Shawn unscrewed the cap of a water bottle and handed it to Zoe.
Zoe took a sip and was just about to set her cup down when Aileen's furious voice rang out, "Who do you think you are, making Shawn serve you?"
Zoe smirked, "Why wouldn't I? He's my man—if I told him to jump off a cliff, he'd do it without hesitation."
Zoe's cocky attitude pushed Aileen over the edge—she nearly lunged at her.
The two bodyguards stepped in just in time. One of them warned softly, "Ms. Carleton, if you cause trouble here, you'll be escorted out of the airport. If things get serious, you could even face detention."
Aileen immediately composed herself—she knew better than to let petty anger jeopardize her grand plans.
She and her bodyguards sat down directly across from Zoe. Her eyes remained locked on Zoe, her venomous stare so intense it seemed she might bore holes right through Zoe.
Zoe completely ignored Aileen, relishing Shawn's clumsy yet endearing attempts at pampering her.
Shawn had not only brought a water bottle but also snacks—the sweet kind young girls love. But Zoe could tell at a glance these definitely weren't his own choices; his team must have helped him pick them out.
She grabbed a chip and popped it into her mouth, not realizing she'd left a few crumbs clinging to her lips.
Shawn saw it and instinctively reached out, his fingers lightly brushing the corner of Zoe's lips. They were pressed so close together that what began as a casual gesture shifted entirely when their eyes met—the air between them suddenly felt charged.
Just as the two were about to kiss, Aileen abruptly shot up from her seat. "Zoe!" she snapped sharply.
Zoe turned to meet her gaze.
'At least I stopped that,' Aileen thought, a hint of smug satisfaction in her heart.
But the next moment, Zoe grabbed Shawn by the collar and claimed his lips in a lingering kiss.
Aileen finally lost it and lunged forward, ready to tear the two apart. Just then, the boarding announcement rang out, stopping her in her tracks.
Shawn took Zoe's hand and led her straight to the boarding gate. Aileen was left a step behind, watching helplessly as they walked away together.
She turned to her bodyguards and snapped, "Damn it! Where's my boarding pass? Give it to me!"
After getting her boarding pass, she stormed off to catch up with Zoe. By the time she boarded, Zoe and Shawn were already comfortably settled in first class.
The first-class cabin was equipped with lie-flat seats, making the journey much more comfortable. Coincidentally, Aileen was also in first class, seated right in front of Zoe and Shawn.
The first-class cabin had four rows, all fully occupied. With no other seats left, Aileen could only turn around in frustration, glaring daggers at the couple behind her.
Zoe had already spotted Aileen. She deliberately leaned in and whispered teasingly in Shawn's ear, "Your admirer is relentless. She even followed us onto the plane. Why don't you go bond with her? She is your die-hard fan, after all."
Shawn replied coolly, "If I had to get close to every fan, I'd be swamped every single day."
Zoe laughed and said, "You look so serious, but it turns out you're this full of yourself."
"Just stating facts," Shawn replied calmly.
Zoe couldn't argue with that. After all, the internet was swarming with women—and possibly even some men—all eager to become Mrs. Ludwig.
Zoe smiled, thinking to herself, 'Looks like the man I chose is really in high demand—just goes to show my taste is impeccable.'
"Sir, would you like a blanket?" a flight attendant approached with a dazzling smile.
Although Zoe was seated on the aisle side, the flight attendant went straight to Shawn, batting her long lashes at him with an obvious flirtatious look. Zoe noticed it all but chose to say nothing.
"One, please," Shawn said, his gaze lingering on Zoe's bare knees.
"Okay," the flight attendant replied and left. Soon, she returned and handed a blanket to Shawn, with a small note discreetly tucked underneath.
As Shawn unfolded the blanket, he immediately noticed the hidden note.
Zoe snatched the note with a playful grin. "Wow, you're still as irresistible as ever," she teased.
"Toss it," Shawn said curtly.
"It'd be a pity to throw it away. That flight attendant is quite pretty," Zoe said as she unfolded the note. But instead of a phone number or a date invitation, it was a string of indecipherable symbols.
Shawn immediately snatched the note, scanned it, and then swiftly crumpled and destroyed it.
"What? Is this some kind of coded message?" Zoe asked, genuinely surprised.
Shawn gently tucked the blanket around her. "I'll tell you after we land," he said.
For the next few hours, Zoe and Shawn whispered to each other, though in truth, all they were discussing was the upcoming competition.
As Clusia's representative, Zoe was a pivotal figure. Having competed in this event before and won the championship in his year, Shawn naturally hoped Zoe could continue this winning streak and bring honor to Clusia by securing another victory.
But to outsiders, especially Aileen, their conversation looked like nothing but sweet nothings, and her eyes nearly bulged out with jealousy. Determined to stop them, she deliberately started making trouble.
Without warning, Aileen slammed her seat back with a thud, cutting Zoe off.
Shawn instantly frowned when he saw that Aileen's seatback was nearly crushing Zoe's knees. "Ms. Carleton, could you please adjust your seatback upright?" he said.
"Sorry, but I like it reclined," Aileen replied, lounging comfortably in her seat.
Shawn turned to Zoe and said, "Come sit on my side."
"No need. Let's just recline too," Zoe said with a light shrug as she lowered her seat. Shawn immediately followed suit.
After they lay down, Zoe took Shawn's hand and turned to look at him. At the same moment, Shawn turned his head too—their eyes met, and they exchanged a smile.