"What are you two… doing?"
It was quite the coincidence. Just as Madison and Olivia returned from the restroom after touching up their makeup, they happened to walk toward their seats—only to witness Mavi and Jennifer in an intimate moment. Jennifer's clothes were slightly disheveled, and her face was flushed red…
"We…"
"No need to explain, we get it~" Madison cut Mavi off before he could explain, showing great tact as she picked up her bag, ready to give the two some space. It was getting late anyway, and she and Olivia were planning to head home.
"Well, we're leaving now. We won't be third wheels. Just don't get too carried away~" Madison and Olivia teased, flashing mischievous smiles before waving goodbye to Mavi and Jennifer.
Watching her two best friends walk away with the wrong impression, Jennifer, who had a slight pain in her left leg from the fall earlier, wanted to chase after them but couldn't. She had no choice but to wrap her pink coat around herself, her face still a little flushed.
"Do you need a ride home?" It was getting late, and Mavi was also about to return to his hotel to rest.
"Uh, no need. My bodyguard is downstairs. I can call her to come up." Jennifer reached into her coat pocket for her phone, only to realize that her flip phone had been damaged when she fell earlier.
Seeing this, Mavi didn't say anything. Instead, he stepped forward, helped Jennifer up from her seat, and, like a true gentleman, escorted her to the elevator. "Let me walk you down so you don't fall again."
With the experience of two lifetimes, Mavi could tell that Jennifer had injured herself a bit in the fall. On top of that, she was drunk and unsteady on her feet. If she went downstairs alone, there was a good chance she'd get into trouble. So, without hesitation, he took charge, helping her up and personally escorting her to the underground parking garage, where her bodyguard was waiting.
"Thank you…" Jennifer said softly, expressing her gratitude.
"You're welcome. Just be more careful next time." With that, Mavi turned and left without any unnecessary delay.
"Miss, are you alright?" The female bodyguard stepped forward with concern.
But at that moment, Jennifer's attention was entirely on Mavi's retreating figure. There was something about him that made her heart race—a feeling so foreign, so unfamiliar, something she had never experienced before.
"Thank you so much for last night…"
The next day, after replacing her phone, Jennifer sent Mavi a text message as soon as she could.
Meanwhile, Mavi was already on his way to Detroit, flying in his Gulfstream G200 to attend the opening of the North American International Auto Show.
Having a private jet was truly a luxury—it meant he could go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Flight schedules revolved around his time, and he could freely use communication devices onboard, including satellite phones that cost several dollars per minute.
Unfortunately, in the year 2000, WiFi was not yet available on planes. It wouldn't become widely accessible until around 2004.
"Young Master Mavi, we'll be landing at Detroit Airport in about fifteen minutes," said a beautiful blonde flight attendant, her figure graceful as she approached him.
"Got it," Mavi replied casually, gazing out the window at the blue sky and the cityscape below.
When the Gulfstream G200 smoothly landed at the airport, Mavi didn't rush to disembark. He waited for a bit, as the luxury cars picking him up this time weren't from his usual Cadillac fleet but were instead arranged locally in Detroit. After all, the distance between Washington, D.C., and Detroit was considerable.
As Mavi sat in the plane, waiting, another Gulfstream G200—identical in model and color—descended onto the tarmac.
A minute later, a wealthy American businessman, wearing an oversized white polo shirt and carrying a blonde beauty in his arms, stepped off the aircraft.
The blonde woman in his embrace pointed toward Mavi's jet in the distance and said, "Honey, that plane looks exactly like yours! What a coincidence!"
The businessman took a puff of his cigar, then chuckled and joked, "Haha, if I had known so many people were buying this model, I would have spent more money on an even pricier one. Otherwise, if I ever board the wrong plane by mistake, that would be embarrassing!"
"Hehe, you're so funny, honey!" The woman laughed, clinging to him, as if he had just made the most hilarious joke in the world.
But just as they were laughing, three camouflaged military Humvees suddenly appeared in the distance, followed by a sleek black stretch Lincoln Town Car. The vehicles moved with an air of authority, heading straight toward Mavi's Gulfstream G200.
"Oh my god! Honey, could that plane belong to someone important?" The blonde woman's imagination ran wild at the sight of such a grand and solemn display.
The businessman, swallowing hard, stared in a daze. "No idea… but probably."
He glanced at his own luxury car fleet—several Mercedes-Benz vehicles—and suddenly, compared to Mavi's military-grade convoy, they seemed utterly unimpressive.
Nothing highlights inadequacy quite like comparison…
When the security team assigned to pick up Mavi arrived, the vehicles maneuvered with military precision, stopping neatly below the private jet.
At that moment, Mavi, dressed in a black T-shirt and black pants, stepped off his Gulfstream G200 at a steady pace.
The wealthy businessman and his blonde companion, watching from a distance, were taken aback. They wondered if he was some high-ranking government official visiting Detroit…
Just as they were speculating, a middle-aged American man with deep-set wrinkles, dressed in a camouflage uniform and wearing military-style black boots, stepped forward with a sharp, commanding presence. With a professional yet warm demeanor, he greeted Mavi, "Hello, Mr. Mavi, long time no see! Welcome to Detroit!"
The man wasn't particularly tall or large, but his piercing gaze made it clear he was not someone to be trifled with.
"Long time no see." For a moment, Mavi forgot the man's name. But it didn't matter—this American was merely a high-ranking escort assigned by MPRI, the company handling Mavi's security.
MPRI, short for Military Professional Resources Inc., was the largest private military company in the United States at the time. It specialized in security services for high-profile individuals and various military support operations—essentially, it was similar to the well-known Blackwater Security Company.
However, in 2000, Blackwater had only been around for two years and had barely a dozen mercenaries, making it no match for MPRI.
Mavi's eyes flicked to the three military Humvees, each mounted with M2 Browning heavy machine guns. The sight of those dark, menacing barrels, their long, imposing barrels glistening in the light, sent a rush of adrenaline through him. His inner military enthusiast couldn't help but imagine the overwhelming firepower of the M2HB in action…