"I'd rather not have this kind of luck," Margot Robbie muttered bluntly.
No one would willingly find themselves in a situation like this. Matthew certainly wouldn't either, but there was no use lamenting now.
Compared to the other passengers in first class, he was by far the calmest. This stemmed partly from his personality and partly from his past experiences.
Matthew wasn't less afraid of death than anyone else, but having faced life-threatening situations before, he had developed a resilience to handle unexpected crises.
As he gazed out the window at the smoking engine, the scene felt almost surreal.
This was the first time he'd ever witnessed a plane engine on fire while onboard. For a brief moment, he wondered if it was all just a dream.
Like many frequent travelers, Matthew had mastered the art of falling asleep quickly on flights. Perhaps he had dozed off without realizing it.
"Matthew!"
Margot's voice snapped him back to reality. It wasn't a dream.
"Damn it," Matthew muttered under his breath.
As soon as he said it, the plane jolted violently, more forcefully than before. The impact was so sudden that, without his seatbelt, he might have been thrown from his seat.
"We're doomed!"
A man near the right-side window shouted in heavily accented English. "The other engine is gone too!"
No sooner had he spoken than the cabin lights went out, plunging first class into near-total darkness.
Matthew gripped the armrests tightly as the plane tilted sharply.
"We're all going to die!"
A woman's scream shattered the silence, followed by a cacophony of terrified cries and wails. The cabin filled with the sound of panic, a desperate attempt to push back against the looming specter of death.
Was this the end? Even Matthew's hands trembled as he clung to the armrests. The primal fear of death clawed at him.
Would his ten years of Hollywood glory come to an end like this?
Surrounded by darkness, Matthew could see nothing. Yet he didn't scream or panic. As an actor who had built his career on a carefully curated image, even now, he refused to break character.
I'm a tough guy. Hollywood's biggest star. The most famous man on the planet. I can't lose it now.
Though the lights were out, the cabin wasn't completely dark. His vision was temporarily impaired by the plane's turbulence.
The sobbing grew louder, a mix of male and female voices, though the women's cries were more prominent.
Yet the woman beside him wasn't crying. She wasn't screaming either. Margot Robbie remained eerily composed, much like she had during their ordeal at the shooting range in Namibia.
As his vision adjusted, Matthew turned to look at her. Margot's face was pale, her lips pressed into a tight line. Her hand gripped the armrest so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Matthew reached out and placed his hand on hers, offering a reassuring smile.
Margot looked at him, then squeezed his hand in return. "Are we going to die?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Instead of answering, Matthew replied with a dry, "What a nightmare."
At that moment, the plane took a sudden plunge. Oxygen masks dropped from above, swinging before their faces.
"If you have trouble breathing, put it on immediately!" Matthew shouted.
The cabin remained intact, with no signs of depressurization. The air circulation system appeared functional, and the atmosphere was normal.
Matthew held Margot's hand with one of his own while grabbing an oxygen mask with the other. The engine noise had vanished, replaced by an eerie silence as the plane continued to descend.
"Engines are out!" someone yelled.
"Stay calm," Matthew said, squeezing Margot's hand again. "The pilots likely shut them off to check for fire in the damaged engine."
Margot, already known for her courage, seemed bolstered by Matthew's calm demeanor. She nodded. "I'm okay," she said, though her voice was strained.
From further back, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Some passengers had reached their breaking point.
With the engines off, the plane was in freefall. Despite the captain's earlier reassurances, the sharp descent was unnerving.
Matthew and Margot had both experienced similar sensations before—he during filming for The Martian, and she during her skydiving adventures. But the loss of control in this situation made the experience far more terrifying.
"Matthew!" Margot gripped his hand tightly. "What's the worst-case scenario?"
He glanced at her, her angular features stark under the dim light. His voice was steady as he replied, "If the engines don't restart, we'll crash."
Margot tried to force a smile, but it didn't come. Instead, she asked, her voice shaking, "Just… like that?"
"Not immediately," Matthew said, trying to reassure her. "Planes can glide for a while without engines. If we're lucky, we'll stay in the air a bit longer."
No one could guarantee the engines would restart.
Landing safely seemed equally unlikely. The ground below was solid land, and any attempt at a crash landing would likely end in disaster.
As seconds turned into a minute, the engines remained silent. The growing tension in the cabin was palpable.
Margot glanced toward the front of the cabin. In the faint light streaming through the windows, she could see the lead flight attendant setting down her headset, her expression one of pure despair.
She must have just spoken to the captain, Margot thought grimly.
Matthew noticed it too. The attendant's hopeless expression spoke volumes.
He looked out the window. The ground below seemed impossibly distant, the buildings and roads reduced to tiny specks. This wasn't a movie—falling from this height left no room for a miraculous escape.
Is this really it? Matthew thought, frustration welling up within him.
If he were Superman, he'd rip off his shirt and save everyone on board.
But this wasn't a world of superheroes.
Margot turned her attention back to him, her neck stiff from the descent. "I owe you an apology," she said abruptly.
"For what?" Matthew asked.
"For calling you a scumbag," Margot said quickly, as if afraid she'd run out of time. "I'm a scumbag too. I had no right to judge you."
Matthew chuckled lightly. "It's fine. If anything, it's my fault. If I hadn't tried to seduce you, you wouldn't have said it."
Margot rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculously honest!" She smirked faintly. "Do you still want to seduce me now?"
"Now?" Matthew sighed. "I think that's going to be one of life's regrets."
Their banter seemed almost absurd under the circumstances, but it provided a small comfort.
Matthew's thoughts briefly turned morbid. When this plane crashes, it's going to make global headlines.
The world would mourn the loss of Matthew Horner, Hollywood superstar, philanthropist, activist, and pioneer for women's rights. There'd be tears, eulogies… and plenty of financial chaos.
The thought of his fortune, estimated at $3.5 billion including shares in Disney and Apple, stirred a deep sense of unease.
What happens to all that money? Who inherits it? I don't even have a will!
Did he have any close relatives in Texas? He couldn't remember. Even if he did, they were practically strangers. Would all his hard work end up benefiting people he didn't even know?
The idea infuriated him.
"I should've written a damn will," Matthew muttered.
Margot, curious, asked, "Why are you thinking about that now?"
"I don't have an heir," Matthew admitted. "What happens if I die? Does the government take it all?"
Margot, an Australian with little knowledge of U.S. inheritance laws, shrugged. "Probably."
Matthew groaned. "That's just great."
Margot shook her head, resigned. "Who told you not to have kids or get married? This is on you."
She added wryly, "I can already imagine it—if we die, every woman you've ever been linked to will show up claiming to have your child. They'll fight over your fortune for years, and your carefully built image will be completely destroyed."
Matthew barely hesitated before acknowledging, "You're probably right."
"Damn it," he muttered, his frustration mounting. "Even in death, I'll be dragged through the mud."
Margot sighed. "You reap what you sow. All that indulgence has a price."
Matthew couldn't deny it. He'd seen firsthand how greed and ambition could tear people apart. If a hit Hollywood film could spark countless lawsuits, what would his vast fortune do to his legacy?
Maybe I deserve this, he thought grimly.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+100 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]