406 The Fire

Six hours later, the plane landed smoothly at JFK Airport in New York City.

Steven's first action upon turning on his phone was to call his boss to report their arrival. Since neither he nor Emily had any luggage, they bypassed baggage claim and swiftly cleared customs, heading straight out of the terminal.

"Dylan is waiting for us at the entrance," Steven said.

Emily nodded, unsurprised.

When Dylan saw Emily, his greeting was as kind and friendly as ever. "Miranda, it's been a while."

Emily smiled slightly. "Not that long. We just saw each other last week in Rome."

"True, but for some people, a day apart feels like a lifetime, let alone three years," Dylan said, his words carrying a hint of meaning.

Emily pretended not to notice the implication.