Manila, Philippines
Private Airfield, Early Morning
Matthew felt the slight jolt as the private jet touched down smoothly on the runway. Through the tinted windows, he watched the familiar outline of Manila slowly come into clearer focus beneath the soft glow of the rising sun. The bustling city seemed completely unaware that he'd just returned from a secretive negotiation halfway across the globe—a deal that might subtly shift the world's strategic balance.
As the aircraft slowed to a gentle halt in front of the private hangar, Matthew straightened his suit jacket and adjusted his tie, slipping back effortlessly into his routine. The events of Vladivostok already felt distant, compartmentalized into another neatly closed chapter of his life.