She had racked her brain, trying to recall if she knew somebody that young, but came up empty.

It was because Mathews was dressed like a twenty-year-old university student.

"You seem to have a bad memory, Miss Marshall."

Mathews leaned back in his seat, put his hat on, and cast a curious glance toward Claudia.

"Did you travel abroad for a competition?"

When Claudia heard his query, she inwardly heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that he hadn't persisted with his earlier topic.

She then replied, "No. I performed to help a friend.

"I see. It was a side hustle." Mathews nodded in understanding. After a short pause, he added, “I have a friend who is in need of a pianist but has a very tight budget. Is one hundred thousand dollars of payment enough for you?

After some consideration, Claudia asked, “Will it be in Linmarsh

“I'm not sure, but if you're interested and want to know more, I'll give you his contact details."

Claudia was fine with the sum as long as she did not have to show her face in public.

“Sure.”

Claudia never imagined she'd stumble upon a side hustle opportunity while on a plane. Despite the modest paycheck, it promised an easy workload and a convenient location in Linmarsh. The prospect of earning a hundred thousand dollars with just a day's work was simply too enticing to pass up.

How could she possibly turn down such a golden opportunity?

With an acquaintance seated next to her, Claudia found herself too self- conscious to even think about sleeping during the flight.

Ever since she'd learned about Mathews nursing a crush on her last time, she'd felt increasingly uncomfortable in his presence.

Thankfully, Mathews kept their interactions to a minimum, restricting himself to introducing her to the job in the beginning.

He tugged his hat down, obscuring his face as he drifted off into slumber.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Claudia retrieved her phone, eager to immerse herself in the novel again.

The two-hour flight passed by swiftly, and just as Claudia reached the final pages of her book, the plane initiated its descent.

She carefully stowed her phone, patiently awaiting the plane's touchdown.

Beside her, Mathews stirred, adjusting his hat and stealing a glance at her.

“Have we arrived?"

Claudia nodded with a reassuring smile.