After Joyce finished her words, she fainted again.

She seemed to be trapped in a nightmare. When she suddenly awoke, she saw Zayne standing beside her bed.

"Zayne..." Before she could finish speaking, she saw him pick up the black box she had protected with her life and shatter it with great force.

He even ground it under his foot to ensure it was completely destroyed.

Joyce struggled to reach out her hand and wanted to stop him, but her arm throbbed with pain, and her heart ached even more.

Watching Zayne leave, she got out of bed with difficulty and followed him to another hospital room.

As a pilot, Zayne always cherished his hands, but there he was, peeling an apple with a fruit knife.

"Kacie, don't worry. I've destroyed the evidence," he said. "No one will know that the aircraft accident was caused by you after you accidentally pressed the wrong button, which led to engine failure."

Joyce's lips parted slightly as her thoughts drifted back to three years ago.

At that time, she had been falsely accused by a competitor of being arrogant and neglecting to check the aircraft's parts, leading to the accident and the pilot's injury.

She was at a loss for words and was suspended from her position.

Every day, she endured the insults and accusations from the pilot's family.

When she was in despair, Zayne tirelessly searched for evidence and used his connections to help her.

On the day the truth was revealed, Zayne hugged her for the first time and promised always to protect her.

He was only kind to her once, but now he is showing his kindness easily to another woman.

Joyce gave a self-mocking smile as she looked into the hospital room, only to see Kacie gazing coldly at Zayne. "Mr. Miller, I know you only pursued me because of your bet with some other guys."

Zayne's eyes flickered with panic as he nervously held Kacie's hand. "Kacie, I admit I approached you because of that back then. But later, I truly fell in love with you. Only you have sparked my competitive spirit. I believe I will win you over someday."

Kacie broke free from his hand and said, "And how about your wife, Joyce?"

Zayne hesitated and then said, "She loves me and is nice to me, but her love comes too easily. It has no challenges. So I feel her love was just too dull."

Joyce's heart felt as if it were torn apart.

She forced herself back to her room, picked up her phone, and saw a message from Gerald. Her divorce proceedings with Zayne had begun.

Joyce breathed a sigh of relief and replied to Gerald, "Zayne's Starship has my latest research technology. I want to take it with me."

After receiving Gerald's confirmation, Joyce set her phone aside and lay back down on the bed.

In the following days, Zayne visited her room every day.

But Joyce didn't want to see him. So when he was in her room, she was either pretending to be asleep or going out for fresh air.

Then she was summoned to attend the accident hearing, and she saw Zayne's stern face again.

He said, "As the pilot of the aircraft, I can clearly tell you that the primary cause of this accident was Joyce's violation of operating procedures. She relies on her reputation as a genius and becomes increasingly arrogant. Although Kacie and I tried to stop her, she forcibly increased the power, which led to engine failure and subsequently the accident."

Joyce never imagined that Zayne would put all the blame on her to protect Kacie.

Joyce said, "Mr. Miller, do you think you can have the real culprit escape punishment by destroying the black box? I've participated in countless flight tests and am thoroughly familiar with all the operations. It's impossible for me to make such a simple mistake." She took a deep breath and turned to meet Zayne's gaze. "Moreover, I risked everything to save the black box. If I truly wanted to escape punishment, I could have let it explode with the aircraft."

Zayne's eyes revealed guilt as he clenched his fists. As he was searching for a defense, Gerald raised a hand to stop him.

He said, "The black box was destroyed, and what happened on the plane that day still needs investigation. Today's meeting ends here. The results of the subsequent investigation will be distributed to everyone."

As Gerald stood up to leave, Joyce wanted to talk about her divorce with him.

She had just gotten to her feet when a sudden dizziness overwhelmed her. She struggled to shake her head clear and tried to regain her focus, but her steps were unsteady.

Just as she was about to collapse, Zayne rushed over and caught her in his arms.

He looked concerned and tightened his hold on her as he noticed her pallor.

"Joyce, are you okay? You look so pale. You are injured badly this time and shouldn't go to work for a few days. Let me take care of you at home."

Joyce looked up at Zayne, but the worry in his eyes didn't move her in the slightest.

His next words confirmed her suspicions as she had expected.

"But the Eagle Project can't be delayed any longer. How about letting Kacie take charge of it?"

Joyce curled her lips in self-mockery. She knew Zayne's suggestion for her to rest had ulterior motives.

He wanted to use the Eagle Project to create opportunities for Kacie and win her favor. Well, she could let him have his way. Anyway, she had the core technical documents.

She was curious to see how Kacie would finish the project without those files.

Joyce nodded at Gerald, who saw her agreement and then handed the project plan to Kacie.

Zayne finally breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Joyce's face grow even paler, he hurriedly took her to the hospital.

She soon lay on the hospital bed, and Zayne brought some warm chicken soup in front of her.

"Joyce, I know you're upset with me, but you're a genius engineer. The base values you highly. Even if you make mistakes, they won't punish you too harshly. But Kacie… Ms. Jenkins is different. She worked hard to earn this opportunity and hasn't yet secured her position. She can't afford any punishment."

Joyce stared at Zayne and suddenly burst into laughter.

Just because she had the fame of a genius, did that mean she deserved all this?

What about all her efforts? She had spent countless days and nights in the lab. She had read the books and conducted a lot of experiments to achieve everything.

A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She pointed towards the door and said in a voice laden with pain, "Get out of here. I can't bear to see you right now."

Zayne was stunned by Joyce's uncharacteristic defiance. She had always been obedient to him before. A look of disbelief crossed his face.

He tried to speak but said nothing.

As he was about to leave, he paused, seemingly remembering something. "I've organized a party for Kacie to celebrate. Make sure you attend it."

His commanding tone made Joyce's tears flow uncontrollably once more. She looked up at the ceiling and held them back.

She wouldn't allow herself to cry for Zayne again.

Joyce didn't want to attend the party. She wanted to go home.

But as she reached the door, she heard the sounds of a lively gathering inside.

Through the window, she saw her colleagues at the base raising their glasses to toast Kacie, who stood in a white dress. They were congratulating her on leading such an important project at a young age.

Joyce had been calm, but it ached once more.

Zayne had actually arranged the celebration at their home.

She pressed her lips together tightly and was about to push open the door when someone stopped her.

"Ms. Holt, you're not on the list of the guests. Captain Miller said that those not on the list can't enter."

Joyce found it utterly absurd. "This is my home, and I can't go in?"

The security guard at the door smiled awkwardly but still closed the door firmly. He blocked her path and seemed to be afraid she might force her way in.

Joyce clenched her fists and watched through the glass as Zayne, dressed in a white suit, walked over to Kacie.

He was like the most loyal guard and gazed at Kacie with tender affection. "Kacie, may I have this dance?"

Amidst the cheerful noise, Kacie smiled slightly and placed her hand in Zayne's.

At that moment, the door burst open with a bang. Joyce stood there with a sarcastic smile as she looked at the hand-holding pair.

Kacie sensed the gaze upon her and quickly withdrew her hand.

Zayne's hand suddenly became empty, and a fleeting disappointment crossed his eyes. He strode over to Joyce while suppressing his desire for Kacie.

"Didn't I tell you to attend Kacie's celebration? Why did you come back so late?" Zayne reached out to grab Joyce's arm unhappily, but her cold demeanor startled him.

He was worried as he extended his hand to check if Joyce had a fever, but she turned her head away to avoid him.

"I can come to my home at any time I want. You all carry on. Don't mind me." With that, Joyce turned decisively into her room.

The unexpected change dampened the festive atmosphere. All the guests found excuses to leave.

Zayne gazed at the empty living room, and a flame of anger rose within him.

Yet, he still went to the kitchen, heated up a bowl of congee, and placed it by her door with a gentle knock before returning to his room.

The next day, when Joyce walked out of her room, Zayne had already left for work.

She glanced at the cold congee on the floor, tossed it with the bowl into the trash can, and grabbed her handbag to go to her work.

Upon arriving at the door, she found all her belongings piled at the door.

Inside, Kacie was placing her own photos on the bookshelf.

"This is my office. Why are you here? Who allowed you to put my things here?"

Joyce's sudden outburst startled Kacie. The latter awkwardly set down the photo in her hand. "I'm sorry, Ms. Holt. I'm now in charge of the project and needed a quiet office, so Mr. Miller brought me here. When I arrived, the room was already cleared, so I didn't know it was your office."

Kacie hurriedly began packing up her things and was about to give the office to Joyce.

In her haste, she accidentally knocked a photo frame off the desk.

She bent down to pick it up, and a shard of glass cut her finger. Bright red blood instantly welled up.

Joyce felt sympathy and reached into her handbag for a Band-Aid to help. But she was suddenly pulled away.

She stumbled and bumped her waist against the desk corner. She gasped in pain.

Looking up, she saw Zayne, who looked concerned. He was holding Kacie's hand and was about to take her to the medical room.

"Mr. Miller, I'm fine." Kacie furrowed her eyebrows and pulled her hand back.

But Zayne firmly grasped it again. He accepted a first aid kit from a colleague and wanted to treat the wound for Kacie, only to be avoided once more by her.

"Mr. Miller, please behave yourself. You are married."

Zayne was about to explain, but he met Joyce's eyes filled with pain.

A hint of guilt flickered in his eyes, and he awkwardly cleared his throat. "I decided to give your office to Ms. Hopkins. Don't blame her. Joyce, you shouldn't be hard on her or hurt her."

Joyce didn't bother to explain.

She lowered her gaze and hid the pain within her eyes. "Then what about me? Where should I go?"

Zayne picked up a file from the side and handed it to Joyce. "The investigation into the last incident is complete. You're fully responsible. So you go to work on parts in the old hangar. It is a punishment for you."