Jenny's hands trembled as she frantically dabbed at the control panel with tissues, pressing them hard against the seams and switches, trying to soak up every last drop of red liquid before it seeped deeper into the aircraft's systems. The tissue paper turned pink, then deep red, tearing slightly under the force of her shaking fingers.

Her breathing was uneven-ragged gasps that echoed in the confined space of the cockpit.

Too fast.

Too loud.

The cockpit door suddenly swung open with a soft whoosh of pressurized air.

"Jenny."

Jane's voice cut through the panic like a knife-calm, measured, but sharp enough to make Jenny flinch.

Jenny turned immediately, her body shifting instinctively to block the damaged panel from view. She pressed her back against the controls, her hands still clutching crumpled tissues stained with juice.

"I just notified the Chief Pilot," Jane continued, stepping into the cockpit, her eyes sweeping the space with practiced efficiency-taking in the displaced seats, the scattered phones on the floor, the way Jenny was positioned defensively in front of the controls. "There was no authorization granted for this tour. You know better than to bring unauthorized personnel into restricted areas."

Jenny nodded quickly, her voice tight with barely contained panic. "O-okay... I'll take them out now. We were just leaving."

Behind her, Rosa stood up from the captain's seat, smoothing her dress and running her fingers through her hair as if nothing had happened. She shot Jane a dismissive look before heading for the door.

"Let's go," Jenny urged, her eyes darting between Jane and her family. "Now."

Lucia rolled her eyes as she walked past Jane, muttering under her breath. "Such a killjoy. We were just having a little fun."

The grandmother followed silently, her earlier excitement replaced by unease as she avoided Jane's gaze.

Rosa paused just long enough to glare at Jane-her chin raised defiantly-then walked out, her heels clicking sharply against the floor of the corridor outside.

Jane didn't move. She stood just inside the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched them go.

Something wasn't right.

They were too compliant.

Too quick to leave.

"Wait."

Her voice stopped them cold at the door, making all four turn back slowly.

"Hand me your phone," she said, her gaze fixed on Jenny.

Jenny froze. Her back stiffened, and she clutched the phone in her pocket as if it were a weapon.

"Why should I?" she asked, forcing her tone to sound steadier than she felt. "By what right do you get to go through my personal property?"

Jane didn't answer. She simply stepped forward, her movements deliberate and unyielding, and took the phone directly from Jenny's hand.

"Hey-" Jenny protested, reaching for it-but the look Jane gave her silenced her immediately. Cold. Unyielding. Like ice forming on a lake.

Jane began scrolling through the camera roll, her thumb moving steadily across the screen. Images flicked past-selfies in the terminal, shots of the tarmac, then photos taken inside the cockpit.

Cockpit angles.

Seats.

Panels.

Then-

She stopped.

Zoomed in on one photo in particular.

Rosa, sitting in the captain's seat, holding a full glass of red liquid directly over the control board. The liquid was clearly visible, its surface catching the light, positioned dangerously close to critical switches.

Jane's expression hardened. Her jaw tightened, and she looked up from the screen to where Rosa stood holding the now half-empty cup.

"The glass was full here," she said slowly, her voice low and even.

She lifted her gaze to meet Rosa's eyes.

Then looked at Rosa's hand.

Now holding a half-empty cup.

Silence.

Heavy enough to press down on every chest in the room.

"Where did the rest of the juice go?"

Rosa stiffened. Her fingers instinctively covered part of the glass, as if trying to hide how much was missing.

"I..." she hesitated, her eyes darting to Jenny for help-but Jenny was staring at the floor, her face pale. Then Rosa lifted her chin defiantly. "I drank it. I was thirsty."

She shrugged carelessly, the movement forced and unnatural. "It's my drink. Is there a problem? It's none of your business what I do with my own property."

She stepped forward and snatched the phone back from Jane, tucking it into her pocket with a sharp movement that made Jane take a small step back.

Jane didn't react to that. Her focus had already shifted past Rosa to Jenny, who was still staring at the floor, her shoulders hunched with tension.

"Open containers are strictly forbidden in the cockpit," she said, her voice carrying clearly across the quiet corridor. "You know this, Jenny. It's in every training manual, every safety briefing-liquids near sensitive electronics pose a critical risk to flight safety."

Lucia and the grandmother exchanged uneasy glances. Their earlier confidence had evaporated completely, replaced by the first flickers of fear as they realized how serious this was.

"They might not know," Jane continued evenly, her eyes never leaving Jenny's face. "But you do. You've been trained for this. You understand what happens when liquid contaminates flight systems."

"Don't look down on me," Jenny snapped, her voice rising slightly despite the tension. "I know the rules. I said my mom drank it. Isn't that clear enough? There's no spill-nothing to worry about."

Jane didn't respond. She simply looked at all four of them-Rosa's defiant glare, Lucia's nervous shifting, the grandmother's worried expression, Jenny's forced composure.

One by one.

Then-

She turned.

Walked deeper into the cockpit, her boots making soft thuds against the floor. She moved past the co-pilot's seat and leaned over the control panel, her body blocking the view from the doorway.

Her fingers traced along the edges of the panels-slowly, carefully-feeling for any sign of moisture. Along the seams. The tiny crevices between switches. Her eyes were sharp, focused, searching every inch of the surface.

Behind her-

Jenny's composure finally broke. The mask of confidence she'd been holding up crumbled completely, and tears welled in her eyes.

"Mom, let's go," she whispered urgently, her voice cracking. "Now. Please."

Rosa didn't argue this time. She simply nodded, her own bravado fading as she saw the fear in her daughter's eyes.

Lucia and the grandmother followed quickly, their heads down as they hurried away from the cockpit door.

The four of them slipped out of the cockpit-

Almost fleeing. Their footsteps hurried and uneven as they disappeared down the corridor.

The door closed behind them with a soft click.

Jane remained.

Still.

Focused.

Her fingers paused at a narrow gap between two panels near the throttle quadrant. A faint red stain-barely visible against the dark gray plastic, but unmistakable.

Barely visible.

But there.

The pilot lounge buzzed with low conversation the next morning. Coffee machines hummed steadily, dispensing dark brew into ceramic cups. Chairs scraped softly against the tile floor as staff shifted positions, and uniformed pilots and crew drifted in and out between flights, their voices carrying snippets of talk about weather patterns and flight schedules.

Jenny sat at a corner table tucked away from the main traffic flow, stirring her coffee slowly-far longer than necessary, her spoon clinking against the porcelain cup in a rhythmic, nervous pattern. Her eyes were fixed on the dark liquid swirling in her cup, but her thoughts were elsewhere, racing through every possible way this could unfold.

Unsteady. Fragile. Like ice on thin water.

Across the room, Jane stood at the coffee machine, calm as ever, preparing her drink with deliberate movements. She measured out her creamer precisely, added just a touch of honey, and stirred once-slowly-before lifting the cup to her lips. Her posture was straight, her expression relaxed, as if she had no idea what was about to unfold.

The door swung open with a sharp bang against the wall.

Reuben stepped in-his jaw set, his expression serious-followed by two members of the airline's investigation crew. Both wore crisp blazers with Aurelia's logo embroidered on the lapel, and carried leather folders thick with documents.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Conversations died down to whispers, then fell completely silent as everyone turned to watch the newcomers.

One of the crew members-a woman with short dark hair and sharp eyes-stepped forward, scanning the room with a practiced gaze. "Who here is Jane Harley?"

Jenny's grip tightened around her cup, her knuckles turning white. The spoon clattered against the rim as her hand trembled slightly.

Her heart dropped.

They know.

Before she could react-before she could even stand up-

Jane turned around from the coffee machine, her cup held casually in her hand.

"I am," she said evenly, her voice carrying clearly across the quiet room. "What's the issue?"

Jenny's head snapped up in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. She stared at Jane, her mouth slightly open as she processed what she'd just heard.

The investigator raised her phone, tapping the screen to display a photo-Rosa seated in the captain's chair, a glass of red liquid raised in her hand, smiling proudly at the camera. The control panels were clearly visible in the background.

"The aircraft in this image is your regularly assigned plane-GC2711," she said, her eyes fixed on Jane. "We need your cooperation in an ongoing investigation into unauthorized access and potential safety violations."

Jane's eyes darkened slightly-but she remained composed, taking a slow sip of her coffee before setting the cup down on the counter.

"Yesterday," she replied, her voice steady and clear, "I submitted a formal request for a full maintenance check on that aircraft. I noted concerns about possible contamination in the flight deck."

A ripple passed through the room. Pilots exchanged worried glances, and a few leaned forward, their interest piqued.

Jenny shifted in her seat, her confidence slipping as she watched Jane take control of the conversation.

No... no, this isn't how it should go.

Her breathing quickened, her chest tightening with panic.

Then suddenly-

She stood up.

Her chair scraped loudly against the floor, the sound echoing sharply in the quiet room.

"Jane!" she called out sharply, her voice cutting through the silence.

All eyes turned to her now-investigators, pilots, even Reuben, who'd been standing quietly in the background.

"You're lying," Jenny said, her voice firm despite the tremor underneath. She stepped away from the table, forcing her shoulders back as she faced Jane. "You were the one who led them in. You invited your family to tour the aircraft and took them straight into the cockpit."

A pause. The room held its breath.

Jane smiled.

Not warm. Not friendly. Amused-like she was watching a poorly performed play.

"You think deflecting blame will work?" she asked lightly, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Jenny. "After everything that happened yesterday?"

"It's the truth," Jenny insisted, stepping forward now, forcing confidence into her posture and her voice. "I can prove the woman in the photo is her aunt-"

She turned to the investigators, gesturing toward Jane with a steady hand.

"And she is the captain assigned to that aircraft. She has full authority over who enters the flight deck."

"Captain Harley," one of the investigators said, stepping closer to Jane, "we'll need you to come with us to the investigation office. We have a lot to discuss."

Jane exhaled slowly, her gaze sweeping across the room-lingering for a moment on Jenny's tense face, then on Reuben's satisfied expression-before nodding calmly.

"Of course," she said. Then she spoke again, her voice carrying to every corner of the lounge.

"Yesterday, the woman in that photo who is Jenny's mother-"she said calmly, her eyes meeting the investigator's directly. "I discovered them inside the cockpit, I deleted all images on the device they were using. That one must have been missed-"

Jenny's expression faltered.

Just for a second. Her eyes darted away from Jane's gaze, then quickly back, her jaw tightening.

Jane continued, her tone steady and unwavering.

"I will accept any penalties related to delayed reporting or procedural delay-I should have notified security immediately rather than trying to handle it privately. But I will not take responsibility for actions I did not authorize, nor for violations I did not commit."

Silence. Heavy and charged, hanging in the air like storm clouds.

Then-

"Jane..."

Jenny's voice changed. Softened. Almost pleading. She took a small step forward, her eyes welling with what looked like tears.

"My mother has always treated you well," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "She made you meals when you were studying for your exams,"

She paused, wiping a fake tear from her cheek.

"And I warned you not to take them inside," she continued, her voice growing stronger. "I told you it was against regulations. But you insisted-you said you were the captain and would take full responsibility if anything went wrong."

Murmurs spread across the lounge. Pilots leaned toward each other, whispering as they looked from Jenny to Jane and back again.

Reuben's lips curved slightly into a satisfied smile. He'd been waiting for this moment-waiting to see Jane brought low.

Jenny pressed on, her performance growing more convincing by the second.

"That's why my mother followed you," she said, her voice earnest and sincere. "She trusted you. Otherwise... as a co-pilot, I would never dare bring anyone into the cockpit without captain approval. I know better than that."

She lowered her gaze slightly-playing the part of the loyal subordinate who'd been caught in her superior's mistake.

Innocent. Controlled. Just following orders.

Reuben stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Jenny's shoulder.

"Jane," he said, his tone filled with disappointment, his voice carrying clearly across the room. "I expected better from you. You've always been such a dedicated pilot-one of our best."

Jane didn't react. She stood perfectly still, her expression calm and unreadable.

"I thought you'd at least take accountability," he continued, shaking his head slowly. "Instead, you're trying to shift the blame to Jenny-someone who's worked so hard to build her career here."

A beat. He paused for effect, letting his words sink in.

"Earlier yesterday," Reuben added, pulling out his own phone and scrolling through messages, "you requested authorization from me for an external tour of the aircraft. I approved it in good faith, thinking you wanted to show family members the tarmac and boarding areas."

A subtle shift. The blame-redirected, solidified, impossible to ignore.

"I never imagined you would escalate it into cockpit access," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "Or that you would put the safety of our aircraft and passengers at risk like this."

The room grew quiet. So quiet you could hear the hum of the overhead lights.

Everyone watching. Waiting.

Jane said nothing at first. She simply walked over to the nearest chair-Jenny's chair, as it happened-and sat down.

Relaxed. Composed. She crossed one leg over the other, resting her hands casually in her lap.

Then she leaned back slightly, her gaze lifting to meet Reuben's.

Sharp. Unmoved. Like she was looking at something irrelevant.

"Are you certain," she said slowly, her voice low but carrying perfectly across the quiet room,

"that I initiated the entry?"

She paused, letting the question hang in the air.

"Of course," Jenny said, her face tight with worry-though her eyes flickered with something harder, more desperate. Across from her, Jane only watched-calm, almost entertained, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup as if she were simply observing a particularly uninteresting flight pattern.

"Who else but you?" Jenny pressed, stepping closer, her voice carrying just enough to reach every corner of the quiet lounge. "Jane, I suggest you admit your mistake now. If you cooperate fully, you might get leniency-maybe just suspension instead of termination."

Reuben slid his hands into his pockets, a faint, calculating smile playing at the corners of his lips. He'd positioned himself near the investigation crew, making sure he was seen as the responsible authority figure. "But..." Jenny added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her movements deliberate and practiced, "even with cooperation, you'll likely be grounded for at least a year. Maybe longer."

"She deserves it," Reuben cut in smoothly, his voice heavy with disappointment. "She knows better than anyone that unauthorized personnel can't enter the cockpit. Safety protocols aren't suggestions-they're there to protect everyone on board."

Jane lowered her gaze, a quiet smile forming on her lips-soft, almost amused.

"Yet she did it anyway," Reuben continued, his tone shifting to something more authoritative. "I'll be filing a formal request for termination... and compensation for Aurelia's reputation loss-one million dollars. That's the minimum we can do to show regulators we take this seriously."

Jane lifted her head slowly, her eyes locking onto his. The amusement was gone now, replaced by something cold and steady.

"I refuse."

The room stilled. Every breath, every movement seemed to stop as those two simple words hung in the air.

Without another word, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. A soft tap on the screen-and then-

Jenny's voice filled the lounge, clear and unfiltered through the phone's speaker:

"Jane, stay out of this... I just informed Reuben and he already gave me a special visitation approval."

Silence.

Jenny's hands began to tremble, her face draining of color as she stared at Jane's phone.

Reuben turned sharply toward her, shock flickering across his face-followed by something darker. Disappointment. Calculation. His hand tightened in his pocket, knuckles white against his phone.

"You recorded us?" Jenny's voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes-but there was no real sadness there, only fear. "That's illegal! You can't record people without their permission!"

Jane stepped forward, her tone steady, cutting through the rising panic.

"Illegally entering the cockpit is serious," she said, her voice carrying clearly across the room. "With your history of spreading rumors and falsifying reports, preserving evidence was necessary. Or should I have waited for you to frame me? To let you destroy my career because you couldn't admit you made a mistake?"

"You-" Jenny began, her voice rising to a shriek-

But the investigation crew stepped in, two members moving to stand on either side of her.

"First Officer Jenny Burrows," the lead investigator said, her voice firm but calm, "you will need to come with us to the investigation office. We have more questions for you-"

Jenny tried to resist, panic breaking through her carefully constructed composure as she stumbled backward. "No-wait-"

But firm hands gripped her shoulders and led her out, her protests echoing down the corridor-"It's not fair! She set me up!"-as the door closed behind her with a final, decisive click.

The lounge erupted into murmurs. Pilots and crew members turned to each other, whispering excitedly, their eyes darting toward Jane with a mix of admiration and surprise.

Reuben stood frozen for a moment-then turned to Jane, his face carefully schooled into an expression of regret.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, stepping closer. "Jenny told me you requested the approval... showed me messages she'd fabricated to look like they were from you. That's why I signed off on it-I thought it was legitimate."

"Reuben Lincoln," Jane cut in, her voice sharp enough to make him flinch. "Bring your brain to work next time."

He flinched, running a hand through his hair as he avoided her gaze. "This is my fault-I should have verified it. I take full responsibility for approving the access without proper checks." Then, hesitating, he added, "But... could you help Jenny? Just a little?"

Jane stared at him, her expression unreadable.

"You're already a captain," he continued, pressing on despite her silence. "With your record, they won't punish you harshly. Probably just a fine, maybe a short suspension. But if you tell them you encouraged the tour-just a little-you could take some of the heat off her."

Her disbelief was unmistakable, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at him.

"So you want me to take the blame for her?" she asked, her voice low but clear. "After she lied about me, tried to destroy my career, and contaminated an aircraft that could have put hundreds of lives at risk?"

Reuben gave a strained smile, reaching out as if to touch her arm-then pulling his hand back when she stepped away. "She's still young. Because of... everything before-her failed captain's exam, the earlier misconduct investigation-she's already struggling at the airport. Another scandal like this-she'll be terminated for good. She'll never fly again."

Jane tilted her head slightly, her expression softening-into something that looked like pity. Not for Jenny, but for him.

"If you care about her so much," she said slowly, her voice carrying a weight he couldn't quite place, "why don't you take the blame yourself? Tell them you knew exactly what she was doing, that you approved it because you wanted to help her impress her family."

"Jane-" Reuben's tone sharpened, his patience wearing thin. "Don't be heartless. She's your cousin-family means something, doesn't it?"

"And she's your mistress," Jane replied instantly, stepping closer, her voice low but cutting through the quiet room like a blade. "You've been sneaking around with her for months-Why don't you help her out? Take responsibility for the mess you both created."

The words landed like a slap. Reuben's face flushed bright red with embarrassment, then darkened with anger as he glanced around to see if anyone had heard. A few pilots were watching them closely, their whispers growing quieter as they focused on the exchange.

Before he could respond, Jane turned and walked past him, her steps steady, unhurried. She didn't look back, didn't give him another word-just headed for the door, her posture straight and proud.

Reuben stood there, jaw tight, watching her retreating figure. His hand slowly curled into a fist at his side, his knuckles white with suppressed fury.

Anger replaced embarrassment.

Calculation returned.

He pulled out his phone and stepped into a quiet corner of the lounge, dialing a number from memory. It rang twice before being answered.

"...Dad," he said, his voice low, his eyes fixed on the door Jane had just exited through. "I need one more favor."

A pause on the other end-then a deep voice replied, "What is it this time?"

"Claim the cockpit breach was done by Jane Harley," Reuben said, his tone cold and determined.