"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.

Jayden sat behind his desk, flipping through a stack of documents with calm precision. The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, casting warm light across the polished wood and leather furniture. The office was quiet-save for the soft scratch of his pen and the gentle hum of the air conditioning-until the door creaked open without warning.

Michael slipped in, trying to move quietly despite his large frame. His head was slightly bowed, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a more serious expression as he sneaked a glance at Jayden... and immediately straightened when he caught the sharp glare directed at him.

Without a word, he pulled out a thick file he had been hiding behind his back and strode toward the desk with exaggerated confidence-though his hands trembled slightly as he set it down.

"Your wife's about to get fired," he said casually, dropping the file in front of Jayden with a soft thud. "And you're sitting here like you're reviewing flight schedules? This relaxed?"

Jayden didn't look up immediately, finishing his notes on the document before him. "What happened?"

"See for yourself."

Jayden picked up the file and began flipping through it-reports, witness statements, even doctored photos that appeared to show Jane leading Rosa and the others toward the aircraft. His expression shifted-subtle at first, a slight furrow of his brow, then firm as he recognized the inconsistencies. He exhaled slowly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"She wouldn't do this," he said flatly, setting the file down. "This report is falsified. The timestamps don't match, the witness statements contradict each other... even the photo metadata shows they were edited."

Michael raised a brow, feigning surprise. "That confident? The evidence looks solid-Bennett Lincoln personally signed off on it, and half the board is backing his version of events."

Jayden closed the file and looked straight at him, his eyes dark with resolve. "I trust Jane."

Michael clicked his tongue, studying him for a long moment. "...First time I'm seeing that look on you. The 'don't mess with what's mine' look."

Jayden's head tilted slightly, a faint crease forming between his brows. "What look?"

Michael smirked, leaning against the edge of the desk. "Only one word for it-smitten. You've gone soft for her."

Jayden rolled his eyes, turning back to his computer screen. "Ridiculous. This is about upholding standards and protecting innocent personnel."

He handed the file back to Michael, his voice growing more serious. "Investigate. Every lead. I want to know who really doctored those documents, who pressured witnesses to lie, and how far the Lincolns are willing to go to protect their own."

Michael took the file slowly, his expression shifting from teasing to serious. "I already did. It was Bennett Lincoln-he pulled strings with the IT department to alter the flight deck access logs. Paid off two maintenance workers to say they saw Jane leading the group in."

Jayden's gaze darkened slightly, his jaw tightening.

"And his son," Michael added, leaning in closer, lowering his voice. "Reuben Lincoln. Your wife's ex-though I'm guessing you already knew that part."

A pause. The air in the office grew heavy with unspoken anger.

"To protect his mistress," Michael continued, shaking his head in disgust, "he pinned everything on Jane. Even told the board she has 'emotional instability issues' from her childhood, that she can't be trusted with command."

Silence settled between them. Jayden's fingers curled into fists on the desk, knuckles white against the dark wood.

Michael exhaled heavily, pushing off the desk and walking toward the window, hands in his pockets. "She's being bullied right in front of you, Jayden. You're really not going to do anything? Let them destroy her career just because you're still hiding who you are?"

Jayden picked up a pen and began rolling it between his fingers, his expression unreadable. He was quiet for a long moment, staring at the city spread out below them.

"What's your advice?" he asked calmly.

Michael turned, his eyes flashing with his usual fire. "Simple. Break Reuben's legs-metaphorically speaking, of course. Drive the Lincolns out of Seattle, out of the airline industry entirely. That's what top CEOs do-protect what's theirs and crush anyone who stands in their way."

Jayden glanced at him, unimpressed but not entirely dismissive. "We are a lawful society, Michael. We don't solve problems with threats. We gather evidence. Submit to regulators. File formal complaints with the FAA and the Department of Transportation. Lifetime grounding for anyone involved in falsifying safety records... massive fines that will drain their personal and corporate accounts."

He paused, the pen stilling in his hand.

"That will ruin them more effectively than any physical violence ever could."

Michael turned, eyes widening slightly in surprise. "...Wow. First time you've sounded this ruthless. I always knew there was a tiger hiding under that calm exterior."

He leaned closer, peering into Jayden's face with a knowing look. "You're really falling for her, aren't you?"

Jayden said nothing, turning back to his desk and pulling up a new document on his screen. But the faint smile that touched his lips gave him away.

"Well," Michael added with a shrug, heading for the door, "our little Jane deserves it. She's one of the best pilots Aurelia has-she shouldn't have to fight battles like this alone."

The pen in Jayden's hand slammed against the desk with a sharp crack, the plastic casing splitting slightly at the impact.

"...Little Jane?" he repeated, voice low and dangerous.

Michael froze mid-step, then quickly slapped his own cheek lightly, laughing nervously. "My apologies. Slip of the tongue. Captain Harley is more than capable of handling herself-and she's certainly not 'little' in any sense of the word."

Jayden held his gaze for a moment longer... then returned to his documents, already typing out instructions for the legal team.

Three hours later

A notice stamped with the Chief Pilot's official seal was pinned to the airport's main bulletin board-large, bold, impossible to miss. Within minutes, staff began gathering around it, craning their necks to read the words printed in black and red ink.

Murmurs spread quickly through the crowd, growing louder with every passing second.

"So the cockpit incident... it was Jenny's mother?"

"Unbelievable... they had us all believing she'd lost her mind."

Two air hostesses leaned closer, reading carefully over each other's shoulders.

"She blamed Captain Harley? Fabricated evidence and everything?" one whispered, her eyes wide with shock.

"So shameless," the other replied, shaking her head.

Nearby, two first officers exchanged grim looks, their voices low but serious.

"Captain Lincoln is finished this time. The board's already voting to strip him of his title."

"Even selling his shares won't cover those fines-they're talking twenty million dollars for falsifying safety records."

"Aurelia's reputation..." one muttered, running a hand through his hair. "They've dragged everyone into investigation-"

"They deserve to be fired. Maybe even charged criminally for endangering passengers."

Jane stood among them, silent, her hands clasped calmly at her sides.

She swallowed once-then stepped forward, her voice clear and steady enough to cut through the chatter.

"Enough," she said firmly. "This changes nothing about our responsibilities. There's a flight to Denver this afternoon-we're already behind schedule preparing the aircraft. Back to work."

"Yes, Captain," they chorused, dispersing quickly, their respect for her growing even stronger now that her name had been cleared.

The crowd cleared, leaving Jane standing alone by the board. She stared at the notice for a moment longer-then turned to head for the tarmac.

And then-

Footsteps rushed in from behind, loud and frantic against the tile floor.

"Jane!"

Jenny's voice-sharp, panicked, tears streaming down her face as she pushed through the last of the crowd.

Jane turned slowly, her expression calm and distant as Jenny grabbed her arm tightly, her breath coming in uneven gasps. Reuben stood just behind her, his jaw tight, his face pale with anger and fear.

"Go explain this to them!" Jenny demanded, pointing toward the regulators' office down the corridor. "Fix this! Tell them it was all a mistake-you can still take responsibility, right?"

Jane stared at her-calm, like one would look at a child throwing a tantrum in a public place. Unmoved by the drama, unbothered by the unfair demand.

"If not for your negligence," Jenny continued frantically, her nails digging into Jane's arm, "would I have let them in? You should have stopped us! How can you blame me for this?!"

Jane stepped forward until she stood directly in front of Jenny, her posture straight as a plumb line, her gaze unwavering. The morning light from the corridor windows caught the captain's bars on her shoulders, making them gleam like polished steel.

"I had technicians work overnight," she said calmly, her voice carrying clearly despite the quiet of the nearly empty hallway. "Every switch, every wire, every circuit-they checked everything."

From her folder, she pulled out a thick report bound in blue cover stock and lifted it just enough for Jenny to see the official Aurelia seal stamped across the front page.

"The results are clear," Jane continued, her eyes never leaving Jenny's face. "Your mother brought drinks into the cockpit... and damaged the instrument panel. The liquid seeped into the primary flight control system, corroding wiring and short-circuiting three critical sensors."

Jenny's face drained of color, leaving her pale as paper. She looked away, her fingers trembling as she clutched at the sleeve of her uniform jacket. A faint stain from yesterday's juice was still visible on the fabric.

Beside her, Reuben shot her a sharp, surprised look-clearly unaware of the full extent of the damage. His jaw tightened, and he took a small step back as if putting distance between himself and the mess she'd created.

Jane lowered the file slightly, her tone turning colder, sharper-like ice forming on a lake surface.

"Instead of playing the blame game, you should focus on how you're going to cover the damages."

Jenny instinctively turned to Reuben, her eyes wide with pleading. But he wouldn't meet her gaze, his attention fixed on the floor.

"The compensation has already been paid," he said stiffly, his voice carrying a note of strain despite his attempt to sound confident. "My father liquidated part of his shares to cover the costs. Every penny."

A flicker of genuine pain slipped into his voice as he added, "Must you push us to ruin? There's nothing left to take."

Jane's lips curved faintly-not with sympathy, but with amusement at his misplaced pride.

"That payment covered reputation damage, aircraft repair, and operational losses," she replied, her voice steady and unyielding. "It doesn't end there. The FAA is launching their own investigation-they'll want to review every flight you've been involved in for the past year. And Aurelia's ethics board will be deciding whether your licenses should be revoked permanently."

Jenny swayed slightly, as if the ground beneath her had shifted. She reached out to steady herself against the wall, her face contorted with a mix of fear and anger.

Reuben's expression hardened in disbelief. "You'd really do that? Destroy careers over one mistake?"

"Jane..." Jenny's voice cracked, tears finally spilling down her cheeks.

Jane turned her head toward her, expression neutral-neither cold nor warm, simply observing.

"We're practically family," Jenny said weakly, her voice trembling. "Do you have to be this ruthless? Can't you find it in your heart to forgive us?"

For a moment, Jane said nothing. She just looked at Jenny-at the woman she'd once considered a cousin, a friend, someone she'd tried to help when she had nothing.

Then-

Her eyes sharpened, and something cold and hard flickered in their depths.

"When you first came to Seattle with nowhere to go," she said slowly, each word deliberate and clear, "I gave you a place to stay. Let you sleep in my spare room, shared my food, helped you fill out your application for Aurelia."

Jenny's breathing grew uneven, her hands shaking as she pressed them against her eyes.

"And how did you repay me?"

Jane's gaze flicked briefly toward Reuben-who flinched slightly, knowing exactly what was coming next.

"You seduced my fiancé... and tampered with my exam results. You changed my flight plan during my captain's assessment, almost causing me to crash during a simulated emergency landing."

Reuben's face darkened with shame and anger-anger at being exposed, shame at what he'd allowed to happen.

Jenny scratched at her arm nervously, the skin already red and irritated from her frantic movements. She couldn't meet Jane's eyes, couldn't find any way to deny the truth.

"And now," Jane finished, her voice firm and final, "you expect help? You expect me to clean up your mess again, to pretend none of this happened?"

A pause. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, with years of betrayal and hurt.

"Jenny Burrows... you're pathetic."

The words landed without force-quiet, matter-of-fact-but cut deeper than any shout ever could. They stripped away every last layer of pretense, every excuse Jenny had ever made for herself.

Jane turned and walked away, her steps steady and unhurried, leaving Jenny and Reuben standing alone in the empty corridor.

Behind her, Jenny opened her mouth-

"You-!"

But no words came out. Her voice caught in her throat, choked off by tears and shame. For the first time in her life, she had nothing left to say.

As Jane walked down the corridor, the tension that had been coiled in her shoulders for weeks finally began to ease. She slipped her phone from her pocket and dialed a number she knew by heart, holding it to her ear as it rang once, twice.

"Jayden," she said, a small genuine smile forming on her lips as he picked up. "I'll be home for dinner."

She paused, listening to his response, then added, "Yes, I'm serious."

Meanwhile-Jayden's office

Jayden had just ended the call, setting his phone down on his desk with a soft click. A faint smile lingered on his lips as he typed out a quick message to the legal team, confirming that no further action would be needed from his end.

Across the room, Michael stared at him-intensely, as if he were seeing him for the first time. He'd been watching the subtle shift in his friend's demeanor for weeks now, but this was different-Jayden actually looked... happy.

"Jayden," he called, pushing off the couch where he'd been lounging.

Jayden looked up, the smile still faintly present in the corners of his eyes. "What?"

"You know what you look like right now?" Michael asked, leaning in dramatically, his hands clasped together under his chin.

The smile on Jayden's face faded slightly, replaced by his usual calm composure. "What?"

"Like someone under a spell," Michael declared, spreading his arms wide. "A love spell! Cast by our fearless Captain Harley!"

Jayden rolled his eyes, standing up and grabbing his coat from the back of his chair. "Cut the crap, Michael. We have work to-"

"Alright, alright," Michael said, raising his hands in surrender, though his grin remained. "I'm just saying-you've been different lately. Less 'cold-hearted corporate overlord,' more 'actual human being.'"

Jayden ignored him, heading for the door with his usual purposeful stride.

Michael blinked, staring after him in surprise. "Where are you going? No overtime today? You've been pulling twelve-hour days for months!"

Jayden paused just long enough to glance back at him, his expression softening slightly.

"Going home," he said simply. "To cook dinner."

"...Huh?"

But Jayden was already gone, the door clicking shut behind him with quiet finality.

Michael stood there, staring at the empty doorway for a long moment before shaking his head in disbelief.

"...What is happening?" he muttered, scratching his head. "Workaholic turned homemaker? Did I miss a memo? Is the world ending?"

He placed a hand on his forehead dramatically, staggering backward toward the couch.

"I'm not running a fever, right?" he said to the empty room. "Someone check if hell just froze over!"