Falling at 30,000 feets
On Valentine's Day, love is in the air-but so is danger.
At 30,000 feet, trainee captain Jane Harley proves she's more than just a rising pilot when she navigates a terrifying turbulence that leaves passengers shaken and lives hanging by a thread. Calm under pressurej and fiercely capable, Jane becomes the unexpected hero of Flight 423.
But while she's saving lives in the sky, fate is already setting something far more complicated in motion.
Among the passengers is the powerful and ambitious mother of Jayden-Aurelia Air's largest shareholder-whose midair health crisis is only the beginning of a chain of events. Grateful and intrigued, she sets her sights on Jane... not just as a hero, but as a future daughter-in-law.
Jayden, a grounded pilot with a sharp mind and guarded heart, has no interest in his mother's schemes-until one unexpected name changes everything.
In a world of wealth, expectations, and high-altitude emotions, two lives are about to collide.
Love, ambition, and fate take flight in Falling at 30,000 Feet.
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Chapter 27
"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.
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9.6
In the two years after I married Daniel Carter, my private photos had gone viral nine times, and Daniel had been taken into custody ten times.
Because every time his mistress, Emily Morgan, was unhappy, she would leak my private photos all over the internet.
I, Claire Parker, never let it slide. I reported every shady business Daniel was involved in and personally sent him behind bars.
That lasted until an unexpected kidnapping. I took a bullet for him, one aimed straight at his heart, and he shielded me beneath his body, taking the brunt of the explosion for me.
After we survived, the man who had always been so cold-blooded knelt before me, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.
"Honey, let's leave the drama behind. I just want a peaceful life with you."
Right in front of me, he ordered his men to send his mistress out of Northhaven and never let her appear before him again.
In the third year after we reconciled, I carried my eight-month pregnant belly and brought him lunch.
But on the way there, I was hit by a car. The hospital issued three critical condition notices, yet they still could not save the baby.
Daniel rushed over, but he did not even spare me a glance. Instead, he pulled the woman who had hit me and her child into his arms, soothing her in a low voice.
"Don't be scared. I'll protect you and the child."
Only then did I realize that the woman who had hit me was the very mistress he had sent away three years ago.
When I demanded an explanation, Daniel brushed it off as if it were nothing. "She didn't do it on purpose. Don't take it out on her and her son. You can have a baby another time."
At that moment, I finally understood. They had gotten back together long ago.
I looked at him and nodded. "Don't worry, this will never happen again."
7.8
My abusive ex was threatening a lawsuit that would destroy my father's career and wipe out my PhD. I was completely out of options.
That night, Graham, the boy from next door I hadn't seen in a decade, showed up at my apartment in the middle of a hurricane. Now a wealthy orthopedic surgeon, he offered a transactional marriage: he needed a local wife to keep his family away while he cared for his sick mother, and in return, he would make my ex disappear.
I thought it was a simple deal. But the morning after we signed the marriage license, Graham didn't just scare my ex off—he ruthlessly dismantled him. Then, Graham turned to me. His eyes were dead as he pulled out his phone, showing me a high-resolution photo of the night I illegally sold lab samples to pay off my ex's initial blackmail. He had hired a private investigator to stalk me. If that photo leaked to the FDA, I wouldn't just lose my degree; I'd go to prison.
"I needed a guarantee," he said flatly.
I was shaking with rage and terror. This wasn't a rescue. It was a hostage situation. Why did he hunt me down? Why use my darkest secret to trap me in this twisted marriage?
I couldn't live like this. I demanded an immediate divorce. But at the courthouse, the clerk dropped a bomb on us: state law required a mandatory thirty-day waiting period. Thirty days trapped with a ruthless, manipulative stranger. I had to find a way to break his leverage before the month was up.
7.1
I was the top commander of a black-ops military program. After slaughtering my way through a hellish mission, I reached the extraction helicopter, trusting my second-in-command to watch my back.
But the moment our hands locked, he didn't pull me up. Instead, he plunged a syringe of lethal neurotoxin directly into my neck.
He aimed his gun at my chest, coldly stating that I was too dangerous to live. My lungs stopped, and I died in a pool of my own blood. But the endless blackness suddenly shattered. My consciousness violently forced its way into a new, broken shell. I woke up in a freezing alley, soaked in muddy rain.
This body belonged to seventeen-year-old Eliza Wyatt. A massive wave of foreign memories crashed into my brain. Her own younger sister had just stood at the top of the stairs with a mocking smile, watching street thugs beat Eliza to death.
"Take good care of the Wyatt family's eldest daughter. Tonight is the night she finally disappears."
The endless humiliation, the cold stares of her family, and the brutal betrayal by her own blood flashed before my eyes. Why was this fragile girl treated like garbage and pushed to her death by the very people who should have protected her?
I looked down at my pale, trembling hands. The top commander was dead, but in this bleeding shell, Eliza Wyatt was very much alive. I picked up a switchblade from the bloody puddle and stood up in the storm. It was time to hunt.
9.7
For three years, I was the dutiful wife of billionaire Ervin Valdez.
On our third wedding anniversary, he came home smelling of his mistress's perfume, pinned me down, and brutally mocked me.
His mistress, Sylvia, had even sent me a fake ultrasound report to force me out of the picture.
In Ervin's eyes, I was just a vicious, calculating liar who used a pregnancy to trap him into marriage.
He didn't care that I had actually lost that baby, nor did he know the trauma of my gambling father selling me to a dark club where I was assaulted by a stranger.
When I finally handed him the signed divorce papers, giving up all assets, and left the penthouse with nothing but an old suitcase, he just sneered.
"She is playing a game of hard to get. She won't last three days before she comes crying back."
He froze all my bank accounts, let his mistress humiliate me in public, and waited coldly for me to starve and beg.
He thought my entire existence relied on his wealth, completely confident that I would inevitably surrender to his control.
But he was wrong.
I calmly opened my old laptop, bypassed the complex encryptions, and looked at the dozens of unread emails from top-tier global brands begging for my return.
I resurrected my hidden identity as the legendary jewelry designer "R," and walked straight into the top design firm in Manhattan.
"It is time to find myself again."
9.2
After six brutal months, I returned to my Seattle villa, my sanctuary. An unsettling quiet, then a cloying mix of cheap vanilla and baby talc hit me. Pink slippers, a cookbook, and a blonde hair on Nathan's hoodie screamed betrayal.
Unwashed baby bottles and a note from "M" to "feed the baby" confirmed my dread. A baby's cry led me to Misty, holding a baby with Nathan's exact curls. She claimed Nathan called me his "bankrupt ex-wife," my clothes gone, wedding photos crumpled, and his loving text proved his calculated fraud.
Nathan burst in, spewing gaslighting lies, despite finding a deed transfer for *my* house. His blame—that I was a "cold work machine"—only solidified my resolve. My husband used my money, home, and trust to build a new life, systematically trying to erase me. He didn't just cheat; he tried to steal everything. A venture capitalist doesn't just walk away from a hostile takeover.
8.0
"Don't you dare touch me. You bloody monster," Eric whispered glaring at me, which only turned me on the more.
A beautiful smile crossed my lips; luckily for us, his fake mother was so focused on Katherine, she did not know I was fucking her son before her eyes.
"So I am now a monster, huh? That was not what you said yesterday. Or have you forgotten about our hot night?" I asked as I traced my way to his lap again, approaching his groin area.
He swallowed hard, his eyes roaming around. "Damien. I am Katherine's fiancé. your niece" He reminded me as my hands reached his groan, caressing it through the layers of his trousers.
"Yesterday you were Mike's boyfriend, and what did I tell you? I don't give a fuck!," I whispered back. "Now be quiet and try to control yourself" .
Eric's life is thrown upside down when his brother is killed on his coronation day, and he now has to become the king. and he can't because he is gay and he has a boyfriend who he loves dearly, or so he thought until he met Damien Monetro, his fiancée's uncle and his former one-night stand