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 32
"You better know your place," Norman gnashed, struggling to his feet as he clutched his twisted arm to his chest. His fingers twitched awkwardly, and a dark bruise was already forming on his wrist. His face was contorted with a mix of pain and humiliation-fury burning bright in his eyes. "Now that Reuben is gone... crushing you will be effortless. I have connections in this company you can't even imagine."
Jane didn't flinch. She stood perfectly still, her back straight, her hands clasped calmly at her sides. The earlier tension had melted away, replaced by a cold, unyielding resolve.
"Listen carefully," she said, her voice calm but sharp as a blade, her eyes locking onto his with an intensity that made him take a small step back. "I got this far on my own merit. I passed every exam, aced every flight assessment, earned every promotion. No one handed me anything. Try to touch me again-if you dare-and you'll find out exactly what I'm capable of."
She turned and walked away, her steps steady and unhurried as she headed for the exit. Only when she was halfway down the corridor did she realize she had been holding her breath the entire time. She inhaled deeply, the cool air filling her lungs as she forced herself to stay composed-though her scalp still throbbed from where he'd grabbed her hair.
But Norman wasn't done.
Fueled by anger and embarrassment, he rushed after her, his heavy boots thudding against the tile floor. In one swift, reckless motion, he reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her backward with enough force to make her stumble.
Jane cried out softly as pain shot through her scalp, her balance breaking as she tumbled back a few steps. She caught herself against the wall, her hand flying up to her head as she stared at him in disbelief-not at the attack, but at his sheer stupidity.
"How bold of you," Norman snarled, shoving her back against the wall hard enough to make the plaster rattle. "To hit me here of all places... in front of everyone." His finger jabbed toward her face, his breath hot and sour. "Mark my words-today, I can do whatever I want to you. No consequences. No one will believe a little girl like you over me."
He raised his hand, his fist clenched-
-but it never landed.
A firm, iron grip caught his wrist mid-air, stopping him cold.
Norman turned sharply, his face twisted with rage-only to freeze completely.
Jayden stood behind him, his expression cold-dangerously so. His dark eyes were narrowed, his jaw tight, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring ready to snap. He was dressed in his usual crisp shirt and trousers, but there was nothing calm or composed about him now.
Before Norman could react-before he could even get a word out-
Smack.
Jayden's slap landed hard across his face, the sound echoing down the empty corridor like a gunshot. Norman staggered backward, his head spinning, and crashed to the ground, clutching his cheek as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His body trembled-from pain, fear, or both.
"You-!" he barely got out, his voice slurred and weak-
But Jayden was already moving. He stepped forward and grabbed Norman by the collar of his uniform, dragging him up just enough before driving his fist straight into his face.
Once. A solid blow to his jaw that made his teeth clatter.
Twice. A sharp punch to his ribs that knocked the air from his lungs.
Again. A final strike to his shoulder that made him cry out in agony.
Each blow landed with controlled, terrifying precision-no more force than necessary, but enough to make it clear there would be no more chances.
Jane's eyes widened in shock. For a moment, she stood frozen-this wasn't the calm, restrained Jayden she knew, the man who cooked dinner and tapped her nose playfully. This was someone else entirely-someone dangerous, protective, and completely unforgiving.
"Jayden-stop!" she shouted, rushing forward and grabbing his arm with both hands. She pulled him back with effort, her voice firm despite the surprise in her eyes. "It's enough! He's not worth it-you'll get in trouble!"
Jayden's chest rose and fell heavily, his breathing rough, but he let her pull him away. He released his grip on Norman's collar, letting him collapse back onto the floor where he lay dazed and bruised, blood seeping from his nose and mouth.
Jane stepped forward, smoothing her hair back into place as if nothing had happened. A faint, satisfied smile curved her lips as she looked down at him.
"Now it's my turn," she said lightly, rolling up the sleeve of her uniform jacket.
Before Norman could react-before he could even try to crawl away-
Punch.
Her fist connected cleanly with his mouth, her knuckles cracking against his teeth. He groaned weakly, his eyes squeezing shut as more blood spilled onto his shirt.
"Jane..." he managed to gasp, his voice barely audible.
She straightened, brushing invisible dust off her sleeve, completely unbothered. Her knuckles were red and already swelling, but she didn't seem to notice.
"I have the Lincoln family backing me!" Norman spat, blood bubbling from his lips as he struggled to sit up. His voice shook with both pain and rage. "You let your lover attack me? Just wait-I'll ruin both of you! Bennett Lincoln will make sure you never work in aviation again!"
Jane tilted her head slightly, her tone turning matter-of-fact as she looked down at him with barely concealed disdain.
"Your behavior today has already disgraced the Lincoln family," she said. "You think they'll be willing to save someone who uses their name to harass women? Let's see if they'll still stand by you when I file formal charges for assault and harassment."
Then-
She lifted her heel and stomped hard on his foot, her polished leather boot connecting with his toes with a sickening crunch.
Norman screamed-a high, desperate sound that echoed down the corridor-clutching his foot as tears streamed down his face.
Without sparing him another glance, Jane turned and walked away, her steps steady and confident once more.
Jayden followed silently behind her, his breathing having calmed, his expression returning to its usual composure-though his knuckles were still white from where he'd gripped Norman's wrist.
At the lockers, Jane grabbed her coat from her cubby, slipping it on smoothly as if the entire incident had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. She pulled out her phone, already typing out a message to HR and the company's legal department, detailing every part of the assault.
Jayden walked beside her, escorting her out of the building and into the bright afternoon sun. The fresh air hit them both, carrying the familiar scent of jet fuel and tarmac asphalt.
"Thanks for today," Jane said, looking up at him with a small, genuine smile. "I'm glad you showed up when you did... otherwise I might've been blindsided. I had him handled, but still-" She paused, shaking her head slightly. "It's nice to know someone has my back."
Jayden let out a quiet chuckle, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from her face-his touch gentle, completely different from the man who'd just punched Norman into the floor. "Honestly, I barely helped," he said. "You had him on the ropes before I even got there. Though I have to say-your punch was impressive. Where'd you learn that?"
"Self-defense classes for pilots," she replied, smiling as they walked toward the parking lot. "Mandatory training, but I actually paid attention. Useful, apparently."
"Next time someone tries to bully.. tell me and I'll beat them up " Jayden said with a smile
" deal" Jane agreed with a smile
They walked a few more steps in comfortable silence, the afternoon sun warming their shoulders. Then Jane glanced at him again, her expression turning curious.
"But... why are you here at the company?" she asked, pulling her arm back slightly as she looked up at him. "Isn't it a workday today?"
Jayden's smile faltered. His steps slowed slightly, and for a brief moment, hesitation flickered across his face-his eyes darting away from hers for just a second before meeting them again.
Jane narrowed her eyes slightly, suspicion creeping in as she stopped walking completely.
"...Don't tell me you-"
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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