"The same goes to them! All of you are done flying!"

The attendants' expressions fell instantly. A few were ready to stand up for me, but I silenced them with a glance.

At that moment, the intercom crackled with the dispatcher's voice. "The pre-flight checks are completed. Cabin crew, please be prepared. Boarding will begin shortly."

Upon hearing this, Edward gave a cold snort. "I couldn't care less about missing one flight. But after this, don't even dream of boarding my plane again. So choose wisely."

I pushed down the storm rising in my chest and answered quietly, "I understand."

At the same time, I shot a look at my aide, and she caught on instantly and nodded.

Since Edward had a death wish, I wouldn't save him this time.

…

Cindy continued to cause trouble even after boarding.

"I haven't worn a flight attendant uniform since my training days," she said, clinging to Edward's arm with a bright smile. "I want to put one on today for the experience and be your attendant."

"We don't have spare uniforms." I frowned.

She pouted and refused to back down. "I've been through training, and I know there are backups."

My voice turned cold as I refuted, "The backup uniforms are for official crew members, not for your little games."

Edward's brow furrowed, but his tone softened as he tried to justify her request. "Cindy isn't a stranger. What's the harm in letting her wear one?"

At this point, I lost control of my rage. My voice cut sharply and coldly. "She can wear it, but she has to work. She'll be in charge of pushing the meal cart."

Cindy burst out laughing at my words. "No way! That type of servant job is not for me. If anybody has to do it, it's all of you. I'm not here to play waitress."

The attendants' expressions soured, and one of them almost snapped at her, but I stopped them.

I stood firm and stayed calm, though rage burned in my chest. Inwardly, I scoffed, "Fine, keep playing your games. We'll see who's laughing when this plane lands."

Using his authority as captain, Edward escorted Cindy into first class. "There's nothing great about being a flight attendant. Passengers in first class have it best. Sit here and enjoy the ride."

Before long, the service bell rang.

A crew member went to respond, but moments later, she returned with a grim expression. "Ms. Henson, the passenger requested you personally."

My heart sank, and I could already guess who it was.

Sure enough, it was Cindy.

She sat leisurely in her seat. She had a blanket over her shoulders and a smug smile tugging at her lips. Her voice dripped with mockery. "I'm the passenger, and you're the flight attendant. Serving me is your job, isn't it?"

I kept my cool and responded calmly, "Good afternoon, ma'am. What can I get you?"

She giggled as if she'd heard the funniest joke. She toyed with the edge of her blanket as she ordered, "Bring me another blanket with a different color and a softer pillow. I heard there's a new toiletry kit, so I'll take that too. Oh, and bring me three kinds of drinks so I can compare them."

I fulfilled each request without letting emotion show on my face, but I could sense my colleagues silently raging behind me.

"She's just purposely causing trouble!" one of them growled in the back cabin.

"Stay calm and remember who we are," I reminded them.

Cindy ordered red wine a short while later, and I brought it to her.

A smirk tugged at her lips as she asked, "I heard first-class passengers can have the flight attendants do anything they want. Is that true?"

Behind me, one of the crew members couldn't hold back and cursed under her breath.

Cindy instantly put on the look of a victim. Her voice turned soft and pitiful. "Is this how you treat your passengers? I'll be filing a complaint against all of you. I've had training before, and I know too many complaints can ground you for good."

I drew a deep breath, forcing my anger back down. Then, I slowly bent into a half-squat before her.

With the wine glass in hand, I wore the perfect professional smile and spoke evenly. "Of course, ma'am. We'll serve you."

Cindy's face brightened like she'd just won a glorious battle. She let out a shrill peal of laughter. "During training, you kept telling me I wasn't fit and didn't meet the standards. But looking at you now, I realize you fit the job better than I do."

She suddenly leaned forward. Her gaze was sharp, and her grin dripped with scorn as she spat, "You're only fit to kneel and serve me!"

My fingers tightened on the glass, and I was about to respond, but she moved faster.

"Oh my! I'm sorry. My hand slipped."

The wine splashed over me, soaking into my hair and uniform. It trickled down my temple and to my face like threads of blood, cold and cloying. Each drop was a sting of humiliation that cut to the bone.

I couldn't keep it in anymore. I spun around and sprinted for the restroom.

My hand wouldn't stop trembling as the door slammed shut behind me. In the mirror, I caught sight of my drenched uniform and a disheveled figure staring back at me.

Meanwhile, Cindy's mocking laughter pierced through the walls from outside, and each giggle drove into my ears like nails.

…

Cindy was gone from her seat when I came out with water still dripping from my hair.

The crew exchanged nervous glances. Their gazes were filled with a mixture of emotions.

"What happened?" I asked, instantly on guard.

Just then, the co-pilot stepped out of his cockpit, and he seemed uneasy. "Nothing happened. It's just that Cindy's inside, and Mr. Crowley asked me to come out."

One of the attendants mumbled beneath her breath, unable to keep her anger back anymore, "Ms. Henson, he doesn't respect you at all. You're working yourself up for this flight, yet he…"

"Don't let people like him interfere with our work," I cut her off with a sharp whisper while digging my nails hard into my palm.

I took a deep breath and braced myself. We were only halfway through the flight, so we couldn't afford chaos now.

When meal service came around, I pushed the food cart to the cockpit as per procedure.

The moment the door opened, I heard a burst of flirtatious laughter.

Cindy sat on the co-pilot's seat, wrapped in Edward's jacket and posing dramatically for pictures.

When she spotted me, she waved with a smile. "I know the rules, Ms. Henson. I'll ask the co-pilot to return very soon. I just wanted to experience being a co-pilot for a while."

Edward leaned back in his seat, and his expression was cold. "Don't act so self-righteous. Are you going to report to the higher-ups again? If you really want to marry me, you should stop playing petty games."

Then, he stood up and walked toward me. His voice dropped to a mocking whisper as he warned, "I'll treat you well if you behave. But if you dare target Cindy like before, I won't let you off!"

I wanted to fling the meal tray at his head for a split second. The words 'I don't want to marry you anymore' nearly escaped my throat, but rationality pulled me back. Hundreds of passengers were on this plane, and I couldn't let him jeopardize their safety.

"I understand," I answered through clenched teeth.

Edward was satisfied with my response and smiled. "That's more like it. Since you understand, stand guard at the door and do not let anyone in."

So I stood outside the cockpit and listened to the murmurs and soft laughter within. The thick air of intimacy seeped out, piercing my chest one needle at a time.

Memories of when we first took the entrance exam for flight school surfaced in my head.

I still remembered Edward scribbling in his flight log and sneaking smiles at me in the training room. But after he became captain, all he seemed to care about was his career and his gains.

It was like I had become nothing more than an obstacle to his dream. I always believed others had misled him into hating me, but today, I realized the kindness he once showed me was never truly mine.

After a long time, the door finally opened.

Cindy walked out with flushed cheeks and weak legs but acted nonchalantly. "Excuse me, I need to freshen up in the restroom."

When she walked by, her face carried the smugness of a victor.

I looked toward the cockpit and saw Edward fastening the buttons of his uniform with practiced ease. There was no hint of shame on his face, only satisfaction.

…

Wrecked with heartache, I endured it until the plane touched down. I stood at the cabin door, overseeing the passengers as they disembarked.

Cindy walked toward me in her high heels and swung her handbag with a smirk on her face.

I raised a hand to stop her.

Her face darkened, and her tone sharpened. "What are you doing? Are you picking on me on purpose?"

"Please hold on, ma'am. You're not allowed to leave the aircraft yet, as we need to do some verification with you," I informed her with a neutral expression.

Upon hearing this, she blew up instantly. "Who do you think you are! Do you think you're some big shot just because you've been a flight attendant for years?"

The commotion drew curious glances from nearby passengers.

Just then, Edward emerged from the crowd. His lips curled into a sneer. "I thought you'd finally come to your senses, Jade. But it seems like you're still holding to your fantasies."

I disregarded his remarks and repeated firmly, "She cannot disembark yet. Please cooperate with us."

"Cooperate?" His gaze turned ice cold as he stepped closer, and his voice dripped with contempt. "You're just the lead flight attendant. What gives you the right to order me around? I call the shots here, not you!"

As Edward spoke, he reached out to pull Cindy out of the plane.

I instantly stepped forward to stop them, and he suddenly swung his hand hard across my face.

"Don't push your luck!" he hissed as fury burned in his eyes. "I'll file a report against your petty tricks the moment we get off the plane. By then, you and your entire crew can forget about ever flying again!"

My cheek burned, and a sharp ringing echoed in my ears. Through the blur, I heard hurried footsteps at the cabin door.

Several uniformed security and civil aviation inspectors charged in. The lead inspector flashed his badge as his cold tone cut through Edward's tirade. "Cindy Austin, according to a verified report, you are suspected of possessing contraband. You are ordered to disembark immediately and cooperate with our investigation."

When Cindy heard this, her face turned ashen, and she froze.

"I don't know anything!" she screamed in a panic. She scrambled to hide behind Edward.

Edward shielded her protectively behind him while glaring at the officials. "This must be a mistake. There's no contraband here. Can we discuss this once we're out of the plane?"

Before he could finish speaking, two security officers grabbed him firmly from either side and twisted his arms, pinning them behind his back in one swift motion.

"What are you doing? I'm the captain!" His face drained of color, and his eyes went wide.

"You're exactly the person we're here to arrest! Edward Crowley, you're being investigated for transporting contraband, abandoning your post, and endangering flight safety. You are required to cooperate with us immediately."