The CEO’s Jet Broke Down Again — Her Assistant Whispered, “I Think She Just Wants the Mechanic Back”
Chapter 4
The fire department arrived within minutes.
No one was seriously injured.
But the damage to the engine compartment was severe.
Ava stood outside the hangar wrapped in a dark coat while Mason spoke with investigators.
Her hands were shaking.
Not from fear for the aircraft.
From the realization that she had spent months assuming the failures were incompetence.
They weren’t.
They were warnings.
Lily approached.
“Are you okay?”
Ava nodded.
Then shook her head.
“I should have listened to him.”
Lily said nothing.
Ava watched Mason from across the runway.
He stood alone beside a police officer, answering questions.
“He looks different,” she whispered.
Lily smiled.
“He’s probably supposed to.”
“What does that mean?”
“You broke his heart.”
Ava closed her eyes.
“I know.”
“No. I don’t think you do.”
Ava looked at her.
Lily rarely challenged her.
“He didn’t leave because he hated Sterling,” Lily continued. “He left because he couldn’t stay in a place where he thought he wasn’t wanted.”
Ava looked back at Mason.
“I never wanted him to leave.”
“But you made him believe it.”
Ava didn’t answer.
Meanwhile, Mason had discovered something else.
The damaged connector had been deliberately modified.
Someone had bypassed a safety lock and installed a temporary device that could fail under pressure.
And this was not amateur work.
It had been done by someone with advanced aviation knowledge.
Mason brought his findings to Ava.
“Your maintenance team didn’t do this.”
“Then who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can you find out?”
“Maybe.”
“Will you?”
Mason looked at her.
“I’ll investigate because people could die.”
Ava felt the distance in his words.
Not because he was cold.
Because he was protecting himself.
She nodded.
“Then I’ll help.”
“No.”
“Mason—”
“You’re the CEO.”
“And you’re the mechanic.”
“Exactly.”
He walked away.
Lily sighed.
Ava looked at her.
“What?”
“You two are exhausting.”
Before Ava could reply, her phone rang.
It was Victor Hall.
Her COO.
She answered.
“Victor.”
“Are you safe?”
“Yes.”
“I heard there was an incident.”
“There was.”
“We should get the aircraft removed immediately.”
Ava narrowed her eyes.
“Why?”
“Because it’s compromised.”
“We know.”
Victor hesitated.
Then said, “There’s no reason to involve that former mechanic.”
Ava froze.
“How do you know Mason is here?”
Silence.
“Victor?”
“I was informed.”
“By whom?”
Another pause.
Then he said, “We need to talk.”
The call ended.
Ava looked at Lily.
“What?”
Ava lowered the phone.
“Victor knew Mason was here before I told anyone.”
Across the runway, Mason turned toward them.
He had heard enough.
And for the first time, the two of them were no longer wondering whether someone had sabotaged Ava’s jet.
They were wondering who had known they would bring Mason back.
