“How would you know?”
Amara did not answer.
Charles smiled.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“People like you always think knowing a few rules means you understand the operation.”
Sophie’s eyes widened.
Several passengers reacted.
Amara did not.
She had heard versions of that sentence before.
Not always about race.
Sometimes about gender.
Sometimes age.
Sometimes class.
Sometimes authority.
The words changed.
The structure remained.
People like you.
Amara looked at him.
“Scan the ticket.”
Charles scoffed.
“You’re not giving orders in my cabin.”
Amara raised one eyebrow.
“Your cabin?”
He answered without hesitation.
“Yes.”
That was when she knew.
Not suspected.
Knew.
The company’s cultural problem was not theoretical.
Charles believed it.
Ownership of space.
Ownership of employees.
Ownership of the customer experience.
First class as private territory.
He looked at Sophie.
“Get the tablet.”
She did.
Slowly.
Amara noticed another passenger recording openly now.
Charles did not care.
He was still certain.
That certainty interested her.
Sophie activated the crew tablet.
Charles held out his hand.
She passed it over.
“Name?”
He asked Amara.
“It’s on the pass.”
“Say it.”
“Amara Carter.”
Charles entered something.
Then frowned.
“Seat?”
“2A.”
He scanned the boarding pass lying on Amara’s tray table.
The screen beeped.
A normal passenger profile appeared for less than one second.
Then vanished.
The tablet locked.
A dark blue screen filled with the Crown Meridian logo.
Charles frowned.
Sophie leaned closer.
Then the confidential alert loaded.
EXECUTIVE TRANSITION PROTOCOL
Charles stopped breathing.
Sophie read the first line.
Her hand rose toward her mouth.
Charles scrolled.
The alert displayed:
AMARA CARTER
MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER
INCOMING CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BOARD
EXECUTIVE TRANSITION EFFECTIVE 08:00 TOMORROW
Below it:
CONFIDENTIAL SERVICE REVIEW TRAVEL
DO NOT ALTER STANDARD PASSENGER PROCEDURE
Charles stared.
The color disappeared from his face.
Amara remained still.
Maya made a small tired noise against her chest.
Then Sophie noticed another section.
“Sir…”
Charles did not respond.
Sophie read again.
A second name appeared beneath the executive transition notice.
CHARLES WHITMORE
OUTGOING CHAIRMAN
MANDATORY GOVERNANCE REVIEW: 08:30 TOMORROW