Her daughter had fallen asleep again.
“Not yet.”
“Amara.”
“I said not yet.”
“This is physical contact involving a child.”
“I know what happened.”
“Then—”
“Preserve everything.”
Her counsel paused.
“What everything?”
“Cabin footage.”
“Crew logs.”
“Passenger reports.”
“Complaint history.”
“Charles’s executive communications.”
“Service policy revisions.”
“Training modules.”
“Every passenger removal from premium cabins for five years.”
Silence.
Then:
“You think this is systemic.”
“I think I don’t know yet.”
“Then why five years?”
“Because tomorrow everyone starts protecting themselves.”
Her counsel understood.
“Litigation hold.”
“Immediately.”
“External investigator?”
“Yes.”
“Independent of me.”
“Independent of Charles.”
“Independent of the board committees that already reviewed these complaints.”
“Understood.”
“Also preserve HR scheduling.”
“Why?”
Amara looked back toward Sophie walking through the terminal several yards behind them.
“Because employees were afraid to contradict him.”
That evening, Amara stayed in a hotel suite overlooking Manhattan.
The board transition scheduled for the next morning remained active.
Advisers wanted delay.
She refused.
Charles called four times.
She did not answer.
At 7:12 p.m., he texted:
We should resolve this privately before it damages the company.
Amara stared.
Not before it damages you.
Before it damages the company.
Maybe he believed that.
Maybe he had spent so long treating himself as the institution that he no longer recognized the difference.
Amara forwarded the message to counsel.
Then muted his number.
Maya woke.
Amara fed her.
The baby grabbed Amara’s necklace repeatedly.
“You almost started a corporate revolution today.”
Maya smiled.
“Not funny.”
Another smile.
“You are enjoying this too much.”
Amara’s older brother Marcus called.
He was furious.
“Tell me where that man lives.”
“No.”
“I just want to talk.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re six-four and you say ‘talk’ like a felony.”
Marcus laughed.
Then became serious.
“Maya okay?”
“Yes.”
“You?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
Amara sat beside the crib.
“I don’t know.”
Marcus went quiet.
She continued.
“I keep thinking about everyone who watched before they knew who I was.”
“You can’t control them.”
“I know.”
“And the attendant?”
“She was scared.”
“Still watched.”
“Yes.”
Marcus paused.
“Both can be true.”
Amara rubbed her forehead.