Marcus looked out the window.
"Then we can discuss the documents with the rest of the participants."
Daniel hesitated.
"He asked specifically to speak with you alone."
Marcus turned toward him.
"Is there a legitimate reason to keep the discussion private?"
"Not that I can see."
"Then we won't."
Daniel made a note.
"Understood."
The car moved through traffic toward Manhattan.
Marcus opened the updated compliance report.
The Caldwell and Pierce proposal had several attractive features. The firm offered competitive financing, access to experienced infrastructure investors, and relationships that could simplify coordination with certain institutional partners.
But the report identified three unresolved issues.
First, one of Caldwell and Pierce's affiliated funds had recently transferred assets into a subsidiary with an unclear ownership structure.
Second, the firm's disclosures did not fully explain the relationship between two entities involved in a proposed airport technology investment.
Third, the consortium's legal team had requested additional information about a potential conflict of interest involving a senior adviser.
None of the issues proved wrongdoing.
They did, however, require answers.
Marcus had made it clear that Titan Dynamics would not approve a partnership simply because the terms were attractive.
He had built the company to operate critical systems. A financing partner that could not explain its ownership structure was a risk, regardless of its reputation.
He turned to Daniel.
"Has Caldwell and Pierce provided the missing documentation?"
"Some of it."
"How much remains outstanding?"
"Enough that legal hasn't signed off."
Marcus nodded.
"Then we proceed with the review."
Daniel glanced at him.
"Richard Caldwell may be expecting a different outcome."
"Then we should make our expectations clear."
The car turned onto a broad avenue lined with office towers.
Marcus watched sunlight move across the glass facades.
He was not thinking about Victoria.
He was thinking about the people who depended on Titan Dynamics to make sound decisions.
He had no intention of punishing Richard Caldwell for something his wife had said on an aircraft.
But he had no intention of overlooking a legitimate compliance concern, either.
The two matters were separate.
And he would keep them separate.
That was the difference between accountability and revenge.
One examined the facts.
The other began with a desired outcome and searched for a way to justify it.
Marcus had spent too many years fighting the second kind of thinking to practice it himself.
At 10:38 a.m., the sedan stopped outside the conference center.
Daniel opened the door.
Marcus stepped onto the sidewalk, adjusted his jacket, and walked toward the entrance.
A man in a charcoal suit stood inside the lobby.
He was in his late fifties, with silver hair and a carefully composed expression.
Richard Caldwell.
The financier recognized Marcus immediately.
He stepped forward and extended his hand.
"Mr. Reed. Thank you for meeting with me."
Marcus shook his hand.
"Good morning, Mr. Caldwell."
Richard studied him for a moment.
There was no visible sign that the two men had any personal connection to the incident aboard Pacific Airflight 882.
Marcus did not mention Victoria.
Richard did not mention her, either.
Instead, he gestured toward the conference rooms.
"I appreciate your willingness to review our proposal."
"Of course."
"I understand there are some outstanding questions."
"There are."
Richard nodded.
"We're prepared to address them."
"Good."
Marcus looked toward the elevators.
"Then let's begin with the documents."
Richard hesitated.
"There is another matter I would like to discuss."
Marcus waited.
Richard chose his words carefully.
"My wife tells me she encountered you on the flight from Chicago."
Marcus's expression remained neutral.
"She was in seat 1B when I boarded."
Richard looked down briefly.
"Yes. She mentioned that."
"Your wife and I had a disagreement about the seating assignment. The flight attendants resolved it."
Richard's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"I want to apologize for her behavior."
Marcus studied him.
It was a direct apology, and it appeared sincere.
"Thank you for saying that."
Richard continued.
"She was upset, and she handled the situation poorly. I don't want her conduct to interfere with our business discussions."
"It won't."
Richard seemed relieved.
Marcus added, "But I want to be clear about something."
"Of course."
"The incident on the flight has no bearing on our assessment of your proposal. The compliance questions existed before this morning. We'll evaluate the proposal according to the evidence and the standards we've established for every potential partner."
Richard nodded slowly.
"That's fair."
Marcus offered a brief, professional smile.
"Then we understand each other."
They entered the elevator together.
Neither man knew that Victoria was already on her way to the same building.
And neither knew that the young woman who had recorded the confrontation had just received a message from a colleague asking whether she had seen a video circulating online.
The morning was no longer contained within the aircraft.
It was beginning to reach the world beyond it.
The Boardroom Test
The conference room occupied the twenty-third floor of a Manhattan office tower overlooking the East River.
It had been designed to communicate seriousness without extravagance. A long walnut table dominated the center of the room. Glass walls separated the meeting space from a smaller lounge. A digital display covered one end of the room, and a row of windows allowed the morning light to fall across the polished floor.
Six people were already seated when Marcus entered.
Three represented Titan Dynamics.
Two represented the international infrastructure consortium.