Rachel looked at Evelyn.

"Did you check the reservation?"

"Yes."

"Any discrepancy?"

"System says inactive."

Rachel walked toward Evelyn.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Rachel. I'm the supervisor."

"Nice to meet you."

"Can I see your passport and boarding pass?"

Evelyn handed them over.

Rachel checked the documents.

Then looked at the screen.

Her expression changed.

"This is strange."

Evelyn smiled.

"I thought so."

Rachel typed the confirmation number manually.

Nothing appeared.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

Then she looked at the ticketing history.

Her eyes widened.

"Where did you receive this reservation?"

Evelyn answered calmly.

"From your corporate office."

Rachel looked up.

"Corporate office?"

"Yes."

"Who issued it?"

Evelyn hesitated.

Then said:

"Mr. Andrew Collins."

Rachel's face changed.

Andrew Collins wasn't an ordinary employee.

He was the airline's chief operating officer.

Rachel looked at Brandon.

Then back at Evelyn.

"May I ask why Mr. Collins issued your reservation personally?"

Evelyn smiled.

"Because he asked me to be here."

Rachel stared at her.

"For the meeting?"

Evelyn nodded.

"What meeting?"

"The emergency executive meeting at nine."

Rachel's eyes widened.

"You mean the meeting at headquarters?"

"Yes."

Rachel looked at the boarding pass again.

Then at Evelyn.

Suddenly, she remembered something.

A message had arrived that morning.

SPECIAL CORPORATE GUEST — ARRIVAL 8:20 A.M.

The passenger's name had been listed as:

EVELYN CARTER

Rachel looked at the woman standing in front of her.

Her voice became quieter.

"Are you..."

She stopped.

Evelyn smiled.

"Yes."

"You're Evelyn Carter?"

"That's right."

Rachel stared at her.

She finally understood.

The woman they had just refused to board wasn't an ordinary passenger.

She was the woman scheduled to meet the airline's entire executive team that morning.

And, according to the confidential corporate briefing Rachel had seen the night before, Evelyn Carter was not merely attending the meeting.

She was the person who had called it.

Rachel turned toward Brandon.

He suddenly looked nervous.

"What's wrong?" Evelyn asked.

Rachel swallowed.

"Ma'am..."

She handed back the passport.

"I think we've made a very serious mistake."

Evelyn looked at the departure screen.

Then at the gate.

Then back at Rachel.

"No," she said quietly.

"You've made a very ordinary mistake."

Rachel looked confused.

Evelyn continued:

"The serious mistake would be refusing to correct it."