Their support mattered.

But she couldn't ignore the fact that it had taken a captain's intervention before they had found the courage to speak.

Emily stepped closer to Naomi.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered.

Naomi looked at her.

“Why did you ask for my boarding pass?”

Emily lowered her eyes.

“Because I was afraid of him.”

The honesty caught Naomi off guard.

“Are passengers often allowed to frighten the crew?”

Emily looked toward the galley.

“Some passengers know what to say. They mention complaints. Status. Corporate accounts. Management tells us to de-escalate.”

“Does de-escalate mean appease?”

Emily didn't answer immediately.

“Sometimes.”

Captain Miller's jaw tightened.

A radio message sounded from the galley.

Airport security was on its way.

Harrison opened his briefcase.

“You want facts?” he said. “Fine.”

He pulled out a thick folder.

“My firm is presenting a restructuring proposal to Meridian Atlantic's board this afternoon.”

Naomi's eyes narrowed.

Harrison continued.

“The airline is overleveraged. Regional operations are failing. Labor costs are unsustainable. Without our plan, thousands of employees could lose their jobs.”

Captain Miller said nothing.

Harrison looked down at Naomi.

“Our meeting is more important than your pride.”

Naomi slowly crossed one leg over the other.

“What exactly is your proposal?”

Harrison hesitated.

“That information is confidential.”

“Closing regional hubs?”

His face changed.

“Selling maintenance operations?”

Clark suddenly looked at Harrison.

Naomi continued.

“Terminating pension obligations through bankruptcy restructuring?”

Peter's eyes widened.

“Selling landing rights to competitors?”

Harrison stared at her.

“And an eighty-four-million-dollar success fee for Hale, Dunning and Cross?”

The cabin went silent again.

Harrison's confidence began to disappear.

“How do you know that?”

Naomi placed her phone on the armrest.

Then she looked directly into his eyes.

“Because I rejected your proposal two weeks ago.”

For the first time since the confrontation began, Harrison Hale looked afraid.

The atmosphere inside the first-class cabin changed instantly.

Harrison stared at Naomi.

Clark closed his eyes.

Peter whispered something under his breath.

“No,” Harrison said.

Naomi stood slowly.

She wasn't particularly tall, but the balance of power shifted so completely that Harrison instinctively stepped backward.

“My name is Naomi Carter.”

No one moved.

Two days earlier, Naomi had signed the final documents transferring control of Meridian Atlantic Airlines to Carter Strategic Holdings.

Her name had not yet been announced publicly.

But the men standing in front of her suddenly understood exactly who she was.

“I am the incoming Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Atlantic.”

Harrison's face lost its color.

“That announcement isn't supposed to happen until Monday.”

“It still isn't.”

“You're violating confidentiality.”

Naomi's expression remained calm.

“No. I am identifying myself because this is now a material internal incident.”

Harrison tried to recover.

“Then you understand the stakes. Our proposal could save this company.”

“No.”

Naomi's voice became colder.

“Your proposal would dismantle it.”

“That is an absurd simplification.”

“I read every document.”

Harrison said nothing.

“Every projected layoff. Every asset sale. Every consulting fee.”

“You're not an aviation expert.”

“No,” Naomi replied. “I'm an expert at recognizing theft when someone puts it inside a presentation.”

A murmur moved through the cabin.

Harrison looked around nervously.

“This conversation should take place privately.”

Naomi gave him a long look.

“You didn't want privacy when you ordered me out of my seat.”

“I didn't know who you were.”

Naomi's eyes hardened.

“That is the point.”

Harrison opened his mouth.

She didn't let him speak.

“You believed I was a woman without influence. You assumed the rules could be bent because you thought I lacked the power to stop you.”

“That isn't fair.”

“Fair?”

For the first time, real emotion entered her voice.

“You looked at me and decided I couldn't belong in first class. You threatened a flight attendant's job. You told another man to remove my belongings. Then you called me belligerent because I refused to obey you.”

Harrison looked toward Clark.

Clark looked away.

“It was a misunderstanding,” Harrison said.

Naomi shook her head.

“No. A misunderstanding is confusing seat numbers.”

Her voice lowered.

“This was a choice. Then another choice. Then another.”

At that moment, airport security entered the cabin.

A security supervisor was followed by two officers and Meridian Atlantic's station manager, Ronald Pierce.

Ronald hurried forward.

“Captain Miller, what is the situation?”

Captain Miller handed him the tablet.

“Attempted passenger displacement. Interference with boarding. False security allegations. Possible attempted handling of another passenger's property.”

Ronald glanced at the screen.

Then his face changed.

“Ms. Carter.”

Harrison turned sharply.

“You know her?”

Ronald looked uncomfortable.

“Yes.”

Naomi stepped forward.

“I don't want anyone physically removed unless necessary for safety.”

The security supervisor listened carefully.

“I want statements from the crew and witnesses. Preserve the cabin video. Secure the gate audio.”

Then she looked toward Harrison and his colleagues.

“And separate those three gentlemen during questioning.”