Madison quickly stepped between the two passengers.
"Mr. Blackwell, please stop!"
Richard barely acknowledged her.
He was too busy staring at Evelyn, waiting for her to apologize.
Madison reached for a clean white cloth napkin and offered it to the soaked passenger.
"Ma'am, I'm so sorry. Are you all right?"
Evelyn accepted the napkin.
"I'm fine, thank you."
Her voice was surprisingly calm.
Madison glanced at the spilled liquid covering Evelyn's sweater, then at the expensive laptop on the tray table.
"I'll bring you a fresh sweater and have someone clean your seat. We can also arrange for your laptop to be checked."
"Thank you, Madison."
The flight attendant blinked.
Evelyn knew her name.
Most passengers never bothered to read the small badge attached to a flight attendant's uniform. Yet Evelyn had made a habit of addressing employees by their names. She believed that respect should never depend on someone's job title.
Richard laughed dismissively.
"Don't waste your time. She needs to learn how to behave."
Madison turned toward him.
"Sir, I need you to return to your seat."
"Are you giving me orders?"
"I'm asking you to remain seated while we resolve this situation."
Richard stepped closer.
"Listen carefully. I travel on this airline every week. I know the regional director, the commercial department, and half the people sitting in the executive offices. Do you understand?"
Madison swallowed.
"Yes, sir."
"Then stop treating me like some ordinary passenger."
Evelyn finally spoke.
"Madison, please don't argue with him."
Richard turned toward her.
"Excuse me?"
Evelyn carefully placed the napkin on her lap.
"I said you don't need to argue with him. We can resolve this professionally."
Richard let out a short laugh.
"Professionally? You think you're in a position to lecture me?"
"No."
"Good. At least you understand your position."
Evelyn looked down at her soaked laptop.
A small pool of amber liquid had collected around the keyboard. Her presentation was still open, but several keys had stopped responding.
She pressed the power button and closed the device.
Richard noticed the laptop.
"Maybe next time you'll learn not to spread your cheap equipment across someone else's space."
Evelyn looked at him again.
"That laptop belongs to me."
"And?"
"And your drink damaged it."
Richard shrugged.
"Then buy another one."
Madison looked horrified.
"Sir, you deliberately threw that drink at her. We have witnesses."
Richard turned sharply.
"Be careful what you say."
"I'm simply explaining what happened."
"Do you know what happens when someone makes false accusations against a senior executive?"
Madison said nothing.
Evelyn, however, had heard enough.
She reached into her black leather handbag and retrieved a small identification wallet.
She did not immediately open it.
Instead, she looked toward Madison.
"Could you please ask the captain to preserve the cabin incident report and any available security footage?"
"Of course, ma'am."
Richard scoffed.
"Security footage? What are you going to do? Sue the airline?"
Evelyn ignored him.
She placed her identification wallet on the tray table and carefully opened it.
Inside was an official corporate identification badge.
Madison glanced down.
Her expression changed immediately.
The badge displayed the Skybridge Airlines logo, followed by a name and a senior corporate title.
EVELYN CARTER
VICE PRESIDENT β OPERATIONS
Madison's eyes widened.
She looked at Evelyn, then at the badge, then back at Evelyn.
"Ma'am..."
Richard continued talking.
"Honestly, this is ridiculous. People like her should be grateful they're even allowed to sit in first class."
Madison slowly straightened.
"Mr. Blackwell, I strongly recommend that you stop speaking."
Richard frowned.
"What?"
Evelyn placed the badge directly on top of the liquid-covered laptop.
The small plastic card landed with a sharp slap.
"Read it carefully," she said.
Richard glanced down.
At first, his expression remained irritated.
Then his eyes moved across the identification card.
His mouth opened slightly.
He read the name again.
Evelyn Carter.
Vice President of Operations.
His face gradually lost its color.
"No..." he whispered.
Evelyn leaned back against her seat.
"Yes, Richard."
He stared at her.
"But... I thought the new vice president was..."
"Someone else?"
Richard could barely finish the sentence.
Evelyn nodded.
"I can see why you would think that."
For the first time since boarding the aircraft, Richard Blackwell had absolutely nothing to say.
He had spent years intimidating employees who earned less than he did.
He had insulted a woman without knowing her position.
And now, the person he had humiliated was one of the most powerful executives in the company.
Evelyn looked at him with a cold, steady expression.
"Start packing your office, Richard."