"One thing he never accepted was dishonesty."
Victor remained silent.
Tyler continued.
"You may disagree with my experience. That's your right. But you cannot use my age as an excuse to avoid answering a question."
Harrison finally spoke.
"Victor, did you authorize the reclassification of these complaints?"
Victor looked toward the CEO.
"I authorized my department to manage customer-service reports efficiently."
"That wasn't the question."
Victor's jaw tightened.
"Some classifications were changed."
"Why?"
"To prevent unnecessary escalation."
Tyler looked at Margaret.
"Do we have enough evidence to determine whether the changes were deliberate?"
"Yes," she answered. "We have access logs, internal messages, and statements from employees."
Victor leaned back.
"This is becoming ridiculous."
Tyler remained calm.
"No, Mr. Reynolds. What is ridiculous is asking passengers to trust a company while employees are being discouraged from telling the truth."
He looked toward Harrison.
"I recommend that Victor be suspended from his position while an independent review is completed."
Collins immediately objected.
"That is a serious decision."
"So is allowing this to continue."
"We should consider his contributions to the company."
Tyler nodded.
"We should consider everything. His contributions, his responsibilities, and the evidence."
He paused.
"But past success does not excuse present misconduct."
The board agreed to place Victor on administrative suspension pending the full investigation.
For the first time since joining Crescent Air, Victor left a meeting without knowing whether he would return.
That evening, Tyler visited the maintenance hangar.
He preferred the hangar to the executive offices.
There, nobody cared about expensive furniture or impressive titles.
The employees were busy inspecting aircraft components, checking safety systems, and preparing maintenance schedules.
A senior mechanic named George Miller noticed him approaching.
"Well, look who decided to visit the people who actually keep this place running."
Tyler smiled.
"Good evening, George."
"How's the big executive life?"
"Too many meetings."
George laughed.
"That's what happens when you sit behind a desk all day."
Tyler looked around.
"How is the new aircraft inspection program going?"
"Better than expected. We caught a problem with one of the hydraulic systems last week."
"Was it serious?"
"It could have become serious if someone had ignored it."
Tyler nodded.
"Did you report it?"
"Of course."
"And was the report handled properly?"
George hesitated.
"Are you asking because of the investigation?"
"Yes."
George wiped his hands with a cloth.
"To be honest, Tyler, some people have been afraid to report things. They worry about losing overtime, getting transferred, or being labeled difficult."
Tyler looked at him.
"Have you experienced that?"
"Not personally. I'm too old to worry about pleasing everyone. But I've seen younger employees struggle."
"That's not acceptable."
George nodded.
"Your father knew that."
Tyler looked at the aircraft behind him.
"Do you think he would be disappointed with what happened?"
George considered the question carefully.
"I think he'd be disappointed that it happened. But I don't think he'd be disappointed in you for trying to fix it."
Tyler lowered his eyes.
George placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Listen, young man. Your father didn't build this company because he wanted a building full of people telling him how wonderful he was. He built it because he believed people deserved better."
Tyler smiled faintly.
"Sometimes I wish I could ask him what to do."
George's expression softened.
"Most of us do."
For several minutes, they stood quietly.
Then George pointed toward a maintenance platform.
"Come on. I'll show you something."
He led Tyler toward the aircraft.
On a workbench rested an old photograph of Marcus Banks standing beside a half-assembled aircraft engine.
The photograph was slightly faded.
Tyler recognized it immediately.
"Where did you get that?"
"Your father gave it to me years ago."
George smiled.
"He told me that every successful journey begins with someone willing to do the work nobody notices."
Tyler picked up the photograph carefully.
On the back were six handwritten words.
Never forget the people below you.
Tyler read them twice.
Then he slipped the photograph into his folder.
He knew exactly where he wanted to place it.
On the wall of the executive conference room.
The next morning, Evelyn received an unexpected phone call.
It was from Emily Carter, the flight attendant who had helped Tyler during the incident.
Emily sounded nervous.
"Mrs. Banks, I'm sorry to call you directly. I hope I'm not overstepping."
"Not at all. What's wrong?"
"I wanted to tell you that I'm willing to provide a formal statement about what happened during the flight."
Evelyn listened carefully.
"Thank you, Emily. Why are you calling me rather than the investigation team?"
Emily hesitated.
"Because I'm afraid."
Evelyn sat down.
"Afraid of what?"
"My supervisor has already asked why I documented the incident. He said I should be careful about making accusations against passengers."