Chapter 2: “Do You Know Who I Am?”
Margaret folded her arms tightly across her chest.
“Before you make any more decisions,” she said, “perhaps you should know who you're dealing with.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
“I'm listening.”
“My husband sits on the board of one of the largest investment firms in the country. We have business relationships with companies that would make your head spin.”
Sophia stopped typing for a moment but kept her expression neutral.
Margaret continued, gaining confidence with every word.
“People like us don't appreciate being treated as though we've done something wrong. If you turn this into a public incident, I can assure you there will be consequences.”
Ethan watched her quietly.
Then he asked, “Are you threatening me?”
“I'm explaining how the real world works.”
A faint, humorless smile crossed Ethan's face.
“Interesting. A few minutes ago, you were explaining who belonged on this plane. Now you're explaining who has enough influence to avoid accountability.”
Margaret's expression hardened.
“You're twisting my words.”
“Then help me understand them.”
Ethan leaned back.
“Would you have spoken to me that way if I'd been wearing a five-thousand-dollar suit?”
She didn't respond.
“What if I'd been carrying an expensive briefcase? What if I'd walked aboard with a luxury watch on my wrist? Would you have assumed I belonged then?”
Margaret looked toward Sophia.
“This conversation is inappropriate.”
Ethan nodded toward the flight attendant.
“She's here to document the incident. If you'd prefer to stop speaking, you're welcome to do that.”
Margaret stared at him.
She had expected him to boast about his ownership, threaten her with his authority, or order the crew to throw her off the aircraft. Any of those reactions would have given her an opportunity to portray herself as the victim.
Instead, Ethan was giving her room to decide what kind of person she wanted to be.
And she hated that more than anything.
“You think owning this company makes you untouchable,” she said bitterly.
“No.”
Ethan's answer came immediately.
“I think owning this company makes me responsible for what happens on it.”
He looked toward Sophia.
“Has everyone been accounted for before departure?”
“Yes, sir. All passengers are checked in.”
“Good. Please let the captain know we'll need a few additional minutes before departure while this incident is documented.”
Sophia nodded and walked toward the forward galley.
Margaret's eyes followed her.
“You're delaying an entire flight over this?”
Ethan looked at her.
“I'm taking a few minutes to make sure the people responsible for this aircraft understand what happened. That's a reasonable request.”
“You could have handled this privately.”
“I tried to sit quietly in my seat. You were the one who made it public.”
Margaret fell silent.
Outside the window, ground personnel moved around the aircraft. The private jet was ready for departure, its engines humming softly as the cabin lights glowed against the polished interior.
Ethan turned toward the window.
For a moment, Margaret thought the confrontation was over.
Then he spoke again.