The board would determine what action was appropriate.
Maya nodded.
She didn't want a predetermined outcome.
Even after months of disagreements, she believed Adrian deserved a fair evaluation.
But the evidence could no longer be ignored.
She agreed to return to New York.
Daniel arranged her flight.
Meridian Flight 418.
Miami to New York.
First class.
Seat 12A.
Maya intended to change out of the gown before leaving the hotel.
But the next morning brought an unexpected complication.
The garment service returned her travel clothes to the wrong suite, and the hotel couldn't locate them before she needed to leave for the airport.
Her packed luggage was already in the hands of the transportation staff.
She had a comfortable shawl and travel shoes, but the gold gown remained the practical clothing available without delaying her departure.
Maya laughed at the absurdity.
She'd attended corporate negotiations in tailored suits for years.
Now she was about to board an airline flight in an evening gown.
But she didn't want to miss the board meeting.
So she left the hotel wearing gold.
At Miami International Airport, Maya entered through the ordinary premium check-in area.
She didn't request a private escort.
She didn't announce that she chaired Meridian's board.
And she didn't expect staff to recognize her face.
The airline had thousands of employees.
Some senior executives knew her.
Others knew her name but had never met her.
Most cabin crew members spent their days working with passengers rather than studying corporate governance.
Maya considered that normal.
She wanted employees to treat every passenger properly, not simply recognize the people who signed their paychecks.
At security, she followed the standard procedures.
Then she walked toward the gate.
A few travelers glanced at her gown.
One woman complimented it.
Another asked whether she was attending a wedding.
Maya smiled and explained that she'd been at a charity event.
The conversation was pleasant.
No one demanded proof that she belonged in the airport.
No one questioned whether a Black woman could afford the clothing she wore.
She bought a bottle of water and checked her phone.
Daniel had sent a message confirming the board meeting.
Three o'clock Eastern.
She would arrive in New York with enough time to participate remotely or travel to headquarters, depending on the flight's actual arrival and the meeting arrangements.
Maya replied that she was boarding.
Then she placed the phone in her handbag.
She didn't notice the man near the gate agent's desk taking a photograph of the passenger manifest displayed on his tablet.
His name was Victor Hale.
He was a regional customer-experience supervisor.
And he had received a call from Brenda Lawson less than an hour earlier.