Nothing.
But Richard was reminding Chloe who he was.
Important.
Busy.
Connected.
Chloe responded:
“I understand.”
There.
Amara saw it.
Richard saw it too.
His smile returned.
Amara closed her laptop.
“Fine.”
Chloe looked relieved.
“Thank you.”
Amara said:
“I will remain here.”
Richard laughed softly.
“Excellent decision.”
Amara ignored him.
Chloe left.
The college student leaned slightly across the aisle.
“Ma’am?”
Amara looked.
He lowered his voice.
“I saw that.”
She nodded.
“Thank you.”
He looked toward Richard.
Then:
“I’ve been recording some of it.”
Amara’s expression changed.
“Why?”
He shrugged nervously.
“Because it was weird.”
“Do you have the part where he leaned across?”
“I think so.”
Amara nodded.
“Keep it.”
Richard looked over.
“What are you two whispering about?”
Neither answered.
The student put his headphone back.
Richard muttered something under his breath.
Then opened the leather portfolio.
Several papers shifted.
One slid free.
Then another.
The top page landed halfway across the armrest.
Apex Continental logo.
Amara’s eyes lowered automatically.
She knew the document before reading a full line.
Not because of the logo.
Formatting.
Her team’s formatting.
Header structure.
Appendix numbering.
Revision code in the corner.
ACA-OVR-24 FINAL EXECUTION COPY
Amara stopped breathing for a second.
Richard noticed her looking.
He covered the paper with one hand.
“Confidential.”
Amara looked toward him.
“Yes.”
The word came out almost amused.
Richard pulled the document back.
But another page had shifted beneath it.
Appendix 14.
Vendor Compliance Certifications.
Amara saw a company name.
HALSTON PASSENGER SERVICES LLC
Memory snapped into place.
Richard Halston.
Of course.
She had spent two hours discussing his company three days earlier.
Halston Passenger Services supplied premium ground handling, concierge management, executive lounge staffing, VIP transfers, and contracted passenger-assistance operations at eleven major Apex Continental airports.
Annual contract value:
Twenty-eight million dollars.
The contract was up for renewal.
There had already been complaints.
Nothing severe enough to terminate.
Patterns.
Staff allegedly using status-based service distinctions beyond authorized policy.
Employees reporting aggressive management pressure.
Complaint statistics that looked suspiciously low.
Amara’s team had recommended enhanced monitoring.
Richard himself had signed the executive compliance certification.
And now he was sitting beside her.
His knee had moved into her space again.
Amara looked at it.
Then at the document.
Then at him.
Something in her face changed.
Richard noticed.
“What?”
Amara leaned back.
“Nothing.”
“You're staring at my paperwork.”
“I recognize it.”
Richard laughed.
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Amara smiled.
Slowly.