“Mason.”
The board member did not bother greeting.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“I’m sitting at my mother's table.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
“Vivian is being destroyed online.”
“I have not made any public statement.”
“You didn't stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“The videos.”
“They belong to passengers.”
“You could ask platforms—”
“No.”
Mason exhaled angrily.
“Adrian, she made a mistake.”
“Yes.”
“She apologized.”
“To me.”
“So?”
“That’s between us.”
“Then why are you freezing executive seat protocol?”
Adrian stared at Elena.
She leaned closer.
Mason knew.
“How do you know ER-9 is frozen?”
Silence.
Mason realized mistake.
Adrian repeated:
“How do you know?”
“I’m on the board.”
“No board notice has gone out.”
Another pause.
Then:
“Elliot called.”
Elliot Graves.
There.
“Why did Elliot call you?”
“Because this affects high-value passenger strategy.”
“Did you know ER-9 existed?”
Mason hesitated.
That was enough.
Adrian's voice cooled.
“How long?”
“It wasn't called that when presented.”
“What was it called?”
“Premium Recovery Authority.”
“Did you approve it?”
“Not formally.”
“Did you advocate for it?”
“I advocated for flexibility.”
“At whose expense?”
“Don't moralize business at me.”
Denise looked toward Adrian.
He stayed calm.
Mason continued:
“Top one percent of passengers generate nineteen percent of premium revenue.”
“I know.”
“Then act like chairman.”
“I am.”
“No.”
“You're acting like customer-service activist because your feelings got hurt.”
Elena's face went cold.
Adrian said:
“My feelings are irrelevant.”
“Good.”
“Then reinstate protocol.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because it appears employees were instructed to falsify operational reasons to involuntarily downgrade paying passengers.”
Mason went silent.
Adrian continued:
“If that's true, it exposes us to regulatory, contractual, consumer-protection, and discrimination risk.”
Elena nodded once.
“Still want to call it hurt feelings?”
Mason’s voice changed.
“Discrimination?”
“Yes.”
“That's absurd.”
“Maybe.”
Adrian looked at Elena.
“Which is why we investigate before declaring it absurd.”
Mason breathed heavily.
“Vivian didn't know who you were.”
Adrian almost laughed.
“That sentence is the problem.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He ended call.
Denise raised eyebrows.
“Board meeting going to be fun.”
Adrian looked at Elena.
“Call special session tomorrow.”
“Already did.”
“Of course.”
The board assembled at nine the next morning.