He nodded.
At 9:17, Preston Vale arrived.
He did not enter quietly.
His black SUV drove almost onto hangar ramp before security stopped it.
He climbed out wearing tuxedo jacket over open shirt.
Tall.
Sixty.
Silver hair.
Furious.
Grant Ellison exited behind him.
Shorter.
Heavier.
Glasses.
Neither man bothered greeting Camille.
Preston marched toward aircraft four.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Camille stood beside tool cart.
Her gloves remained there.
The folio beneath one hand.
“Grounding my aircraft.”
Preston laughed sharply.
“Your aircraft?”
“Yes.”
“They are Sovereign Arc fleet.”
“Operationally.”
“They’re ours.”
“No.”
“Camille, don’t start corporate semantics.”
She stared.
“Title is not semantics.”
Grant stepped in.
“Let’s calm this down.”
Camille looked at him.
“I am calm.”
Preston pointed toward guests.
“I have members standing out there who paid millions for access.”
“Then you should explain why they can’t fly.”
“You’re grounding six jets because one mechanic found a paperwork issue.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“It isn’t paperwork.”
Preston ignored.
Camille said:
“We have mismatched identity plates on at least three aircraft.”
That silenced Grant.
Preston did not blink enough.
Camille noticed.
“You knew.”
“No.”
“You didn’t ask which three.”
He stared.
“Don’t play courtroom games.”
“Not a game.”
“Who authorized plate transfers?”
“No one.”
“Arthur says you did.”
Preston’s eyes hardened.
Behind him, Arthur had emerged from office with counsel on phone.
Preston saw.
“Arthur.”
Arthur stopped.
Preston said:
“You said what?”
Camille stepped between the line of sight.
“No.”
Preston looked.
“You don’t speak to witnesses.”
His face changed.
“Witnesses?”
“Yes.”
“To what?”
“That is what we are determining.”
Grant stepped closer.
“Camille, whatever operational mistakes occurred, we can cure.”
“Maybe.”
“Then don’t destroy the club in front of clients.”
Camille looked toward gala.
“I didn’t create this situation.”
“No, but you can contain.”
There.
Contain.
Always the first instinct of people who confuse reputation with reality.
Camille said:
“Were you selling Sovereign Arc?”
Both men froze.
Grant looked at Preston.
That was answer enough.
Camille continued.
“Without notifying Vaughn Meridian?”
Grant said:
“No transaction closed.”
“That wasn’t question.”
“We were exploring strategic options.”