The loud passenger’s eyes widened as if he was caught off guard by a ghost from his past. His voice faltered, “Y-yes, that’s me.”
The man in the suit nodded, his expression unreadable but commanding respect. “I’m Robert Lexington, CEO of Airways International,” he said, the name carrying a weight that silenced whispers and rustling pages. Every passenger who had been content to ignore the drama now watched with rapt attention.
Mr. Cooper’s bravado dissolved, leaving behind a man stripped of his earlier arrogance. His hands fidgeted with the in-flight magazine, crumpling the pages in a nervous rhythm. “I didn’t mean—it’s just—“
“Let me clarify something for you,” Robert said, with a pointed calmness. “Every seat on this plane, whether purchased with hard-earned savings or corporate accounts, provides an equal right to travel with dignity. That includes infants who cannot control their tears, and mothers who are doing their best in difficult situations.”
