He remained focused on the clock.
Boarding had already been delayed six minutes.
He said, "We have two seats, but they're ten rows apart."
Ethan stood.
"No."
Robert rubbed his forehead.
"Mr. Walker—"
That was the first time Robert used his surname.
He had finally looked at the boarding pass record.
But Ethan's name still meant nothing to him.
"We can have crew monitor your daughter."
"No."
"She's ten."
"Exactly."
Robert lowered his voice.
"You're becoming unreasonable."
Ethan looked at Julia's terminal.
She angled it slightly away.
Too late.
He saw the screen.
ETHAN WALKER — UNASSIGNED — VOLUNTARY RESEAT.
EMMA WALKER — 1B.
He looked at Julia.
"Was my change processed as voluntary?"
Julia froze.
Robert stepped between them.
"Internal coding is not your concern."
"It becomes my concern when it falsely records consent."
Robert's face tightened.
"Sir, you don't have authority over our internal systems."
Ethan's expression changed slightly.
Emma noticed.
Julia did too.
Ethan asked, "Who authorized the modification?"
Robert said nothing.
"Was it Clare?"
"That is an internal matter."
"Did you approve it?"
Robert's silence answered.
Ethan nodded.
"Do not modify the record again."
Robert laughed.
"You really need to stop giving orders."
Ethan reached into his wallet.
A small black card slipped halfway free.
Julia caught sight of it.
Black matte surface.
Silver wing emblem.
Aurelia Atlantic board seal.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Before she could focus, Ethan pushed it back into the wallet.
Robert noticed nothing.
Then footsteps sounded behind them.
Quick.
Several people approaching from the terminal.
Robert turned.
Marcus Bennett appeared first.
Regional executive director for Aurelia Atlantic.
Behind him were two senior operations supervisors.
Marcus had been making an unannounced morning visit to the hub.
He had received a message that Flight 271 to Seattle was delayed over a seating conflict.
Ordinarily he would have let terminal management handle it.
Then operations control forwarded a name attached to the issue.
Ethan Walker.
Marcus had stared at the screen.
Walker was not an unusual surname.
Still, something about the booking profile bothered him.
No loyalty-status marker.
No corporate account.
Yet the internal executive travel system contained a silent security flag used only for a handful of board members who requested anonymous travel.
Marcus opened it.
The photograph appeared.
He stopped walking.
Then ran.
Now he entered the jet bridge.
He saw Emma first.
Then Ethan.
Plain shirt.
Old coat.
No entourage.
No executive assistant.
Marcus stopped so suddenly that the supervisor behind him almost collided with his back.
"Sir?"
Marcus ignored him.
His face lost color.
"Chairman Walker?"
Robert turned.
"What?"
Marcus walked toward Ethan.
"Chairman Walker."
The jet bridge became silent.
Julia's mouth opened.
Robert looked from Marcus to Ethan.
Then back.
"Chairman?"
Marcus barely acknowledged him.
"Mr. Walker, why are you standing out here?"
Ethan looked at Marcus.
"Good morning."
Marcus swallowed.
"Sir, I—"
"Don't apologize yet."
Marcus stopped.
Ethan pointed toward Julia's terminal.
"I need the passenger record locked immediately."