Chapter 2

The galley.

Airline catering operated under strict safety and sanitation rules, and there was no instance in which a passenger walked in.

"Ms. Chase, passengers aren't permitted in the galley. It's a regulation," I said.

Before I finished, Lily pulled at me again.

"You still don't get it. His sister is Evelyn Chase, and she's Mr. Reed's favorite assistant.

"Cross Mr. Reed and you might survive it. Cross Evelyn and you're done.

"He does whatever she says, and the whole company says she'll be the next Mrs. Reed. She can end any one of us with a sentence. You're an intern. Don't be a hero."

The next Mrs. Reed?

My husband's next wife?

Ryan saw me stop, decided I was frightened, and laughed at me. "What's this? One mention of Michael Reed and you fold?

"A man at his level is not somebody a nobody like you gets to cross. One word from him decides how your life goes. Understand?"

And in the few seconds I stood there, Ryan had already walked into the galley.

"Look at this. Is this the slop you feed economy?" He lifted a limp piece of vegetable on one fingertip and flicked it away.

Then he pulled a small metal tin out of his bag and drummed his nails against it.

"These people have clearly never seen anything decent in their lives. Fine, I'm in a good mood. I'll give them some top grade black truffle powder and let them find out what quality tastes like."

He twisted the tin open and moved to shake it over the trays.

"Ms. Chase, you can't do that!"

The purser had finally had enough. She stepped in front of the cart, and her voice came out urgent and completely firm.

"No outside food or seasoning goes into passenger meals. That's a food safety regulation and it exists for everybody on this aircraft. Please understand."

"Regulations? Safety?"

Ryan acted like he had heard the funniest thing of his life. "You think what I'm holding is less safe than the garbage you serve? This one tin costs more than you make in a year."

"Get out of my way."

The purser did not move. "Ms. Chase, this is not negotiable. If anything goes wrong, none of us can carry that. Please don't put us in this position."

Ryan's face went dark enough to rain when he realized she was going to keep blocking him.

He took out his phone and started a video call.

"Evelyn, look at this. These attendants have completely lost it. I wanted to add a little seasoning to the food and they won't allow it, and now they're talking back to me."

A soft, coaxing voice came through the speaker. "Ryan, don't work yourself up. Give the phone to the purser."

Ryan pushed the phone into the purser's face, pleased with himself.

Evelyn's voice went cold. "Every attendant on that aircraft gets on her knees and apologizes to my brother, right now. If you don't, every one of you is fired for gross misconduct and blacklisted from this industry for good. I don't say things twice."

The air in the galley stopped moving.

The purser's lips shook, and the humiliation was sitting right at the edge of her eyes.

Lily and the others had gone white, and they looked at each other with nothing to hold onto.

Evelyn watched them hesitate and laughed without any warmth. "Fine. You won't kneel. You think you're tough. Wait and see."

Then the video feed started shaking hard.

Evelyn had walked straight into the general manager's private conference room with the phone still up.

The video feed finally steadied, giving everyone a clear view of the conference room.

The long table was full of executives with serious faces, and the screen behind them still displayed the airline's plan for the second half of the year.

Michael sat at the head of the table, listening to the presentation.

When Evelyn came through the door, he stopped for a beat, and there was no irritation in his face at all. What filled it instead was concern.

"Michael!" Evelyn ignored every stunned executive in that room, went straight to his chair, and folded herself against the arm of it.

"Look at what those attendants are doing to my brother. They've ganged up on him. He asked for one small thing and they snapped at him and called him names.

"His heart isn't strong, and they've made him cry. Michael, you have to do something."

She leaned into him while she said it, boneless and helpless.

The tears came down her face like she had been wronged by the world.

She was a completely different person from the one who had been on that call a minute earlier.

Michael's face went hard at once.

He never asked what had actually happened. All of him was on the woman, crying against his arm.

"Baby, don't cry. Your eyes will swell and then you won't look like yourself. Is any of this worth crying over? As long as I'm here, nobody touches you or your family."

He wiped her face gently, and only then did he look at the phone, and his voice dropped to nothing.

"Are all of you deaf? Did you not hear Evelyn?

"I'm giving you an order. Do exactly what Mr. Chase asked. Get on your knees and apologize.

"And if I don't see it in three seconds..."

Before he could finish, I strode right up and stood dead center in front of the camera.

My face, calm and unflinching, filled the screen for everyone to see.

"Michael. Are you sure you want me on my knees?"