Dominic turned to his chief legal counsel Andrew Patterson. Andrew, I want a full investigation into an incident on Flight 372 initiated immediately. Everything, crew statements, passenger accounts, security footage, everything. Andrew was already taking notes. What exactly are we looking for?
A catastrophic failure of our most basic principles, Dominic replied. His voice controlled but vibrating with intensity. A passenger was just removed from that flight based on false accusations that no one bothered to verify. I want to know how this happened and who allowed it. The executives exchanged nervous glances.
Customer complaints were common in the airline industry, usually handled through established channels, not by the CEO himself. Sir, ventured the VP of customer experience, perhaps we should route this through our normal escalation procedures. This is not going through procedures. Dominic cut him off. This is going through me.
Janet looked up from her phone. I have Alfonso Garcia on the line. Dominic took the phone. Alfonso. Dominic Reynolds.
Through the speakerphone came a startled voice. Mr. Reynolds. Sir, I wasn't expecting How can I help you? What's happening with Flight 372? Dominic asked, his tone making it clear this was not a casual inquiry.
"Flight 372?" Alfonso’s confusion was evident. It's just cleared for takeoff, sir. There was a brief delay due to a passenger removal, but the flight is now third in line for departure. Who was the passenger? A moment of hesitation.
A Jasmine Reynolds, sir. Seat 14A. The temperature in the conference room seemed to drop by several degrees. The executives now realizing what was happening sat perfectly still. "Alfonso," Dominic said, his voice dangerously quiet, "That plane does not take off.
Have air traffic control hold it at the threshold. Tell them it's a critical security reassessment initiated by the airline. I don't care what procedures you have to invoke or what it costs. That aircraft does not move another inch." Sir, the delay, the cost Alfonso started to protest. ""The cost," Dominic interrupted, "of what happened in that cabin is already greater than you can calculate." Get that plane held at the threshold. Then arrange ground equipment to tow it back to gate B42." Yes, sir.
And Alfonso, I'm on my way. My plane takes off in 20 minutes. He ended the call and handed the phone back to Janet. His gaze swept the room taking in the shocked faces of his executive team. For those of you who haven't put it together yet, Jasmine Reynolds is my daughter.
But that is not why I'm intervening. I'm intervening because what happened on that flight represents a fundamental betrayal of everything Skyline Airways stands for. He turned to his VP of operations. Michael, get the corporate jet ready. File a flight plan for JFK.
Michael nodded and left the room immediately. Dominic addressed the remaining executives. This meeting is suspended. Janet and Andrew will come with me to New York. The rest of you will receive detailed instructions once I've assessed the situation fully.
As the executives filed out, Dominic checked his phone. There was a new message, not from Jasmine, but from a number he didn't recognize. Mr. Reynolds, my name is Olivia Bennett. I was a passenger in seat 2B on Flight 372. I witnessed the entire incident involving your daughter and have it on video.
What I saw was a disgrace. I got your number through a mutual connection at Goldman Sachs. I believe you'll want to see this before your crew’s version becomes the official record. Attached was a video file. Dominic played it immediately.
His expression hardening as he watched the events unfold exactly as Jasmine had described her quiet drawing interrupted by Elizabeth Parker's theatrical complaints, the flight attendant's immediate bias, the baseless accusation of filming, the humiliating removal. The video captured everything, including the surrounding passengers' reactions. Most notably, it showed Miguel Ramirez in 14C clearly witnessing everything, but refusing to speak up. "Andrew," Dominic said, forwarding the video to his legal counsel. Evidence.
Unedited and damning. Andrew reviewed it quickly, his professional demeanor faltering as he watched. "This is... this is indefensible." Yes, Dominic agreed grimly. It is. He typed a quick reply to Olivia Bennett.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Your integrity is appreciated. Would you be willing to provide a formal statement? Her response came immediately. Absolutely.
What happened was wrong on every level. I've already saved backup copies of the video on secure cloud storage. Dominic pocketed his phone and turned to Janet and Andrew. Let's go. We have a plane to catch and some hard questions to ask when we land.