They Ordered a Black Woman to Give Up Her VIP Seat — Then She Revealed She Owned the Airline...
Chapter 8
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"You'll have what, Mrs. Covington?" Serafina interrupted, her voice lethally soft. "A new airline to fly? Because as of this moment, your platinum status is revoked. Your million-miler account is frozen, and you are being issued a lifetime ban from Meridian Airways for passenger harassment and attempting to interfere with a flight crew—which, by the way, is a federal offense.""You... you can't!" Margaret shrieked."I can," Serafina said. "I just did."The gate agent, Ben Miller, had appeared at the open cabin door, his eyes wide as saucers. Behind him stood two grim-faced men in dark suits: Frank Dempsey's team."Captain," Serafina said, turning back to Matthews, "this flight is now under my direct authority. Mr. Brody is a security risk: he has proven he is willing to violate safety protocols for personal bias. He is to be relieved of his duties, effective immediately."She looked at Thomas, her eyes filled with a cold, profound disappointment. "Mr. Brody, collect your personal belongings from the galley. These gentlemen," she motioned to the security team, "will escort you to an HR holding room where you will await a full debrief of your termination. Surrender your crew ID to Captain Matthews."With shaking hands, Thomas unclipped his ID. He couldn't look at anyone: he couldn't look at Serafina, or the captain, or the other flight attendants who were now clustered near the galley, watching in stunned horror. He handed his badge to the captain."Go," Serafina commanded.Thomas Brody, the ambitious steward who thought he was playing the game, did the walk of shame: he shuffled past the silent first-class cabin, past the gaping passengers in economy, and off the plane flanked by the two suits. He was, in an instant, a ghost.The cabin was so quiet you could hear the faint whine of the auxiliary power unit.Serafina Jordan stood in the aisle for a moment longer. She looked at the remaining flight crew, who were frozen in terror."My name," she said, her voice now calm but firm, "is Serafina Jordan. I am your CEO. I am not here to frighten you. I am here because I, like you, am supposed to be committed to the safety and service of this airline. What you just witnessed was a catastrophic failure of that commitment."A senior flight attendant, a woman in her fifties named Maria, stepped forward, her face pale but professional. "Ms. Jordan, we... we are deeply, deeply sorry. That was... inexcusable.""It was, Maria," Serafina said, reading her nametag. "Now, we have a plane full of passengers to get to New York. We are one crew member short. Are you certified as purser?""Yes, ma'am," Maria said, snapping into professional mode."Good. You're in charge. Complete your pre-flight safety checks. I want this plane buttoned up and ready for pushback in ten minutes. Is that clear?"