Thank you.”
She reached for one of the glasses.
“This flight is already starting off beautifully.”
“I aim to please, Celeste.”
I kept my eyes on Adrian.
“Although I should mention there appears to be a minor problem with your booking.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“Elena.”
His voice dropped.
“Please.”
He looked around.
“Don’t do this here.”
“Oh, it’s purely administrative, Adrian.”
I smiled.
It appears the corporate card used to purchase your fourteen-thousand-dollar first-class tickets was just flagged and frozen because of suspected unauthorized activity.”
Celeste frowned.
She turned toward him.
“What?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Julian—”
She caught herself, clearly flustered by the situation.
“Adrian, you told me your company covered all travel.”
“It does.”
Sweat had begun forming at his temples.
“This is an accounting error.”
He forced a smile.
“I’ll call the bank when we land in Aurelia.”
“Actually…”
I adjusted the tray.
“You won’t.”
Adrian slowly looked at me.
“Because five minutes ago, your executive access to Valecrest Holdings was suspended pending an emergency internal audit.”
Celeste stopped moving.
“Your corporate phone privileges are being revoked.”
I continued calmly.
“And the board has been notified that your authority to sign documents related to the eighty-million-dollar Aurelia merger is suspended.”
Adrian stared at me.
Celeste’s eyes widened.
Then something clicked.
“Elena?”
She looked at me more closely.
Then at Adrian.
“Wait.”
Her face changed.
“You’re Elena Vale?”
I said nothing.
“His wife?”
Adrian suddenly stood.
“Elena, come into the galley with me right now.”
My expression changed instantly.
Not to anger.
To authority.
“Sit down, Mr. Cross.”
Several passengers glanced toward us.
Adrian froze.
“You are a passenger aboard this aircraft.”
