Chapter 5 - Seat 3AI arrived at Boston Logan International Airport wearing a dark coat and a wide-brimmed hat.
It felt ridiculous, but Daniel had warned me not to let Ryan see me before boarding.
Ryan and Chloe entered the first-class lounge twenty minutes after I did.
They did not notice me seated behind a tall divider.
Chloe wore a cream-colored dress and carried a designer bag purchased with an Altura corporate card.
Ryan placed his hand on her lower back as they approached the bar.
It was the same gentle gesture he used with me at charity dinners.
I expected the sight to break me.
Instead, it clarified everything.
Their relationship was not romantic in the way Ryan had probably described it to her.
It was a performance built from stolen moments and stolen money.
I listened as they discussed Denver.
“After Tuesday, we won’t have to hide,” Chloe said.
Ryan smiled.
“After Tuesday, nothing can touch us.”
“What about Claire?”
“She’ll receive a settlement.”
“What if she fights?”
“She won’t. Claire hates public conflict.”
He knew me well enough to understand my habits.
He did not know me well enough to understand my limits.
Chloe lowered her voice.
“Does she suspect anything?”
“Claire sees what she wants to see.”
I turned away before anger made me careless.
When boarding began, I entered through a separate line.
My seat was on the opposite side of the cabin, two rows behind them. A high seat partition blocked their view.
For the first hour, I listened.
Ryan ordered champagne.
Chloe laughed softly.
They reviewed a document on his tablet, though I could not see the screen.
At one point, she leaned against him and whispered something that made him kiss her hair.
I sent a message to Evelyn.
They are on the flight. The Denver meeting remains active.
She replied immediately.
The board is standing by. Call only when you are certain.
I was already certain.
But certainty and evidence were different things.
Halfway through the flight, Ryan opened his laptop and connected to the onboard internet.
Daniel, who was monitoring Altura’s security logs, sent me an alert.
Ryan had accessed the final Northstar contract.
He uploaded a revised payment schedule.
The schedule directed $31 million to Summit Strategic Holdings within two hours of closing.
That was the final proof.
I stood.
My legs felt unsteady, but my mind was clear.
As I approached Ryan’s seat, Chloe was holding his arm beneath a shared blanket.
Ryan looked up.
His expression moved through confusion, recognition, and panic within a single second.
I placed my hand on the back of his seat.
“That’s strange,” I said. “You told me you were flying to Portland.”
Chloe released him.
Ryan recovered quickly.
“Claire, this is only a business trip.”
Before I could answer, the flight attendant approached with a folded blanket.
She smiled politely at Chloe.
“Sir, would your wife like another blanket?”
Silence filled the cabin.
I took out my phone.
“No,” I said. “His real wife is about to end everything.”
May you like
Then I called Evelyn Shaw.
The emergency board meeting began while Ryan watched me from three feet away.
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