“No real leader would do this.” Tanya, in a last-ditch interview, said: “Real wealth doesn’t need to prove a point.”
Elliot, quieter now, told the reporter: “She got what she wanted, but respect? That’s earned, not bought.”
The words stung, but Lysandra didn’t respond. She didn’t need to.
Months later, the first flight under the new Orion Air took off.
Lysandra was on board, not in first class, but in economy. Her backpack tucked under the seat.
The plane was full: students, families, people who had never flown before.
The “Flight for All” program had launched, offering free tickets to those who couldn’t afford them.
The crew was different too.
New faces, some familiar ones, like a baggage handler who’d once been mocked for his accent, now training as a flight attendant.
Tanya and Elliot were there too, reinstated but demoted, working the beverage cart.
