“Of course.”

“What would you have done that day if I hadn’t been the owner?”

Evelyn considered the question.

Then answered:

“I should have verified the documents and addressed the conduct exactly the same way.”

Arielle nodded.

“That’s the answer I hoped to hear.”

She walked up the stairs.

Inside, the cabin was quiet.

Soft leather seats lined the spacious interior.

Sunlight filtered through the windows.

Everything was prepared for departure.

But Arielle understood that the greatest luxury wasn’t the aircraft’s interior.

It was being able to trust the people responsible for the journey.

Chapter 19: The Woman Who Didn’t Need to Look Rich

Arielle’s first stop was Boston.

She was attending the opening of a design and technology scholarship program funded by her foundation.

The program supported talented students who lacked the financial resources to pursue specialized education.

Some studied engineering.

Others focused on architecture, fashion design, and advanced manufacturing.

Arielle believed talent existed everywhere.

Opportunity did not.

That was why the foundation mattered to her.

At the event, a young student approached.

She was nineteen, wearing a handmade jacket covered in carefully stitched geometric patterns.

“Dr. Monroe?”

Arielle turned.

“Yes?”

The student smiled nervously.

“I designed this myself.”

Arielle examined the jacket.

The workmanship was impressive.

“What’s your name?”

“Jasmine.”

“Jasmine, this is beautiful.”

The young woman’s face brightened.

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

Jasmine hesitated.

“People sometimes tell me my designs are too strange.”

Arielle laughed softly.

“I’ve heard that before.”

She looked toward the jacket.

Then added:

“Don’t confuse unfamiliar with impossible.”

Jasmine smiled.

For a moment, Arielle remembered standing beneath the enormous gray hood on the airport ramp.

Vanessa had looked at her clothing and decided she couldn’t belong.

Now a young designer was showing her a garment that might someday appear on an international runway.

Arielle thought about how often people judged possibilities before understanding them.

Then she turned back toward Jasmine.