She glanced at Naomi's coat.
Then at her hair.
Then at her face.
The implication was impossible to miss.
Victoria wasn't simply questioning the seat.
She had already decided what kind of person Naomi was based entirely on how she looked.
“You know what?” Victoria continued. “They probably felt sorry for her and upgraded her.”
A passenger across the aisle frowned.
The young flight attendant stepped closer.
“Ma’am, your seat is—”
Victoria cut her off.
“I know exactly where my seat is.”
Then she turned toward the cockpit.
“Someone needs to fix this.”
She snapped her fingers.
A moment later, Captain Marcus Redden stepped out of the cockpit.
He was a senior pilot, known for his confidence and his commanding presence.
Victoria immediately pointed toward Naomi.
“She’s sitting in 1A.”
Marcus looked at Naomi.
Then at the seat.
Then back at Victoria.
“Oh,” he said.
His voice carried across the cabin.
“That explains why 1A looked out of place.”
The young flight attendant froze.
Several passengers exchanged uncomfortable glances.
Naomi lowered her eyes to the leather folder.
For a moment, she considered saying something.
She could have explained who she was.
She could have shown them the documents inside the folder.
She could have told them that the woman they were humiliating was the founder and CEO of Skybridge Air Mobility, a global aviation company worth billions.
She could have reminded them that the airline they were flying with had recently entered a major partnership with her company.
But she said nothing.
Because she had learned something long ago:
You don't always have to prove your worth to people who have already decided not to see it.