Vivian’s finger hovered over the authorization screen for only a moment before she declined all four pending guest requests. The attendant’s tablet buzzed, and he looked up with an apologetic expression before approaching Grant. “I’m sorry, sir, but the additional guests haven’t been approved by the primary account holder. Without authorization, we can’t board them.” Grant turned toward Vivian, disbelief replacing the confidence he had worn all morning. “Vivian, what are you doing? Fix this.” She calmly closed her laptop and stepped onto the sunlit dock. “There’s nothing to fix,” she replied. “Everything is exactly as it should be. This trip was never yours to give away.” Deborah immediately began lecturing her about family loyalty, but Vivian interrupted before she could finish.

“You said marriage makes everything joint property,” Vivian said evenly. “You were right about one thing. Every reservation, every villa, every flight attached to my account is mine to manage, and today I’ve decided none of you are joining me.” Isabelle quietly set down her champagne glass, suddenly aware that the public embarrassment unfolding around her had become impossible to ignore. Grant reached for Vivian’s arm, but she stepped away. “Five years of paying for your failures and being told I was controlling ends today.” She asked the attendant to escort the others back to the terminal before boarding the smaller launch alone. As the boat pulled away, her phone rang. The caller ID displayed a name she had not seen in nearly seven years.