Vivian\u2019s finger hovered over the authorization screen for only a moment before she declined all four pending guest requests. The attendant\u2019s tablet buzzed, and he looked up with an apologetic expression before approaching Grant. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, sir, but the additional guests haven\u2019t been approved by the primary account holder. Without authorization, we can\u2019t board them.\u201d Grant turned toward Vivian, disbelief replacing the confidence he had worn all morning. \u201cVivian, what are you doing? Fix this.\u201d She calmly closed her laptop and stepped onto the sunlit dock. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to fix,\u201d she replied. \u201cEverything is exactly as it should be. This trip was never yours to give away.\u201d Deborah immediately began lecturing her about family loyalty, but Vivian interrupted before she could finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said marriage makes everything joint property,\u201d Vivian said evenly. \u201cYou were right about one thing. Every reservation, every villa, every flight attached to my account is mine to manage, and today I\u2019ve decided none of you are joining me.\u201d 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\u2019s arm, but she stepped away. \u201cFive years of paying for your failures and being told I was controlling ends today.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\n THE STORY CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE… \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\n <\/p>\n