“not your setting.”

I let that phrase sit in my mind for a second before I answered. “Yes,” I said calmly. “There is.”

James didn’t ask anything else.

He didn’t need to. “I’ll take care of it immediately,” he said. “Thank you.”

I ended the call, finished my coffee, and sat there for a few more minutes watching the lake like nothing had happened.

Because in a way… nothing had. My family had just shown me exactly who they still thought I was. And for once, I didn’t feel the need to correct them right away.

I drove back to the resort slowly. Same entrance. Same hydrangeas.

Same polished cars. Only this time, I didn’t hesitate when I stepped out of mine. Inside, the lobby was quieter than before.

But not calm. Tense. My father was at the front desk, voice low but sharp, one hand flat against the marble.

“I’m telling you, she won’t be staying here,” he insisted. The clerk looked uncomfortable. “I understand, sir, but the reservation—”

“Cancel it,” my father snapped.

My brother stood beside him, arms crossed, watching like this was all just a minor inconvenience being handled. My mother hovered a step behind, pretending this wasn’t happening. I walked forward.

“You can’t cancel that reservation,” I said. My father turned. That same look.

The one that said I was out of my depth. “That’s already being handled,” he replied. “No,” I said calmly.

“It isn’t.”

Before he could respond, the elevator doors opened behind the desk. A man in a dark suit stepped out, followed by two members of staff. He walked directly to the front desk.

“Mr. Patterson?” he asked. My father straightened slightly.

“Yes.”

“I’m James Hendricks,” he said. “Director of Operations.”

The room shifted. Subtle.

But real. “I understand there’s a concern regarding a reservation,” James continued. My father nodded, confident again.

“Yes. My daughter booked a room she doesn’t need. We’d like it removed.”

James didn’t look at him.

Not yet. He turned instead… to me. “Miss Patterson,” he said with a small, respectful nod.

That was the moment everything changed. My father noticed it immediately. “So,” James continued, voice even, “the reservation has been flagged for owner review.”

My brother frowned.

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