Chapter 4 - The 8:00 AM Reality Check
The next morning, Audrey woke up at 7:00 AM without an alarm. The sun was rising over the ocean, painting the sky in brilliant hues of pink, orange, and gold. She ordered a pot of fresh black coffee and a plate of eggs Benedict to her room, enjoying the quiet luxury of an uninterrupted morning.
Downstairs, however, chaos was erupting.
At exactly 8:15 AM, Audrey walked down to the lobby, dressed in an effortless linen jumpsuit and oversized sunglasses. She carried a small tote bag, intending to spend the day at the private adult-only pool.
The scene at the front desk was nothing short of spectacular.
All seven members of the Parker family were surrounded by luggage. Diane was shouting at Owen, her voice echoing off the high marble ceilings.
"What do you mean our keys are deactivated?! We are supposed to be here for an entire week! My husband and I are celebrating our forty-year anniversary!"
"I apologize, ma'am," Owen said, his voice a masterpiece of calm professionalism. "But the primary reservation holder, Ms. Vance, modified the booking yesterday afternoon. Your stay was shortened to a single night, which concluded at 8:00 AM today. Furthermore, the credit card on file has been removed."
"This is ridiculous!" Brooke chimed in, stamping her foot. "Where is Audrey? Tell her to get down here right now and fix this! She probably made a mistake on the app."
"Ms. Vance did not make a mistake," Owen replied smoothly.
Trevor stepped forward, looking disheveled and deeply stressed. "Look, buddy, I'm her husband. Trevor Parker. Just put the rooms back on her card. I’ll talk to her. She’s just throwing a little tantrum because of a joke we made yesterday."
"I cannot do that, sir," Owen said. "And as it stands, there is an outstanding balance of $1,400 for the room service, bar tabs, and spa amenities authorized by your party last night. Until that balance is settled, we cannot release your luggage from our holding area."
"Fourteen hundred dollars?!" Russell gasped, clutching his chest. "For one night?!"
"You ordered three bottles of vintage champagne on room service, Dad," Scott muttered, rubbing his temples.
Just then, Diane spotted Audrey walking across the lobby.
"Audrey!" Diane bellowed, marching toward her like a freight train. "Thank God. Tell these incompetent people to give us our keys back! They are ruining my anniversary!"
Audrey stopped, adjusting her sunglasses. She looked at Diane, then at Trevor, who was jogging over with a look of immense relief on his face.
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"Audrey, babe, thank man," Trevor said, reaching out to grab her arm. "Tell them to put it on the card. Mom is losing her mind."
Audrey stepped back, letting his hand fall through empty air. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice perfectly calm and completely devoid of emotion. "Who are you?"
