Hailey Hogan POV:
The Maybach bypassed the chaotic public terminals of LAX entirely, gliding seamlessly onto the private tarmac of the PS luxury terminal. There were no lines. There were no TSA agents barking orders.
This was the world I belonged to. The world I had locked myself out of for five years just to stroke the fragile ego of a mediocre man.
A Gulfstream G650ER sat waiting on the tarmac, its sleek white fuselage gleaming under the floodlights. The captain and two flight attendants stood in a perfect line at the base of the stairs. As I stepped out of the car, they bowed their heads in deep, respectful synchronization.
I walked up the steps and entered the cabin. The interior was a sanctuary of custom walnut paneling and hand-stitched Hermès leather seats, designed specifically to my tastes.
I sank into the main captain's chair. A flight attendant immediately approached, offering a crystal flute filled with chilled Dom Pérignon.
I took the glass. I held it up to the window, watching the sprawling grid of Los Angeles city lights twinkle in the distance.
The twin Rolls-Royce engines spooled up. The massive thrust pressed me firmly back into the soft leather as the jet tore down the runway and punched through the cloud cover.
I set the champagne down and opened my iPad.
A secure financial dashboard filled the screen. I watched a green progress bar slowly fill. It was tracking the real-time freezing of every single supplementary credit card, joint checking account, and credit line attached to Jackson Dorsey's name.
The bar hit one hundred percent. The screen flashed: *All Assets Locked.*
I took a slow sip of the champagne. The crisp, dry vintage burned perfectly down my throat. I let out a long breath, feeling the last knots in my shoulders dissolve.
***
Jackson Dorsey POV:
The morning sun stabbed directly through the gaps in the master bedroom curtains, hitting me right in the eyes.
I groaned, rolling over in the massive bed. My head was pounding with a vicious, throbbing ache. I hadn't slept a wink after Hailey drove off in that ridiculous rented car.
"Hailey," I grumbled, my voice thick with sleep. "Get me a black coffee. Two sugars."
Silence.
I waited three seconds, annoyance flaring in my chest. "Hailey!"
Only the faint echo of my own voice bounced off the walls. I sat up abruptly, rubbing my temples. The memory of the garbage truck and the slap hit me like a physical blow. The crazy bitch actually left.
From down the hall, my sister Jordan's shrill, piercing scream shattered the morning.
"Where is my white crochet beach dress?! I can't find anything!"
I threw off the covers and stomped out into the hallway. My mother, Cornelia, was standing at the top of the stairs, her face red with fury as she screamed down at Mark, the butler.
"What do you mean there's no breakfast? We have a flight to the Caribbean in three hours!" Cornelia shrieked.
Mark stood in the foyer, his hands clasped behind his back. His face was entirely devoid of its usual subservience. "The household grocery accounts have been frozen, madam. There is only half a loaf of dry bread left in the pantry."
"You useless piece of trash!" I roared, leaning over the banister. "Go buy something with your own money and I'll reimburse you!"
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, sir," Mark said flatly, turning and walking toward the kitchen.
Amber stepped out of the guest room. She was wearing a flimsy silk camisole, her arms crossed over her chest, shivering slightly. She looked at me with wide, teary eyes.
"Jackson," she whimpered, tugging lightly at my sleeve. "I literally have nothing to wear to the airport. My entire vacation wardrobe is gone."
I looked at Amber, then at my mother, then at Jordan who had just emerged, sobbing over her ruined Instagram aesthetic. I felt the absolute necessity to maintain my dominance as the head of this family. Hailey was just throwing a tantrum to get my attention. I wouldn't let her win.
I puffed out my chest and waved my hand dismissively.
"Everyone, calm down," I ordered, projecting total confidence. "When we get to the airport, we'll go straight to the first-class duty-free boutiques. Gucci, Prada, whatever you want. Pick out the newest collections. It's on me."
Jordan's tears vanished instantly. She threw her hands in the air. "Oh my god, yes! You're the best brother ever!"
Cornelia smoothed down her dressing gown, a smug, triumphant smile spreading across her wrinkled face. "See? We don't need that miserable woman. Her little stunts mean absolutely nothing."
We didn't even bother to shower properly. We threw on whatever wrinkled clothes were left in the laundry hampers and piled into the garage, squeezing into the stretch Lincoln Town Car.
"LAX," I snapped at the driver. The car rolled out, the cabin buzzing with excited chatter about the shopping spree to come.
***
Hailey Hogan POV:
I woke up naturally on the plush, queen-sized bed in the rear cabin of the Gulfstream.
I sat up and reached for the nightstand. Resting there was a heavy, leather-bound book: *Advanced Microsurgical Techniques in Neuro-Oncology*.
I ran my fingertips over the embossed gold lettering. It was my bible. For five years, I had buried my genius, hiding my surgical hands in dishwater and dry-cleaning bags so Jackson wouldn't feel inferior.
No more.
Under the blazing sun of St. Barts, I was going to resurrect the brilliant surgeon I was born to be.
The plane banked gently, the landing gear engaging with a heavy thud. Through the window, the blinding turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea stretched out to the horizon.
I slid a pair of dark Tom Ford sunglasses over my eyes. The cabin door opened, letting in the hot, salty air.
I stepped out onto the stairs, ready to claim my new life.
