Brooke replied immediately.
What camera footage?
Ethan turned off his phone.
PART 4 — A Family Suddenly Without His Wallet
By morning, the calls had become frantic.
The resort had attempted to charge the card for the remaining balance. It was declined.
Jason had used his own card for a restaurant bill, only to discover he was close to his credit limit.
Brooke left angry voice messages accusing Ethan of humiliating them.
Diane insisted there had been a misunderstanding.
“We were only trying to have one nice family trip,” she said. “You know how difficult this year has been.”
Ethan listened to the messages but did not respond.
He had more important things to do.
The nurse arrived at seven and helped Claire shower safely. She checked Lily’s feeding schedule and explained what signs to watch for during Claire’s recovery.
At nine, Ethan drove Claire to her doctor.
