Juliet Sterling was standing in the lobby of Sterling Cove when a message from her stepmother changed everything. The luxury resort had been built by her grandfather, Arthur Sterling, a man who believed respect mattered as much as success. Growing up, Juliet had watched him treat every employee with kindness and dignity. Yet despite being part of the Sterling family, she had often felt like an outsider. The text on her phone was short but painful: she was not welcome at the family resort and should stay away. The message came from her stepmother, Beatrice, who had spent years making Juliet feel excluded from her own family.
What Beatrice did not know was that major changes had recently taken place behind the scenes. An internal investigation had uncovered years of unauthorized spending, misuse of company resources, and repeated complaints involving Beatrice, her daughters, and Juliet’s father, Malcolm. As a result, Malcolm was removed from leadership, and Juliet was appointed interim CEO of Sterling Properties. After reading the message, Juliet made a difficult decision. She immediately revoked all complimentary privileges that Beatrice and her family had been enjoying throughout the resort system.....