Aidan’s POV
I watched my grandfather disappear into the study without another word.
The sound of his cane echoed through the hallway with slow, deliberate taps, each one reminding me exactly why he had come.
Richard Hartwell never paid surprise visits.
If he came personally, it meant something had already gone wrong.
I glanced toward Maya.
She was still standing where Vanessa had left her, her face pale, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her apron. Whatever Vanessa had whispered to her had clearly unsettled her.
Our eyes met for a brief second.
She immediately looked away.
I understood why.
The last thing she needed was to become the center of another argument.
“Maya.” I said and she looked up cautiously.
“Yes, sir?”
“You can go.”
She hesitated and when I noticed, I g
