"The 'reject' is the one holding the Ashford name, Alpha," she said, her voice entirely level, cutting through the vast space of the hall. "If you're here to talk real estate and contracts, I'll leave you to your numbers. I have an instrument to clean and a curriculum to finish."
She didn't wait for my permission. She turned on her heel and disappeared through a side door leading to the soundproof practice rooms, the click of her shoes sharp and defiant against the floorboards.
I watched the door swing shut, the muscle in my jaw twitching. I despised her. I despised her arrogance, her refusal to break, and the sheer audacity she had to walk away from me without being dismissed. I turned my full, suffocating gaze onto Gawain, letting my aura expand slightly to demand an answer. "Explain h
