The words were barely out of Aria’s mouth when Aunt Marie’s eyes darkened, fury flashing like lightning across her face. She shot up from her chair, the sudden movement making the dishes in front of her rattle. “Absolutely not!” Her voice thundered through the dining room, shattering the silence like a sudden storm. “I will not accept this!”
The matriarch’s usually composed expression cracked with shock, her brows furrowing as she glanced between Aria and Sebastian. She had faced the gravest of business battles and ordeals, but nothing prepared her for this. Matthew, who had been staring at his plate as if willing it to provide him an escape, looked up so sharply that he nearly knocked over his water glass. He gaped at Sebastian, disbelief written in every line of his face. He knew his bo
