Chapter 10
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Aria fished a sleek card from her pocket, took a few steps, and dropped it on the table with a soft thud. “Twenty mil on this. Password’s six zeros. That’s the wedding gift you handed me, plus what I spent that month with the Saxons.”
The room went pin–drop quiet.
No one saw it coming–she hadn’t touched a single cent and even tossed in an extra three million, like she was ready to burn every bridge with this
family.
“That’s nuts!” Logan’s face darkened, his eyes locking onto her sharp stare. The lecture he had primed died in his throat.
His gut was screaming: if they didn’t fix this now, Aria might be gone for good.
He closed the gap between them, his hand hesitating before resting gently on her shoulder. “Aria, you’re a Saxon, blood and bone. No one’s rewriting that. You want to ditch that marriage? Fine by me. But you’re taking back your hundred fifty mil. And the Coles‘ stuff? We don’t want their scraps.”
Aria didn’t bother correcting him–she wasn’t chasing a hundred fifty million. She wanted 1.5 billion dollars.
Logan turned, squaring up beside her like a shield. “Dad, if Aria’s not welcome here, we’re gone. All of us.”
“Logan!” Joseph’s face twisted, red with rage. “You throwing the Saxon rules out the window?”
The Saxon code: family interests above all, no scandals, no splitting up.
Caleb rose, cool and steady. “I’m with Dad. If Grandpa and Uncle Luke don’t want my sister around, we’ll hit the road. Silvia, you with us or staying at the
manor?”
Silvia twisted the hem of her dress, her voice barely above a whisper. “I go where Mom and Dad go.”
Zoe, who’d always bristled at her father–in–law’s old–fashioned ways, was already mentally packing. Move out? She’d be the first out the door.
“You don’t need to do all this for me,” Aria said, her eyes calm as a still lake. “Silvia and I were switched at birth, right? That just proves she’s the one cut out to be a Saxon. Not me. So why not just lean into the mix–up?”
‘Lean into the mix–up. Silvia’s heart gave a little jump, a spark of hope flaring.
She’d once snuck back to her bio family’s crumbling shack in the sticks. Her real parents didn’t even pretend to care–just sized her up with greedy eyes.
They’d already pocketed 1.5 million from the Saxons, but still hounded her for another million to fund her brother’s wedding.
Her birth family was stuck in another century, obsessed with boys, their home a filthy disaster.
Silvia had been freaked out, tossing them 600 thousand dollars and bolting. Aria could walk away from the Saxons and still slay. Silvia? She’d rather die than lose this life.
“Enough!” Joseph barked.
Disowning his own granddaughter? That’d make the Saxons the punchline of every gossip rag. No way he’d let that shame stick.
His weathered face turned cold as he gave in. “Aria, after the divorce, you’re back here. Stay in line, and I won’t meddle. But…”
His voice cut like a blade. “No Saxon shares unless you pass my test. She’s got no claim to them yet.”
Savia had been handed two percent of the shares at eighteen, no strings attached. Aria, his own blood? She had to jump through hoops.
Caleb’s jaw tightened, but he bit his tongue.
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Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Aria fished a sleek card from her pocket, took a few steps, and dropped it on the table with a soft thud. “Twenty mil on this. Password’s six zeros. That’s the wedding gift you handed me, plus what I spent that month with the Saxons.”
The room went pin–drop quiet.
No one saw it coming–she hadn’t touched a single cent and even tossed in an extra three million, like she was ready to burn every bridge with this family.
“That’s nuts!” Logan’s face darkened, his eyes locking onto her sharp stare. The lecture he had primed died in his throat.
His gut was screaming: if they didn’t fix this now, Aria might be gone for good.
He closed the gap between them, his hand hesitating before resting gently on her shoulder. “Aria, you’re a Saxon, blood and bone. No one’s rewriting that. You want to ditch that marriage? Fine by me. But you’re taking back your hundred fifty mil. And the Coles‘ stuff? We don’t want their scraps.”
Aria didn’t bother correcting him–she wasn’t chasing a hundred fifty million. She wanted 1.5 billion dollars.
Logan turned, squaring up beside her like a shield. “Dad, if Aria’s not welcome here, we’re gone. All of us.”
“Logan!” Joseph’s face twisted, red with rage. “You throwing the Saxon rules out the window?”
The Saxon code: family interests above all, no scandals, no splitting up.
Caleb rose, cool and steady. “I’m with Dad. If Grand
manor?”
and Uncle Luke don’t want my sister around, we’ll hit the road. Silvia, you with us or staying at the
a
whisper. “I go where Mom and Dad go.”
Silvia twisted the hem of her dress, her voice barely above
Zoe, who’d always bristled at her father–in–law’s old–fashioned ways, already mentally packing. Move out? She’d be the first out the door.
“You don’t need to do all this for me,” Aria said, her eyes calm as a still lake. “Silvia and I were switched at birth, right? That just proves she’s the one cut out to be a Saxon. Not me. So why not just lean into the mix–up?”
‘Lean into the mix–up. Silvia’s heart gave a little jump, a spark of hope flaring.
She’d once snuck back to her bio family’s crumbling shack in the sticks. Her real parents didn’t even pretend to care–just sized her up with greedy eyes.
They’d already pocketed 1.5 million from the Saxons, but still hounded her for another million to fund her brother’s wedding.
Her birth family was stuck in another century, obsessed with boys, their home a filthy disaster.
Silvia had been freaked out, tossing them 600 thousand dollars and bolting. Aria could walk away from the Saxons and still slay. Silvia? She’d rather die than lose this life.
“Enough!” Joseph barked.
Disowning his own granddaughter? That’d make the Saxons the punchline of every gossip rag. No way he’d let that shame stick.
His weathered face turned cold as he gave in. “Aria, after the divorce, you’re back here. Stay in line, and I won’t meddle. But…”
His voice cut like a blade. “No Saxon shares unless you pass my test. She’s got no claim to them yet.”
Silvia had been handed two percent of the shares at eighteen, no strings attached. Aria, his own blood? She had to jump through hoops.
Caleb’s jaw tightened, but he bit his tongue.
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Chapter 10
Luke helped Joseph shuffle out, leaving just the second branch of the family in the tense living room.
Zoe stood, inching toward Aria. “Sweetheart, come home with us, okay?”
Aria’s face stayed ice–cold. “I’m good. I’m used to flying solo.”
Zoe’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
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Caleb’s expression hardened, all business. “We’ll sort out the home stuff later. Right now, we gotta get that divorce in the bag. Aria, I can hook you up with a killer lawyer-”
“Appreciate it, but I’m set,” Aria said, shutting him down. “Got one lined up already.”
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