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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15:07 Mon , 26 May MT
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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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15:07 Mon , 26 May MT .
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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