The crash thundered through the dining room.
Plates shattered, cutlery clattered, wine glasses burst.
The cake landed face-down on the floor, half-covered by the tablecloth, mashed flat under its own weight.
Soone scread—Gwendolyn, I think.
A maid shouted sothing.
The others shouted too.
Reginald caught a flying fork to the shoulder.
Edouard took a ceramic plate to the chest.
Glass nicked Reginald’s hand—a thin red line down the knuckle.
He bolted over to Edouard and caught his chair before it tipped.
Chairs scraped, servants rushed forward.
Soone started shouting for heart pills.
The whole place fell apart in under ten seconds.
Even Declan got hit in the face with a spoon.
Only I ca out untouched.
Ashton had dragged clear before he lost it.
He turned to . ‘Why the hell are you here?’
My mouth opened, but nothing ca out.
His face was inches from mine, eyes locked, fists still clenched.
Gwendolyn stepped in before I could find words. ‘I invited her. I thought we could have dinner like normal people for once. Is that a fucking cri?’
He turned on her. ‘Do you even rember what today is?’
She blinked, thrown. ‘It’s your birthday. We’re family, Ashton. What’s wrong with sitting down to eat like one? I haven’t seen Mirabelle since Edouard’s birthday party. Can’t I try to reconnect?’
Ashton yanked his tie loose and muttered sothing under his breath. Then louder: ‘Must be nice living this comfortably. You’ve got so much ti on your hands, you’re picking fights just to feel sothing.’
Gwendolyn’s voice jumped in. ‘There’s no need for that tone—’
While they kept snapping at each other, Declan slipped up next to and leaned in.
‘She tricked you into coming, didn’t she?’
I nodded.
He gave a low whistle. ‘You’re screwed. She dragged you straight into a shitstorm. Do you even know what day it is?’
‘His birthday?’
‘It’s also the day his mum died.’
I stared at him. ‘You’re joking.’
‘I’m not. She died on his birthday. That’s why he never celebrates it. I don’t know what the hell they were thinking, throwing a dinner tonight. If he snaps, I’m not getting dragged down with you. I should’ve stayed in Milan.’
He edged sideways like Ashton might lunge at him next.
I stood there, stomach turning.
I hadn’t known.
No one had told .
Gwendolyn just said it was a family dinner.
She’d sounded so normal about it.
I looked over at Ashton.
All I could see was his side profile, hard as granite.
I wanted to slap myself.
Gwendolyn kept talking. ‘I didn’t an any harm. We went out of our way for your birthday. That cake was custom-made. Mirabelle wanted to be here. She wanted to eat with us—’
‘No, I didn’t,’ I cut in. ‘You lied to .’
She spun to face . ‘I didn’t lie. I asked you to dinner. That’s not a lie.’
‘You left out everything that mattered. That counts.’
I glared at Gwendolyn.
Whatever guilt I’d felt towards Ashton burned straight through into rage.
I’d thought their relationship was tense but tolerable.
Now I saw I’d been stupid.
I turned to Ashton. ‘I didn’t know, I swear. I wouldn’t have co if I’d known. I’m not part of whatever ga she’s playing.’
Words felt useless at this mont.
‘I never lied to you!’ Gwendolyn said. ‘I just said it was his birthday and you showed up right away. How’s that my fault? None of us ant any harm—’
Ashton moved suddenly, drove his foot into the leg of a nearby chair, and sent it flying.
It crashed across the room, straight at her.
She scread and threw herself sideways.
The chair hit the wall behind her and landed on its side, one leg splintered.
She pressed against the bar cart, breathing hard, eyes wide.
Reginald stord across the room and helped her upright. ‘What the fuck is wrong with you? It’s your birthday. So what if we forgot it was—You think we’d hurt you on purpose? Grow the fuck up!’
Ashton kicked another chair. Harder this ti.
The back leg caught Reginald’s shin with a loud crack.
‘Shit!’ Reginald dropped to one knee, gripping his leg. ‘You trying to kill us now?’
He staggered upright and limped to the nearest sofa.
Gwendolyn rushed after him, muttering sothing under her breath.
Ashton’s back was tense.
His shoulders barely moved when he breathed.
I stood behind him, close enough to hear how uneven that breath had gotten.
I reached out without thinking and grabbed his hand.
The second my palm touched his, he gripped back, tight enough to make wince.
I felt it. Every ounce of control he was losing, pushed into my hand.
That grip told he didn’t think I was part of their bullshit.
I squeezed back.
My fingers ached, but I didn’t let go.
He kept holding. Long enough that I felt the tension in his arm start to ease.
His chest stopped jerking with every breath.
When he looked up again, his face was cold but no longer homicidal.
Then he let go.
He scanned the room slowly.
‘You’ve all had it too easy for too long. That’s your problem. You thought it’d be funny to drag her into this? You thought you could make her part of your little circus? Just to get a rise out of ?’
He turned to . ‘When did they contact you?’
‘Last night.’
He nodded slowly.
‘That dinner with the Lauders. You arranged it, didn’t you? To get out of the house so you could call her without knowing. Set this whole thing up behind my back.’
Reginald avoided Ashton’s stare, eyes flicking sideways, mouth shut.
Which was as good as admitting it.
Ashton stepped forward.
‘You’ve got so fucking nerve. Living in my house, eating my food, plotting behind my back. Getting too cosy now? Want to throw you all out, see how long you last under a bridge?’
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