Aria's POV

Justin blinked, thrown off by the finality in his brother's tone. "What, you think you can just..."

 "I think," Aaron said evenly, stepping slowly towards Justin, "you should stop talking before you say something you can't take back."

 For a moment, I thought Justin might explode. His jaw clenched, his fists flexed at his sides, but then he looked at me. Really looked. And in his eyes I saw fear. Not of losing me-but of losing control.

His forced smile returned, sharp as glass. "Fine. Have your little show. But don't come crawling back when you realize my brother isn't the hero you think he is."

He turned on his heel and stormed out, the echo of his footsteps slamming through the silence he left behind.

 The room stilled again. My knees felt weak, the weight of everything pressing down on me all at once. I hugged my arm to my chest, the skin still burning where his fingers had dug in.

 Then Aaron's voice broke the silence. His voice came out lower and softer this time. "Let me see."

 I looked up. He was standing close now, his eyes not on my face but on the arm I cradled. Slowly, carefully, like he was afraid I might shatter, he reached for me.

 I let him.

His thumb brushed over the reddened skin, his touch gentle but firm. His jaw tightened, and for a second I swore I saw anger flicker in his eyes; not the wild, reckless kind Justin had shown, but something controlled and dangerous in its own right.

"You shouldn't have to put up with this," he said, almost under his breath.

Something in my chest cracked at those words, I felt tears press against my eyes. Not from weakness, but from the strange, terrifying relief of not being alone at this moment.

He gestured to Cathy who was not too far from the living room, pretending to dust some artworks.

Immediately she was within his voice's reach, he said, "get me a first aid kit immediately."

 Cathy rushed off at his command, her slippers thudding against the marble floor. My eyes trailed after her before landing on the lawyer, who was still perched uncomfortably on the edge of the couch. His briefcase rested between his knees, but his eyes darted anywhere but me. Shame crawled up my spine. I had forgotten he was there as a witness to my humiliation, my trembling voice, and the sting of Aaron's intervention.

Before I could summon words, Aaron stepped in, his tone clipped yet polite.

 "Apologies for the disruption," he said, already rising. "Let me walk you out."

 The lawyer bowed his head quickly, almost relieved, and followed Aaron. I sat frozen, my hand still hovering over my arm. The redness had spread, ugly and glaring against my skin. I pressed my fingers lightly over it, wincing at the tenderness.

That was when a voice rumbled from above.

"What is going on down here?"

 I jerked my head up. Mr. D'Cruz was descending the stairs, his hand curled around the polished railing. His eyes narrowed, sharp even in the soft glow of the chandelier.

"I could hear voices from my study," he continued, his gaze flicking from me to the empty doorway where Aaron had just disappeared into. "Raised voices."

My mouth went dry. Words tangled at the back of my throat. I wanted to explain...but explain what? That his son had dared to lay a hand on me? That I had almost cried? My lips parted, then closed again.

 Aaron reappeared before I could speak. His steps were steady, but his eyes were quick and assessing. He looked at me, then at his father.

He answered before I could. "It was nothing, Father. I was... raising my voice at the lawyer. A disagreement on some paperwork. That's all."

 The lie slipped out so smoothly, I almost believed it myself. Almost.

Mr. D'Cruz's gaze swept back to me. His brow furrowed when it lingered on my arm, the faint swelling obvious even under the sleeve I tugged nervously. His eyes sharpened, and then cut back to Aaron.

"Is that so?" he asked, voice edged with suspicion.

 "Yes," Aaron replied firmly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "It's handled."

 The silence that followed was suffocating. I could feel Mr. D'Cruz studying me, weighing the tremble in my fingers, the redness on my skin. My stomach coiled tight. Would he press harder?

 But instead, he only nodded once, slowly, though his gaze didn't soften.

 "Hmm." His eyes flicked between us one last time then he walked down the remaining stairs.

"Let's have breakfast." He walked past us to the dining room, "Get Justin down here." His voice was final.

I exhaled shakily, pressing my palm against my arm as though to shield it from sight and questions. Aaron's hand brushed against mine lightly, grounding me, his whisper low enough for only me to hear. "You're safe for now."

 Safe. The word echoed, but all I felt was the weight of secrets tightening around us. The fear that this is just the beginning of every storm waiting to unfold.

Aria's POV

The dining table had a scent of cinnamon and newly prepared coffee, but my stomach was too tangled to bother. I sat at my normal spot, back kept straight, arm placed beneath the table so no one could notice the red blemish still glowing across my skin.  

Aaron was sitting beside me, a silent wall of calm. He hadn't uttered many words since last night-maybe cos words would only make the tempest bloom. But I knew he was there, like he's fixed. Every time I peeked at him, his utterance was unexplainable, sculpted from quiet steel.

 Mr. D'Cruz sat at the head of the table, glasses sitting low on his nose as he studied the morning paper. His presence dominated the room, though he hadn't said any words since giving the order for breakfast. Mrs. Margaret is facing me, chin raised, her every movement accurate and intentional. She hadn't glanced at me once, but the air between us was thick with judgment.

The clang of silverware was the only sound until footsteps echoed down the hall.

Justin showed up, freshly showered, tie well knotted, the very image of a respected husband, except I knew better now.  

His gaze brushed the table before resting on me. That smirk-the one that once pleased me-expanded across his lips. He flattened into the chair opposite mine as though Noting happened last night.

 "Morning, family," he said softly.

Aaron's jaw curved.

Mr. D'Cruz dropped his papers, his eyes sharp. "You caused a scene last night, he said plainly."

Justin's smirk wavered for a second before he coated it back on. "It was a misunderstanding. Aria got emotional-"

 "I wasn't emotional," I cut in, my voice soft, balanced. "I was embarrassed."

The entire table went hush. Mrs. Margaret's fork stopped dead midair. Justin's eyes flickered to me, blackening.

 "Aria," he said with a forced chuckle, "This isn't the right place-"

 "No," I said, my tone stronger this time. "This is the right place. I've signed the papers already. I'm not backing out."  

Mr. D'Cruz's face stayed unreadable, but his eyes moved to Justin. "She says she has signed. Have you?"

Justin slanted back in his chair, folding his arms. "Not yet. This is a family issue. I don't feel there is a need to rush. We can settle it out privately."

 "Privately?" I let out a quick, sharp laugh. "You mean secretly. Silently. So you can keep your perfect public image while wrecking me behind closed doors?"

 "Aria," Mrs. Magaret cut in sharply, her first words of the morning. "You're still a D'Cruz. This isn't the right way to air our grudges."

I looked at her, my rage finally leaking over. "With due respect, Mrs. D'Cruz, your son aired his grudges in the kitchen with his secretary while I was busy upstairs organizing your husband's birthday party. I think the time for consideration has passed."

Her lips weakened.

Aaron moved beside me, and when I peeked at him, I caught the tiniest glimmer of pride in his eyes.

Justin's smirk was completely ruined now, replaced by a scowl. "You think you can humiliate me like this? In front of everyone?"

"You humiliate yourself," I struck back. "I'm done cleaning up after you."

He shoved back from the table suddenly, his chair shrieking across the floor. "Okay," he yelled. "You want a divorce? "You'll get it. But I won't make it easy for you."

He left angrily before anyone could utter a word, leaving the table in stillness.

Mrs. Margaret's spoon rattled onto her plate. "What a disgrace," she murmured before rising and stomping off.

Mr. D'Cruz stayed seated, gazing at me. The mass of his gaze was almost intolerable. Then he turned and said to Aaron.

 "Make sure this doesn't escalate into a scandal." He said calmly, before leaving as well.

The room suddenly became too quiet, too big. I sat there glued to my chair, my pulsing still battling.

 "You did a good job," Aaron uttered finally, his voice calm.

I looked at him, my throat dry. "Did I? Because I perceive that I just proclaimed war."

He gave me a tiny stern smile. "Yes, you did. But it was a war that needed to be proclaimed."

For a split moment, neither of us moved. The burden of what had just occurred rested over us like a dark cloud.

Then Cathy appeared at the doorway, holding out my phone. "Ma'am." she said reluctantly, "you have a message."

I picked the phone from her, my heart dropping when I saw the notification.

From an Unsaved number: You've started a war you can't finish. Watch your back.

My fingers became weak.

Aaron slant in closer, reading over my shoulder. His utterance hardened immediately.

I panicked. "What do we do?"

His eyes closed on mine, fixed and determined. "We strike back," he said plainly.

And for the first time, despite the fright twisting in my chest, I believed him.