Liam's face contorted with rage as Mrs. Ricardo's aide scurried away to make the call. He lunged forward, snatching the phone from a nearby servant who'd been filming the entire confrontation.
"Give me that!" he snarled, crushing it in his grip.
"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded, my heart pounding as I stepped between him and Mrs. Ricardo.
"Cleaning house," he sneered. "Starting with you."
Mrs. Ricardo's frail voice rose from behind me. "You ungrateful boy! How dare you behave this way in my home!"
I glanced back to see her trembling with anger, her knuckles white around her cane. The sight of her—so fierce yet so vulnerable—strengthened my resolve.
"Your grandmother has spoken," I said firmly. "It's time for you and Imogen to leave."
Liam laughed, the sound cold and cutting. "My grandmother? Don't you mean my great-grandmother? Get your facts straight, Juliana."
