Old Mrs. Sterling's arm linked protectively with mine as she guided me away from the tense standoff in the courtyard. Behind us, I could feel the burning glares from both Cassandra and Fiona boring into my back.
"Don't mind those vultures, dear," she said, patting my hand. "This is your home now."
I glanced back to see Arthur still standing in the courtyard, issuing instructions to the new security team. His face was hard, uncompromising—so different from the gentle way he'd examined my scratched knuckle moments ago.
"But Mrs. Sterling, I—"
"Call me Grandmother," she insisted, her grip on my arm tightening. "No more of this 'Mrs. Sterling' nonsense. You're family."
The elderly woman guided me through the mansion's grand foyer, past wide-eyed staff members who quickly averted their gaze when I looked at them. Word had clearly spread about what happened outside.
