Chapter 81

ARIA'S POV

I blinked, surprised. I hadn’t expected Dante to defend me, not after everything that had happened between us. But there he was, standing up to Linda, his voice laced with frustration.

I wanted to say something, to tell him it wasn’t worth it, but I couldn't find the words. My throat suddenly felt tight, like someone had clenched a fist around it.

Linda, though, didn’t back down. If anything, her grip on his sleeve tightened. I watched as Dante tried to discreetly pull away, not wanting to cause a scene, but she wasn’t letting go. Her nails were practically digging into the fabric, her possessiveness obvious.

“How could Aria possibly be qualified to attend this kind of banquet?” Linda sneered, her voice filled with hate. “I just know she must be here as Adam’s mistress. Doesn’t she have any shame?”

The words hit me like a slap, sudden and stinging. My breath caught in my chest, the humiliation overwhelming me. I could feel the eyes of the room now, the whispers that might a