Chapter 8

The dining room was a masterclass in intimidation. A long oak table stretched across the room, draped in heavy white linen and set with blindingly polished silver.

The butler guided Arielle to the seat of absolute power-directly between her father, Curtiss, and her grandmother, Beth.

Vivian was relegated to the middle of the table. As she pulled out her heavy, carved chair, she let the wooden legs drag against the floor, creating a harsh, screeching sound that made everyone wince.

Waiters in crisp tuxedos moved like ghosts, pouring deep red Domaine de la Romanée-Conti into crystal goblets.

Vivian picked up her glass. She swirled the blood-red wine, her eyes fixed on Arielle with a predatory gleam.

"So, Arielle, darling," Vivian cooed, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness that shattered the quiet of the room. "Tell us, what private academy did you attend in Pennsylvania? We must ensure your credits transfer smoothly."

The room went dead silent. The clinking of silverware stopped.

Elayne's face lost all its color. Her hand shook as she reached out, ready to reprimand her sister-in-law for bringing up the trauma.

Under the table, Arielle's hand shot out. She placed her palm over her mother's trembling fingers, giving them a firm, reassuring squeeze. Elayne looked at her, startled into silence.

Arielle picked up her water glass. She looked directly into Vivian's eyes, her gaze steady and completely devoid of shame.

"I didn't go to a private academy," Arielle said, her voice smooth and slightly bored. "I attended the public high school next to the trailer park. It has a C-minus state rating."

Vivian let out a loud, theatrical gasp. She slapped a hand over her chest and looked toward Beth.

"Oh, dear God," Vivian whispered loudly. "A public school? With... those kinds of people? Elayne, Curtiss, you realize this is a disaster. If the Manhattan social circle finds out a Chandler heir was educated in a slum, we'll be the laughingstock of the Upper East Side."

Kevin slammed his linen napkin onto the table. "Shut your mouth, Vivian."

Before the argument could explode, the kitchen doors swung open. The waiters approached, carrying silver platters. They set down the first appetizer: Escargot de Bourgogne, served in their original, scorching hot shells.

Vivian looked down at her plate, then back at Arielle. A cruel, victorious smirk spread across her face. Escargot required highly specific etiquette and specialized tools. A girl from a trailer park would either burn her fingers or send the shell flying across the room.

Arielle didn't even look at Vivian.

She reached to the right of her plate. Her fingers bypassed the standard forks and picked up the strange, scissor-like silver snail tongs.

With her left hand, she clamped the tongs around the blistering hot shell, securing it perfectly without a millimeter of slip. With her right hand, she picked up the tiny, two-pronged escargot fork.

Click.

With a careful but steady motion, she extracted the meat. The metal didn't scrape. The shell didn't slip. She brought the fork to her lips, chewed with her mouth perfectly closed, and swallowed.

Her movements were precise, though she had to consciously guide her muscles. I'd watched countless etiquette videos, memorized every single step. Now, just execute, she thought. To the rest of the table, the execution appeared absolutely flawless. It mimicked the natural grace of someone who had dined with European royalty, rather than someone who ate out of cans.

Vivian's smirk vanished. Her jaw literally dropped.

Across the table, her daughter Dianna stared so hard she dropped her own fork. It hit the porcelain plate with a loud, embarrassing clatter.

Curtiss's eyes lit up with profound pride. He didn't ask how she knew. He was just in awe of her.

Arielle picked up her napkin, dabbing the corners of her mouth with slow, deliberate grace. She set the napkin down and looked at Vivian.

"Tell me, Aunt Vivian," Arielle asked, her tone laced with ice. "Do you think the cafeteria at my C-minus public school taught me that?"

Vivian's face turned the color of a bruised plum. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She grabbed her water glass and took a frantic gulp, her eyes darting away in utter humiliation.

At the head of the table, Beth slammed the base of her cane onto the floor.

"Tomorrow morning," Beth commanded, her voice ringing with finality. "The PR department will release an official statement to the press. Next week, we host a gala. I will introduce my granddaughter to every family of consequence in this city."

Vivian and Dianna looked down at their laps, thoroughly defeated.

At the far end of the table, Ellis sat back in his chair. He picked up his glass of wine. His dark eyes burned into Arielle's face, the amusement in them sharp and dangerous.

Slowly, deliberately, he raised his glass toward her in a silent toast.