Chapter 10: The Confrontation

Aaron held Sarah's phone in his hands, having just ended a call from Jeremy. He knew exactly what they wanted but wasn't about to make it easy for them.

"Aaron, are you sure about this?" Sarah asked nervously. "We didn't go to the hospital like everyone else. Maybe that's why Granny is calling. We should go see how he's doing."

Aaron gently placed his hand on Sarah's shoulder and said, "Sarah, James will be fine. You have to stop worrying about him. If you were hurt, he wouldn't care, so why should you?"

"I guess you're right," Sarah conceded, "but he's still family, you know."

Just then, Amanda barged into Sarah's room, holding her phone. "Sarah, Jeremy just called. He said you're ignoring his calls," Amanda said accusingly.

"Mom, I don't want to talk to him at the moment," Sarah replied.

"Well, you should. Your grandma wants to talk to you. It's about the Crimson Valley project." Amanda's phone began to ring again. It was Jeremy.

Amanda handed the phone to Sarah, who reluctantly answered. "Sarah, why weren't you picking up my calls?" Jeremy demanded.

"What do you want, Uncle?" Sarah asked plainly.

"You little brat, how dare you speak to me like that? Have you no respect for your elders? This is why you and your husband will always be at the bottom of this family."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "If you have nothing important to say, I'll hang up," she stated.

"Wait!" Jeremy said through gritted teeth. "Grandma wants you to go to Apex and be our representative for the Crimson Valley project."

"Didn't Granny give you and James that role?" Sarah asked, confused.

"Well, she changed her mind. Now get your ass to Apex and sign this deal already!"

Despite her skepticism, Sarah was willing to comply. After all, a command from her grandmother was law, and she was happy to be back on the project. She made up her mind to accept, but before she could say anything, Aaron took the phone from her hands.

"Jeremy, tell the old hag that Sarah won't be complying with your demands anymore. If she wants Sarah's help, she can come here herself and ask properly. Otherwise, she can forget it," Aaron said firmly.

"Why, you son of a…" Jeremy began, but before he could finish, Aaron ended the call and promptly blocked his number.

Both Sarah and Amanda stared at Aaron in disbelief, as though he had grown a second head. Amanda recovered first and lunged at Aaron, fists flying.

Caught off guard, Aaron tried to defend himself as Amanda rained punches on him. "What have you done, you piece of shit? Are you trying to ruin our family?" Amanda screamed.

"Mom, stop!" Sarah pleaded as she tried to pull Amanda away.

Amanda eventually stopped struggling and calmed down, though her fury was evident. Pointing a trembling finger at Aaron, she said coldly, "Sarah, if you don't leave this idiot by the end of the week, I will. This piece of garbage is a curse on our family!"

Before Sarah could respond, Amanda stormed out of the room.

Sarah turned to Aaron, her expression incredulous. Aaron, seeing his wife's anger, smiled awkwardly. "Sarah, I know you're mad," he began nervously.

"Oh, Aaron, that's an understatement. I honestly had the urge to let Mom keep hitting you. So, you have one minute to explain yourself, or I'll do as Mom said and divorce you," Sarah warned.

"Listen, Sarah," Aaron began, "I did this for your own good."

"My good?" Sarah exclaimed. "Oh God, Aaron, you sound like Mom right now. How is provoking Grandma a good thing? She already hates us. Why are you giving her more reasons?"

"Because, Sarah, the Prescotts are desperate. Think about it. Why would Grandma give you back the project after she already gave it to James? You know she'd never do that. The only thing that makes sense is that they need you. Apex is only willing to work with you," Aaron explained.

Sarah considered Aaron's words for a moment. It did seem odd that her grandmother would change her mind so suddenly. Lady Prescott was notoriously stubborn and rarely reversed her decisions, especially when they involved Sarah and Aaron. However, Sarah remained skeptical.

"Aaron, this is one big conclusion you're jumping to. What if you're wrong about all this?" Sarah asked.

"Then I'll take full responsibility," Aaron said earnestly. "I'll tell everyone it was my fault and apologize. But you have to trust me."

"Trust you, Aaron? How? How can I trust you when you keep impulsively making decisions on my behalf without consulting me first? You haven't been yourself lately. The Aaron I know is passive and quiet. You never acted up before when my family bullied you. What's changed?" Sarah demanded.

Aaron paused, realizing she was right. Ever since attaining his wealth, he had become more confident and assertive—perhaps even combative. He knew he needed to be careful. Drawing too much attention to himself could jeopardize the secrecy of the Eternal Bank and bring unforeseen trouble.

"Well, I guess I just snapped," Aaron admitted. "I got tired of how the Prescotts were treating you. After everything you've done for them, I couldn't take it anymore."

Sarah was touched by Aaron's words. Despite his rash behavior, she believed his heart was in the right place. Though she preferred her meek and submissive husband, she was proud to see him standing up for her.

Just then, Aaron's phone, which was on the nightstand, began to ring. Instinctively, both Aaron and Sarah turned toward the sound. The caller ID displayed the name "Natalie." Aaron picked up the phone and left the room to answer the call.

Sarah remained in the room, frowning. This was the second time Aaron had received a call from this "Natalie" person. She wondered who this woman was and why she seemed to be calling her husband so often.

Outside, Aaron answered the phone. "Hello, sir," Natalie said gravely. "I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time, but there is an emergency, and I believe your wealth might be at stake."