Dahlia's POV
Barnes's eyes cut through me like shards of ice, his contempt radiating across the room. Every line of his weathered face screamed disgust at my very presence.
Then his attention shifted to the delicate bracelet circling my wrist, and something flickered in his calculating gaze. His eyes narrowed with sudden interest.
Danna's voice sliced through the tension like a blade. "Why are you all just standing there gawking? Remove this woman from my sight immediately."
The household staff moved forward with practiced efficiency, but Soren stepped between us again, his body forming a protective shield.
"Father, Mother." Soren's voice carried deadly calm. "If you cannot accept my wife, then I will take her and go. Consider this my farewell to the Zaid name. You will not see me again."
His fingers intertwined with mine, warm and reassuring despite the chaos surrounding us. That gentle smile he reserved only for me spread across his lips.
