A few quiet chuckles surfaced around the table.
Alice raised a brow, her tone light—but unmistakably probing.
“Hm. Is that so?” she said. “And why is that? You think I can’t take a fair loss?”
Ashcroft froze.
“No—no, that’s not what I meant,” he said quickly, hands lifting as if to physically stop the misunderstanding. “I—I didn’t mean it like that at all. I just—”
His words tangled, panic setting in.
Jaime, who had been watching the exchange with growing anguish, finally cracked. With a resigned sigh, he leaned forward.
“It’s because he likes Harper,” Jaime said plainly. “That’s why he didn’t want to offend you, Aunt Alice.”
The table went dead silent.
Ashcroft turned beet red, his jaw slack as he stared at Jaime—utter disbelief written all over his face. Being publicly exposed b
