Tiana's sudden move left everyone stunned. Even Andrew's brows furrowed tightly as disbelief flickered across his face.

Jameson shot to his feet, his voice shaking. "Tiana, you—"

Tears streamed down Tiana's face as she shouted, "Don't even try, Jameson. You're nothing but a coward—weak and useless. What? You want to know why I did this? Fine, I'll tell you—I don't want to die! I'm not letting you drag me down, and I won't let Lauren die alongside you!"

From the crowd, one of the Rhodes family elders, Bruno Rhodes, roared with fury. "Shameless! Tiana, as the lady of the Rhodes family, how could you throw away all dignity like this? Stand up right now! I said, get up!"

He shouted, "Kneeling to a violent brute like that? You've disgraced our family!"

With rage boiling over, Bruno stormed toward her and reached out to yank her to her feet.

Aidan's expression darkened as he growled, "How dare you? Calling me a brute—what, you think I'm beneath you? Well, let me send you off, fre