Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 217

Chapter 182: Greed at the Table

(Author’s POV)

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The conversation restarted, strained but functional. Wine was poured. Dishes arrived. The two families performed the motions of civility across a table that felt considerably wider than it was.

Sienna had just begun to think the worst was over when Victoria set down her fork.

“There is one thing,” Victoria said, her tone unchanged, still warm, still easy. “I think it’s better to say these things clearly, before there are misunderstandings later.” She looked at Sienna. “When Adam passed, he left Sienna a considerable portion of his assets. His shares, primarily. Now that she’s joining our family again-” A slight pause. “It seems natural that those shares would come with her. As part of the

arrangement.”

(Author’s POV)

Sienna had not expected this.

Not today. Not at a dinner where both families were meant to sit down, shake hands, and perform the

ritual of acceptance. When she’d married Adam, Victoria had been warm to the point of fawning – calling

her *darling*, pressing gifts into her hands, treating her like a prize the family had been lucky to win. Sienna had enjoyed every moment of it. She’d had Adam’s love, Victoria’s approval, and a household where no

one made her feel small. She’d watched Aurora stumble through those same years with none of that, and it had quietly confirmed something she’d always believed about herself.

So when Jasper came back to her after Adam died, she hadn’t been afraid of Victoria. She’d thought she

knew how to handle her.

She was wrong.

“When Sienna married Adam,” Victoria said, her voice carrying easily across the table, “those shares came to her as part of *that* arrangement. Now that the arrangement has changed-” She tilted her head slightly. “It seems only natural to revisit what belongs where.”

Sienna set down her fork. “You didn’t say a word about this when Adam died. Not one word. Now you want

to sit here and-”

“I want nothing back,” Victoria said, perfectly pleasant. “What’s given is given. I’m simply discussing what

comes *next*.”

Sebastian’s hand hit the table. Stefan caught his wrist and held it.

Jasper leaned toward his mother. “That’s enough,” he said, low.

Victoria looked at him. Just looked. He stopped.

Richard had been quiet the entire time, watching. He was a man who understood negotiation – who recognized when the other side had already decided the outcome and was simply waiting for him to arrive

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Chapter 182 Greed at the Table

at it. He pressed his palms flat against the table.

“Sienna holds five percent,” he said. “I’ll transfer an additional five. Ten percent total, as her dowry.”

The words cost him something. It showed in the set of his jaw.

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Victoria’s expression shifted into a smile – gracious, warm, entirely convincing. “I appreciate your directness, Richard. I’ve always believed it’s better to be clear from the start. No misunderstandings later.”

The dinner continued. Wine was refilled. Dishes were cleared. The two families carried the conversation

forward on the strength of sheer social obligation, and when it finally ended, everyone stood and said the

right things and went to their separate cars.

Sienna got into the Rathbone car and said nothing for two full minutes.

Then: “She was never like that. When I was with Adam, she was never like that.”

“She got what she came for,” Sebastian said. “That’s what she was like the whole time. You just didn’t see

it.”

Richard turned to look at her. “You walked into a government office and signed papers without telling anyone. You handed them the advantage before the first conversation even happened.” His voice was controlled, but the edge in it was real. “Next time you make a decision that affects this family, you talk to

me first.”

“It’s not Sienna’s fault,” Sebastian said. “It’s Aurora’s. If she hadn’t taken half of everything in the divorce, the Everetts wouldn’t be sitting across from us with their hands out.”

Sienna latched onto that. “Exactly. If Aurora had just left quietly-”

“She was entitled to what she took.” Stefan’s voice came from the corner, flat and quiet.

Everyone looked at him.

He didn’t elaborate. He turned toward the window and stayed there for the rest of the drive, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable. He knew exactly how this story had started. He knew who had broken whose marriage. And he knew that blaming Aurora for walking away with what was legally hers required a particular kind of selective memory that he wasn’t willing to perform tonight.

But he didn’t say any of that. He just watched the city move past the window and kept his mouth shut.

In the other car, Jasper waited until the restaurant was well behind them before he spoke.

“You didn’t have to do that in front of everyone.”

Victoria examined her bracelet. “I did what needed doing.”

“It was a dinner. A first dinner. You embarrassed her in front of her entire family.”

“I secured ten percent of Rathbone shares for this family.” She glanced at him. “You’re welcome.”

“That’s not-” He stopped. Exhaled. “Aurora left with half of what I had. You know that.”

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<Chapter 182 Greed at the Table

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“I do know that.” Her voice didn’t change. “And I know whose fault that was. So yes. We needed to make that up somewhere.” She looked out the window. “You’ve always been too soft with women, Jasper. It’s going to cost you again one day.”

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