Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 87

Alicia could endure most things, but this—this was something Tyrone simply couldn't tolerate.

Maddox's tone sharpened. "It's just a little hardship. You can't even let her handle that?"

Alicia glanced at Tyrone, anxious, shaking her head. "I'm all right, really. The cup was just a little hot, that's all."

Tyrone's eyes dropped to Alicia's reddened fingers; his jaw clenched, the edge in his expression growing darker by the second.

"Exactly, Tyrone," one of the uncles chimed in, egged on by the others. "When a bride serves tea to her elders, she's supposed to wait until it's cooled to just the right temperature. That's always been the Lynch family tradition."

"A wife shouldn't be spoiled too much," another aunt added for good measure. "Otherwise, she'll be impossible to manage later."

Tyrone's gaze swept the room, cold and intimidating. "I didn't marry her so she could suffer. She's here to be cherished, not to be put through pointless tests. The Lynch family's an old name—sure, back in the day, when times were rough, people made up these traditions to prove a woman's loyalty because they had nothing else. But now? We're comfortable, we have everything we need. If word got out that we're still clinging to these outdated rituals, we'd be a laughingstock."

One of the aunts shot back, her voice deliberately sharp. "That's exactly why we need these tests, Tyrone. We're a wealthy family—if we don't have standards, we'll end up with gold-diggers marrying in just for the money, and everyone will know it."

The whole room knew what she was getting at—everyone had seen the headlines, everyone knew Alicia's past.

Tyrone didn't miss a beat. "Even if I weren't a Lynch, I'd never let my wife suffer for my sake. If I remember right, Auntie, you started off as a singer, didn't you? Back in the day, that was hardly a respectable profession." Tyrone's words were razor-sharp, and he had never been one to pull his punches, especially when someone was openly trying to humiliate Alicia.

The aunt's face darkened. "Keep pampering her like this, and one day, she'll be completely out of control."

Tyrone just smiled, his arm tightening protectively around Alicia. "That would actually be a relief. I worry all the time that she's too gentle, too good for this world. If she started standing up for herself a little more, maybe I wouldn't have to worry so much about people taking advantage of her."

Alicia stared up at him, stunned, her heart pounding. Even knowing this was all just part of their arrangement—even knowing Tyrone was only defending her for show—she couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush.