Chapter 24 The Gauntlet Is Thrown

The lavishly dressed woman stared at Aaron and Tia in disbelief. "Aaron, my dear nephew, you're not pulling my leg, are you?" Aaron chuckled. "Surely, you don't think I'd joke about something like this?" The woman's smile froze on her face as she lifted her gaze to Breton on the second floor. Breton was taken aback. He had not expected Aaron to have the audacity to bring Tia to his own birthday celebration, and it irked him. This was a direct challenge to his authority. This was supposed to be a birthday celebration, but in reality, it was a guise for conducting business deals. The room was filled with influential figures from the business world, their interests intertwined in a complex web. The Caius family, being the most affluent, had many people trying to win their favor. With the Taggert family, who was rumored to be forging a marriage alliance with Aaron's family, present, Aaron's act of bringing a woman was a direct affront to them. Aaron's expression was teasing. There