Bella's POV
I watched Gideon's expression shift before he shook his head firmly. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know he was thinking he'd never treat Ivy like that.
Ivy was gentle and compliant. He barely had time to spoil her properly. How could he ever bring himself to scold her?
If anyone deserved blame, it was me. Too petty, too headstrong. If I were more like Ivy—knew when to back down, when to keep quiet—maybe the tension between me and the family wouldn't run so deep.
Still, with the Fairfax family depending on me now, Gideon didn't want to escalate things. He let out a sharp breath and left it alone.
I'd stopped hoping for anything from him long ago, so I didn't bother with a response.
What caught me off guard was Jasper's sudden shift in demeanor.
"I was out of line before," he said, his voice gentler now. "Don't hold it against me, Bella."
I blinked in surprise—but then I noticed the subtle smile he flashed toward Elias, and everything clicked.
