I jerked my arm away. “I’m done being pushed around.”
His hand came down before I could react.
The slap rang out loud across the room—sharp, humiliating, burning on impact. My face turned with the force of it, pain blooming instantly across my cheek.
Something inside me snapped.
Without thinking, I swung back and hit him across the face. “How dare you!” I shouted. “I’ve tolerated you long enough! I’m not letting you control me anymore—”
A small voice suddenly cut through the chaos.
“Aunt Aria?”
Mason stood at the doorway, holding his toy car tightly in both hands. His eyes were wide, already glassy with tears. “Why are you fighting? Are you okay? Are you hurting my Aunt Aria? You’re mean!”
Matteo hesitated for a fraction of a second. Annoyance flickered… then something almost like guilt.
“I thought you were good,” Mason said shakily, his voice breaking.
“Mason, go to your room,” Matteo ordered, sharper now.
Behind him, Bianca appeared, slightly out of breath. “Hey—hey, it’s okay,” she said quickly, forcing a nervous smile. “Bad timing. I just came to check on Aria… Mason just wanted to see her.”