"What the fuck is your problem?" I demanded, slamming the door behind me.
My grandmother's eyes widened at my language. In all my years, I had never spoken to her this way. The momentary shock on her face gave me a flicker of satisfaction.
"Alaric! Mind your tongue," she recovered quickly, drawing herself up. "This is hardly how you address your grandmother."
"And interrogating my wife about her inheritance is hardly how you treat the Duchess of Lockwood," I countered, moving further into the room with deliberate steps. "What game are you playing, Grandmother?"
"Game? I was merely having a conversation with Isabella about family matters."
"Family matters?" I repeated with a bitter laugh. "You mean you were prying into her private affairs after Alistair accidentally mentioned her mines."
She lifted her chin. "Why wasn't I told about these mines? If they're significant enough to hide, they must be valuable. As the matriarch of this family—"
