After the departure of the Timirus family, the guests of what would have been a wedding started to depart as well. Other than polite nods and wry smiles on their faces, there was little they could say. They did not know what they should say in such a situation.
After all, even the Sinistra family itself was not on the same page. Raphel and Drafel were on opposing ends. And standing there was also Antonio, who alone carried a very heavy influence.
Meanwhile, Raphel Sinistra was wearing a devastated expression on his face. For years, he had been grinding relentlessly to raise the status of his family.
And he had achieved quite a lot, or at least that was what he had thought. This moment had been supposed to be another such step, probably the highest the Sinistra family could have taken in a single leap. Their influence and status were meant to rise dramatically.
From being a neutral family with no permanent faction or powerful allies, they were supposed to become part of an influential and powerful faction, one that was allied with many other powerful forces and even had direct contact with the Dark Lord. But all of that had been ruined in a single moment.
The Timirus family had declared animosity toward him, and Raphel knew they would come down hard on him.
Even within the Sinistra family, no one knew how to react.
Trafel Sinistra, the elder son of Raphel and the heir of the Sinistra family, smartly decided to remain silent. Like his brother, he too lacked courage, and in a situation where opposing Antonio Olario was a possibility, he was wise enough not to provoke him.
"Antonio," Aurora was the first to speak, breaking the silence. "Thank you."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, and an expression of genuine gratitude was present on her face. She was happy and it was a relief when you are able to shed some heavy burden, some heavy baggage from your shoulders.
"It is nothing," Antonio waved it off. "I had assured you that I would help you. Did I not?"
"Yes, you did," she sighed.
Antonio grinned as he finally turned his gaze toward Raphel, wondering if the old man would finally say something.
"Lord Olario," Raphel finally sighed. His face and voice were defeated. "Why did you do this?"
"Why?" Antonio barely stopped himself from snarling. "You should ask yourself that question."
"I came to meet and check upon Aurora. You did not even allow me to see her. I asked you to think through the decision."
"You made the wrong choice. If you had been willing to accommodate my request, we could have talked and sorted the situation out without things getting so ugly for you. I could have secured a way out for your family. Even before that I had been very willing to help your family," he said. "But no. You thought that merely having the promise of support from the Timirus family had made you powerful and invincible. You were not even willing to allow me to enter inside your manor."
"It is my family's internal matter," Raphel raged, his voice suddenly bursting out.
"Internal matter?" Antonio's voice was no less severe. "It is Aurora's matter. You were forcing her into hell, throwing her into the den of a monster like Alex."
"What did you assume? That he would treat her with respect? As the Lady of his house? With dignity?" he continued. "You were badly mistaken."
"Alex is a degenerate through and through. I have known him for years and have discovered quite a few interesting things about him. He has no morals, no humanity left within him. You think Death Eaters torture only outsiders? No. Such Death Eaters are rare."
"Most of them are hideous creatures who do not distinguish between family and outsiders. They have fallen to depths that you cannot even imagine. And Alex is one such hideous creature."
"For him, Aurora was nothing more than a victory he was desperate to secure. A trophy. And he would have treated her in the same manner," Antonio snapped. "And I have no kindness for such men in my heart."
"And what about the family?" Raphel argued. "Am I wrong to think about the betterment of my family? To raise its status? And does Aurora, as a member of the family, not have any responsibility towards the family?"
"What family?" Antonio sneered. "Are the galleons lying in your vault family? Are a couple of magical spellbooks family? Or are the humans bearing the name Sinistra your family?"
"I am confused," Antonio continued. "For you were practically trading the third for a few benefits from the first two. What might they have given you? A few more business opportunities? A few more chances to strengthen your family price? But at what cost? A living flesh and blood human that bears the name Sinistra itself."
"Then why only Aurora?" he questioned. "Do you not have any responsibility yourself? Sell yourself and the rest of the members too. Tell me the rate. I have a few contacts and can have more influential families than the Timirus family participate in the auction."
"Lord Olario," Drafel interjected before matters could turn worse. "I think we should stop things here. We should not make this any uglier."
Antonio simply shrugged and waited for Raphel to say something.
"Very well," the old man sighed. "Neither do I have the power to oppose you, nor do I have the words to argue with you. But you have pushed my family into a deep pit."
"You might have saved Aurora," he continued, "but you lit a fire in the roof that has sheltered her for years."
Antonio took a couple of steps forward and arrived close to Raphel, raising the tension in the lawn significantly.
"Lord Sinistra," he said, his voice low, calm, and unwavering. "I have protected Aurora and will continue to do so. And I will protect the roof that has sheltered her for years as well. I will not abandon her."
Raphel was too surprised to react. Had he heard correctly? Was Antonio Olario implying that he would help his family, that he would protect them from the Timirus family?
Antonio did not say anything further and turned back towards Aurora.
"Aurora," he smiled. "You need some rest. Do not stress yourself. I will come to see you soon, and then we will talk."
Aurora nodded with a small smile, and with those final words, Antonio vanished from the lawn.
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