Victoria's words were polished, but the underlying message was unmistakable: she wanted Amy to step aside.

Sebastian observed the exchange quietly before turning to Oliver.

"Oliver, how does Celeste play the violin?" he asked.

Oliver's face brightened. "It's so beautiful, it made me think of a new word I learned!"

Sebastian arched a brow. "Really? What word?"

Oliver clasped his hands together, beaming. "Divine harmony."

"And how does she compare to Ms. Langley?" Sebastian pressed.

"Amy's the best!" Oliver declared without hesitation. "That Ms. Langley isn't even close—she's just mean."

Oliver hadn’t actually heard Victoria play, but his loyalty to Amy was unwavering.

Sebastian chuckled at the obvious bias and let the matter drop.

Nearby, Amy overheard Victoria’s remark and let out a soft laugh. "Sorry, I don’t perform for strangers."

Victoria’s smile stiffened.

Before she could respond, Nathan cut in loudly.

"Amy, you’re really pushing your luck. Victoria and Alex have given you every chance to walk away with dignity, and you just keep digging yourself deeper."

He turned to Victoria. "If she wants to embarrass herself, let her. Some people need to be humbled to understand their place."

Victoria, still smarting from her recent defeats at Amy’s hands, was eager for revenge. She feigned reluctance. "Are you sure that’s wise?"

Nathan scoffed. "What’s the problem? If she’s foolish enough to challenge you, she deserves what’s coming."

Victoria glanced at Alexander, pretending to seek his guidance. "Alex, maybe you should talk some sense into Ms. Sinclair?"

Alexander frowned. Amy had been reckless lately. He wanted her to learn her lesson, but as Liam’s mother, he didn’t want her publicly humiliated in front of their son.

With that in mind, he said, "Amy, don’t make this worse than it has to be."

Amy didn’t even look at him. Instead, she met Victoria’s gaze. "If this is a competition, there should be stakes."

Victoria smiled faintly. "Very well, Ms. Sinclair. What do you propose?"

Amy pointed to the necklace around Victoria’s throat. "If you lose, you return my mother’s necklace."

Victoria’s expression darkened as her fingers instinctively curled around the jewel. She’d only recently discovered that this necklace had belonged to Caroline, Amy’s mother. Despite their tenuous connection, Victoria refused to see them as anything but outsiders.

She had kept the necklace purely to spite Amy.

Nathan smirked. "Pathetic. Trying to take back a gift Alex gave Victoria? How desperate can you be?"

Samantha shot back, "Oh, please, Mr. Bootlicker. Didn’t you hear her say it’s her mother’s necklace?"

She turned a cold glare on Alexander. "Some people are truly vile, gifting away a mother’s heirloom. And some are twisted enough to covet another family’s treasures. I used to wonder why, but now it’s clear—they want to be buried with them."

Nathan lunged forward, but Victoria held him back. Though her own name had been dragged through the mud, her composure barely wavered.

"I accept Ms. Sinclair’s terms," she said smoothly. "But since you’ve named your price, I’d like to request something in return."