176: Unraveling Truths

As the party unfolded, the atmosphere bristled with tension and unspoken questions. Emma, adorned in her carefully chosen attire, and Wayne, her steadfast guardian, found themselves encircled by whispers and glares, the center of which was Michelle, whose disdain for Emma was palpable. "Quite the audacity to show up, Emma. After everything, clinging to another man?" Michelle's words dripped with venom, her eyes scrutinizing Emma as if she were nothing more than an object of scorn. Wayne's patience wore thin at Michelle's provocations, his hand tightening into a fist, a silent vow to protect his sister from further harm. "Enough, Michelle. The past is behind us. Emma owes nothing to anyone here." Emma, maintaining her poise, met Michelle's gaze unflinchingly. "Michelle, your concern for my well-being is touching, but misplaced. My presence here is as valid as yours." As the exchange grew heated, Alex's unexpected arrival with Bella in tow shifted the focus, igniting whispers