231: Reckonings and Resolutions

As the evening shadows grew long, Alex made his way back to the family home, a sense of foreboding knotting his stomach. He had been summoned by his grandfather, a man not known for his patience or forgiveness. Alex anticipated a storm of accusations and disappointments, and as he crossed the threshold, his expectations were met with the sharp shatter of porcelain against the wall near his head. His grandfather, with a face red from anger, glared at him from across the room. "You've been married to Emma for so long and didn't even know her true identity. What use do I have for you?" he bellowed, his disappointment cutting through the air like a knife. Alex stood silent, absorbing the impact of words that he, too, had turned over in his mind countless times. The room was thick with tension, the air charged with the fury of a man who felt betrayed by his own blood. Cavendish, Alex's grandfather, could hardly believe the oversight. They had all underestimated Emma, relegating he