Chapter 122
Alex barely had time to breathe before his mother exploded.
“You’re telling me the girl I saw at your house that day-that sweet-looking girl-is the sister of that bastard?” her voice tracked with disbelief.
Alex didn’t flinch. He had been expecting this. Still, hearing her say it so plainly made the pit in his stomach grow.
“Mom-”
“Alex, are you insane?” she interrupted, turning to face him fully. Her eyes searched his face as if trying to find the answer in his expression. “That family hurt your brother..”
“She had nothing to do with it,” Alex said, keeping his voice calm. “She’s not her brother. Mia is innocent.”
His mother shook her head violently, stepping back like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Does it matter?” she barked. “She’s his sister, for God’s sake! That family is disgusting, Alex. Of all the girls in Willowcrest- hell, beyond Willowcrest-you pick that one?”
She began to pace, her hands in her hair.
“Are you insane?!” she shouted.
Alex opened his mouth to speak, but Julian beat him to it.
“Mom, no need to get worked up,” Julian said tiredly from the bed. “Alex is right. Mia shouldn’t be blamed for something her brother did.”
“No,” their mother snapped, turning to Julian. “No, I will fault her. I will fault her, Julian, because that family-that name— has only brought us pain. How do I know she didn’t bewitch you?”
“She didn’t,” Alex said, jaw clenched.
His mother wasn’t listening. She was pacing now, furious, muttering under her breath, trying to make sense of a world that suddenly didn’t.
Julian just rubbed his face with one hand, looking tired.
Alex stood where he was, watching the woman who raised him break down over the name Turner. And he didn’t blame her.
Because, for years, that name had been the shadow in every room. The ghost that lingered in their house.
Ethan Turner.
His mother would never forget the day she found Julian collapsed in his bathroom, barely breathing. The needle on the floor. The texts on his phone.
From Ethan.
Julian had lived. Barely.
And while he always claimed Ethan didn’t force anything on him, that he was already spiraling, their mother had never been able to forgive.
1/3
Inters
Chapter 122
She had seen Ethan as the dealer. The enabler. The reason her first son nearly died.
She wasn’t completely wrong.
་ཧཧ ཝ ོ
But neither was Julian.
“You’re too smart to be this stupid,” his mother muttered, still pacing. “What do you think is going to happen? That you two will live happily ever after? That her brother won’t drag you both down?”
Alex didn’t move.
“You think our name can afford another scandal? After what Julian went through? After everything your father has hanging
over us?”
“I don’t care about the name,” Alex said simply.
His mother stared at him, stunned.
“I care about her. I care about making things right. And I care about you and Julian being safe. The rest is noise.”
“Noise?” she repeated like the word offended her. “Noise? Alex, your father will destroy you for this. He will destroy her. And even us, just to make a point.”
“Mia didn’t do anything wrong,” Alex said softly. “She’s not her brother. She’s the best thing to happen to me in a long time. I’m not giving her up.”
He stood still for a moment. His mom had finally stopped pacing, her arms folded over her chest as she sat heavily on the edge of the bed. Her face was drawn, her eyes distant with the weight of everything she was trying to process.
“Mom,” Alex said softly, moving to stand closer, “I promise you, if you just gave her a chance-if you got to know Mia-you would love her. I know you would.”
His mother didn’t even look at him. She exhaled slowly, shaking her head.
“I want absolutely nothing to do with that girl,” she said, voice hoarse.
Alex felt something inside him crack. A small, sharp sting in his chest. He understood where she was coming from. He really did. The wounds from Julian’s addiction and everything that followed were still fresh, still bleeding in their own quiet ways. But his mother’s approval-her acceptance of Mia-meant everything to him.
Still, he nodded to himself.
“Okay,” he murmured. “I’ll give it time. I know you’ll come around. You always taught me to see people for who they are, not where they come from. Mia is good, Mom. You’ll see that.”
His mother didn’t respond. She just sat there, rubbing her temples.
A sudden clank came from outside. The sound of the front gate creaking open.
All three of them froze.
Alex turned toward the window, his face tightening.
His father was back.
Julian tensed immediately, his hand clenched around the blanket. Alex caught the way his brother’s leg began to bounce
2/3
slightly-nervous energy he couldn’t hide.
Their mother’s face drained of color.
The air shifted, thickened.
Fear settled into the room.
“Stay here,” Alex said, his tone quiet but firm. He turned to face them, already moving toward the door. “Lock it once I leave.”
“Alex, no. No,” their mother said, standing up suddenly and grabbing his wrist. Her grip was firm, desperate. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to see him right now. Not today at least. He’s going to explode on you”
“He can’t hurt me,” Alex said, his voice steady.
He looked at both of them. His mother, eyes wide with fear she tried to mask. His brother, shoulders hunched like he was bracing for impact.
“You know exactly what he does when he’s angry,” Alex continued. “He won’t come for me. He’ll come for you. Both of you. That’s what he always does.”
His mother slowly released his wrist, but the fear on her face remained.
“Don’t come out or open the door,” Alex said. “No matter what you
hear.”
Julian gave him a shaky nod, while his mother looked like she wanted to scream.
“Alex,” she called one last time.
But he was already out the door.
He moved quickly, taking the stairs two at a time. His hands were clenched into fists, but he forced his breathing to stay calm.
The house was quiet in the worst way—that kind of stillness that made your ears ring.
He reached the base of the stairs just in time to see the front door swing open.
His father stepped inside, removing his jacket slowly.
Their eyes met.
And the room filled with tension so sharp it could cut anything.
