Chapter 15: Family Secrets
796 Words
The next few weeks were some of the happiest Emma could remember.
Despite the distance.
Despite the headlines.
Despite the occasional complications that came with dating Alexander Kingston.
They were happy.
Genuinely happy.
And that was exactly why the phone call caught Alexander completely off guard.
It happened on a Thursday afternoon.
Alexander was halfway through a meeting when his assistant entered the room.
The moment he saw her expression, he knew something was wrong.
"Excuse me."
He stood immediately.
Outside the conference room, his assistant handed him a tablet.
"Legal just received this."
Alexander frowned.
"What is it?"
His assistant hesitated.
Then answered carefully.
"A reporter is investigating your family's history."
His stomach tightened.
That wasn't unusual.
People investigated the Kingston family all the time.
"What did they find?"
The silence lasted too long.
Far too long.
Finally, she spoke.
"Your uncle."
Alexander's heart sank.
Immediately.
Emma knew something was wrong the moment Alexander called that evening.
His voice sounded different.
Tired.
Heavy.
"Hey."
"Hi."
Neither spoke for a moment.
Finally Emma sat down on her porch.
"What's going on?"
Alexander exhaled slowly.
"There are things about my family I haven't told you."
Emma listened carefully.
Not judging.
Not interrupting.
Simply listening.
The way she always did.
Alexander appreciated that more than she realized.
"My uncle Michael."
He paused.
"Used to work for Kingston Enterprises."
Emma nodded.
"Okay."
"He was supposed to help run the company."
Another pause.
Then:
"He stole millions."
Emma blinked.
"What?"
Alexander closed his eyes.
"It happened years ago."
His voice sounded frustrated.
"Before I joined the company."
"But it nearly destroyed everything."
Emma sat quietly.
Taking it in.
"The case became public."
Alexander continued.
"There were investigations."
"Lawsuits."
"News coverage."
His jaw tightened.
"My grandfather died shortly afterward."
Emma's heart ached.
Not because of the scandal.
Because of the pain still lingering in his voice.
"Alexander..."
"The company survived."
He looked out across the city.
"But my family never really recovered."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Emma asked the question that mattered most.
"Why are you telling me now?"
Alexander laughed bitterly.
"Because someone else is about to."
The following morning, the story broke.
Every major business publication carried it.
Old photographs resurfaced.
Past headlines reappeared.
Television programs discussed it.
Social media exploded with speculation.
Even though the events had happened years ago, people treated them like breaking news.
Emma hated it.
Mostly because she knew what it was doing to Alexander.
He had spent years trying to move beyond something he hadn't even caused.
And now the entire world was dragging it back into the spotlight.
That evening, Emma drove to the city.
She didn't tell Alexander.
She simply got in her car and went.
Three hours later, she arrived outside Kingston Enterprises headquarters.
Alexander looked shocked when she appeared.
"Emma?"
She smiled softly.
"Hi."
For the first time all day, he smiled.
A real smile.
"What are you doing here?"
Emma shrugged.
"You sounded like you needed someone."
The simplicity of the answer nearly broke him.
Because everyone else had called to discuss the scandal.
Or the company.
Or public relations.
Emma had come because of him.
Nothing else.
Just him.
An hour later they sat together in his office.
The city lights glowed beyond the windows.
Neither was talking about the scandal anymore.
Instead, Emma listened as Alexander shared stories about his grandfather.
The man who built the company.
The man who taught him integrity.
The man who believed a person's character mattered more than their wealth.
By the time he finished speaking, Emma understood something important.
Alexander wasn't defined by his family's mistakes.
He was defined by the choices he made himself.
And every choice she'd seen him make had been a good one.
"Can I tell you something?"
Alexander looked at her.
"Always."
Emma smiled.
"You know what I see when I look at you?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"A man who works too much."
Alexander laughed.
"Fair."
"A man who worries too much."
"Also fair."
"A man who cares about people."
His smile faded slightly.
Because now she was serious.
"A man who tries to do the right thing."
Emma gently squeezed his hand.
"That's who you are."
The office fell silent.
Alexander stared at her.
And for the first time all week, the weight on his shoulders felt lighter.
Because she believed in him.
Not the company.
Not the Kingston name.
Him.
Unfortunately, while Alexander was finding comfort...
Someone else was making plans.
Across town, a reporter reviewed a file recently delivered anonymously.
A file containing information that had nothing to do with Alexander's uncle.
Information far more personal.
Information involving Emma.
The reporter frowned.
Then began reading.
Because if the contents were true, they had the potential to change everything.
- Writer
