ning to lock the garage, "ther

impatience. They clearly wanted to get their newly found, gri

?" Richard asked

ple with me,

ned. "People?

plain, unassuming clothes got out and began walking toward them. They were large, mov

the men. They were not locals. They had the u

Alex explained. "

his long-lost son wasn' t as destitute as his hands and his home suggested.

thly. "A man needs to be carefu

ore thing. You want to see where I live. But I'

darling. We' re your parents. We want to see everything abou

thought they were prepared for a humble shack. They thought it woul

ew up in," Alex said. "I

turing grandly toward the Bentley. "We'

ad. "I' ll walk.

ell into step a respectful distance behind him. The Bentley idled for a moment, the

out front. The paint was faded, and the roof had a few mismatched shingles, a repair Alex and Grandpa

s family, it

y on the porch, his hand on the doorknob, when he heard Catherine'

her voice filled with undisgu

ind them, another car, a sporty-looking BMW, had pulled up. Two young women and a young man got out. His siblings

her voice dripping with venom. "Is this a

s. I' m not going in there." She looked at Alex with open contem

faint, smug smile playing on his lips. He w

r and shame. He glared at Alex. "

lm. He had warned them. He had wanted them to see this. He wanted

grieving mother had completely crumbled, replaced by the cold, hard face of a socialite facing a public

pack a bag,"

ssibly need," Sarah sneered, stepping forward. "

. They weren' t even trying to hide it. They saw his life, the life his

rified and ashamed. His sisters, openly hostile. And M

Not the tearful act in the garage, but this mome

y lingering curiosity