32 Tides of Turmoil

32  Tides of Turmoil In a dimly lit room, Alex sat hunched over his desk, his mind racing. He was convinced Bella had something to do with the fiasco. Emma wouldn’t have said those things otherwise. Between his sister Lillian and Bella, he was caught in a whirlwind of chaos. His head throbbed with the stress of it all. Things were spiraling far beyond his control. He pondered deeply, "Was it Lillian, Bella, or even my mother? What role did each play in my marriage with Emma unraveling?" ... Meanwhile, Emma, after dealing with the reporters, walked into the office. She immediately noticed the curious glances from her coworkers. The gossip about the morning's events had obviously reached them. She could feel the weight of their speculation. As she passed by, snippets of conversations halted, eyes quickly averting. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken questions. Her once-hidden identity was now an open book. "There you are!" Jada exclaimed, grabbing Emma's arm and pu