Chapter 10- The family’s breakfast.

Emily woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She groggily reached over to the nightstand and picked it up, answering the call without checking who it was. It was way too early for calls. "Hello?" she mumbled, her voice husky with sleep. "Emily, dear, it's your stepmother," a cheerful voice replied. Emily's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Alex stirred beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Stepmother, what do I owe this pleasure?" Emily asked, trying to sound more alert than she felt. Her stepmother laughed. "I was thinking, why don't you and Alex join us for breakfast this morning? It's been too long since we've all had a chance to catch up." Emily's instincts began to tingle. It was weird for her stepmother to suddenly invite them to breakfast. They usually only saw each other at family gatherings or special occasions. "That sounds...nice," Emily said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "What time were you thinking?" "How