Chapter Eighteen - Threads of Betrayal

"Your best may not be good enough," Alessandro retorted, his words cutting deep. "I expected better from you, Amelia. I thought I could trust you to handle this." Amelia felt as if she'd been slapped. All the emotions she'd been suppressing – the confusion over the family secrets, the strain of maintaining professionalism, the hurt of Alessandro's hot-and-cold behavior – came bubbling to the surface. "Handle this?" she repeated, her voice rising. "I've been handling everything, Alessandro. The kitchen, the staff morale, the family tensions spilling over into every aspect of this household. I'm doing my job and then some. So don't you dare stand there and question my competence or my commitment." The kitchen staff watched in stunned silence as Amelia and Alessandro faced off. For a moment, it seemed like Alessandro might explode in anger. Then, to everyone's surprise, his expression softened. "You're right," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, Amelia. I know how hard you've been working. T