Chapter 82 Branded,

Chapter 82 Branded,
♤Alexander's P.O.V♤

Things escalated faster than I anticipated and now Katty was visibly shaking, tucked tightly against Lorenzo who was the only one keeping her from losing it completely. Their voices grew louder by the second and the house felt like it was collapsing in on itself.

Dad and Jaxon stood face to face in the middle of it all, both of them red in the face, anger burning hot enough to set the entire villa ablaze.

I couldn’t move, fuck. I couldn’t even fucking think straight with everyone yelling at the top of their lungs.

So, I just stood there watching my family fall apart in real time.

“You’ve always been a disappointment,” Dad‐ who mom had managed to get a few feet across the room‐ snapped at Jaxon.

“All that money, all that power I built for you, and this is what you do with it? You stand there like you’ve accomplished something when you can’t even control your own damn life.”

Jaxon didn’t yell back this time, but I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands curled slightly at his sides.

That one must've hit home.

“I'm a dissapointment to you because I didn't chose to build my life off control and fear,” my brother spoke out,

“Because I didn’t have children and raise them to feel like they owe me their entire fucking existence just because I gave them a last name.”

"A name that isn't even mine!" This time Jaxon's eyes found our mother‐ still holding onto her husband's arm.

Even though I didn't mean to, a humorous fit of chuckle escaped me.

"Jesus Christ, mom. Say something for fuck sake‐ you aren't even trying to defend your son," I spoke for the first time since they'd start arguing.

I rose a brow in disbelief when my mother remained quiet.

"You know Jaxon isn't to be blamed for this, it's not his fault."

Dad laughed and it sounded hollow and humorless.

“Not his fault?” he dragged the words, eyes scanning me from head to toe‐ a look that I was very accustomed with. 

“That’s what we’re doing now? We’re excusing him?”

Jaxon made a sound in thr back of his throat, but he didn’t speak yet. The air was filled with tension, like something was seconds away from shattering.

“You really think this isn’t his fault?” he said, voice turning as he looked straight at Jax.

"Ferdinand-" Lorenzo made a move to step forward but was cut off...

“No, go ahead‐ defend him. Defend the fact that my name is tied to a man who thinks it’s normal to share a woman with his supposed rival.”

Mom gasped, a hand flying to her mouth.

“Don’t‐”

“I’m not done,” his voice boomed off the walls of the foyer and I'm almost sure I heard some staff behind the door listening to the family drama unfold.

I'd kill to be one of them on the otherside of the door right now...

"You humiliated this family. Do you have any idea what that tape did? The mess it caused? The people it reached?” Jaxon’s jaw flexed, his gaze burning‐ I was starting to worry he might errupt and do something stupid.

"I did what I could to salvage your image‐ before the mess you created tore through everything I built... everything I entrusted to you."

Silence pressed in, heavy as fuck and suffocating.

“And after all that, after everything I’ve done for you... this is how you repay me?”

Jaxon let out a slow breath through his nose, like he was holding back something violent.

“You think you earned any of this?” Our father squinted, clearly dissapointed by Jaxon's lack of response. 

So he pushes even more...

“You think any of it was yours by right?” That made Jaxon look up.

“I put my own son aside,” the words came sharper than ever, landing one by one. And I was scared of the direction in which this argument was heading.

“My own blood‐ to give you a future. To give you a name. To give you everything you have.” Mom shook her head, tears spilling faster now.

“Please, don’t say that.”

“But it’s the truth, darling Eleanor.” 

“You’re not even mine, Jaxon. And still‐ I chose you.” The room went dead quiet.

A fucking pin could drop and you'd hear it echo throughout the room. 

Katherine had burried her face in Enzo's chest, you could hear her occasional sniffs from across the room, and I can't imagine what she must be thinking, we were like her second family so I know for a fact she wasn't taking this lightly.

Jaxon stared at our father for a second longer than usual, something unreadable flickering across his face‐ hurt, anger, something deeper.

Then he finally spoke, voice heavy and sounding like he's swallowed a truckload of gravel.

“Is that what this is about? The name?”

I turned to our father, expectantly‐ waiting for him to brush it off, to come to his senses. To tell us we were more than just extensions of his legacy... that we were his sons. His family. Because it couldn’t all come down to power and money.

Could it?

Dad’s expression hardened. 

"It’s about respect.”

“No!” Jaxon barked, stepping closer, they were back to square one again.

“It’s about fucking control.”

“Watch your tone‐”

“I don’t need your fucking name to be who I am. I never did.” Mom reached for him, but he pulled away.

“You think I stood by and took your bullshit because of who you are and what I got out of it?” he went on, eyes blazing. 

“Because of the money? Your reputation?”

Dad didn’t answer and Jaxon shook his head, a bitter smile pulling at his lips. 

“If I wanted to walk away, I would’ve been gone.”

“Then go,” The words were laced with bitterness, even I couldn't believe what our father had just said.

The challenge hung there and Jaxon’s stare didn’t waver.

“Say the word and I’m done. With all of it‐ you, mom‐ I can do so much better than this fucking family." Jaxon was done holding back, and with every word that left his mouth, I felt a slight jab to my chest. 

Mom let out a broken sob, arms wrapped around herself, she looked seconds away from dropping to the floor and curling into a ball.

“Stop it, both of you," 

But neither of them moved and I felt it, this had gone beyond repair.

🥀I'm so sorry for the late update, my internet was down for sometime.❤️‍🔥