Husband Arrives

"Sir, you might want to step back. Franklin is a relative of our boss—you don't want to provoke him," the restaurant manager whispered nervously to Mark, clearly worried that he was getting in over his head.

Hearing that this trash was related to Alex, Mark's face twisted into a deeper scowl. He pressed down harder on Franklin Turner's stomach with his foot and incredulously asked the manager, "This garbage is related to Alex?"

The manager almost stopped breathing. *Garbage?* The term left him stunned, and he couldn't even muster a response. He also couldn't help but wonder—why did this young man refer to their boss by name, and so casually at that?

Franklin Turner managed to push Mark's foot off him and staggered to his feet, clutching his aching stomach. "What are you waiting for? Call the security and get this brat out of here!" he shouted at the manager, his voice strained with rage.

Caught between the demands of Franklin Turner and the unpredictable Mark, the manager was at a loss, unsure of what to do.

"Who needs security? I'll call the boss himself. You wait right here," Mark snapped back, pulling out his phone to call Alex.

Franklin Turner laughed mockingly. "If you can get the boss here, I'll swallow every chair and table in this restaurant."

Mark shot him a withering look and didn't bother to respond. The phone barely rang before Alex answered. Mark immediately yelled into the phone, "Alex, you bastard, get down to the restaurant on the first floor right now—immediately!"

Without giving Alex a chance to reply, Mark ended the call, his eyes narrowing at Franklin Turner with contempt.

Franklin Turner, suddenly feeling less confident, took an instinctive step back. *Was that call real?* His earlier bravado began to crumble.

Grace rolled her eyes at Franklin's hesitance. "He's just a poor boy—why are you afraid of him?"

Franklin stammered, trying to save face. "Who… who said I was afraid?"

Grace looked at him with disdain but held her tongue, silently cursing him for being a pushover. *If it weren't for his money, I wouldn't bother with him at all.*

Tossing her hair, Grace sneered at Mark. "Since when did you and Kyle become so close that you'd protect him like this? Do you even know who Franklin is? Even that man you dined with last time couldn't help you out of this mess. I can't wait to see how you clean this up."

Her voice was dripping with superiority, and she looked at Mark and Kyle as if they were nothing but ants beneath her feet.

Mark sighed internally. *She doesn't even know who Alex is. How did she even make it into the circles of the rich?*

"I'm sorry, Mark, this is all my fault. I dragged you into this mess," Kyle whispered, his eyes brimming with tears. He was terrified that Grace would see Richa or worse, tell his parents about his relationship with a man. He feared they would send him to a mental hospital.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this. When Alex arrives, they'll both regret messing with us," Mark reassured Kyle, turning to comfort him.

Kyle nodded, sniffling as tears rolled down his cheeks, his eyes red and puffy. If he could choose, he'd never want a sister like Grace or parents who only saw him as a burden.

Downstairs, Alex was rushing toward the restaurant, his heart racing with worry. From afar, he spotted Mark and the furious Franklin Turner. The sight made his blood boil.

Clenching his fists, Alex stormed into the restaurant, shoving Mark behind him and immediately delivering a punch to Franklin Turner's face.

Franklin, caught completely off guard, crashed onto a table, sending dishes flying and ending up in a heap of food and debris. He was utterly stunned, clutching his throbbing face as he tried to stand, his complexion pale from shock.

At that moment, fear overwhelmed him—he could barely stay on his feet, his mind blank.

**Chapter 158: Crying in Richa's Arms**

As Alex's sudden punch landed, screams erupted in the restaurant. Patrons scrambled from their seats, backing away in panic. Those who were merely startled quickly pulled out their phones to snap pictures or record videos, eager to capture the chaos.

"Manager," Alex called out, giving him a stern look.

"Yes, sir," the manager responded, his earlier fear replaced with a sense of duty. He gave a quick nod to the waitstaff, who promptly moved to handle the situation, blocking off the guests trying to take pictures.

The guests, recognizing Alex and knowing better than to challenge him, reluctantly deleted their photos and videos and sat back down quietly.

Mark stood in a daze, staring at Alex's broad back in disbelief. He hadn't expected Alex to resort to violence. *Am I dreaming?* he wondered, pinching his own cheek in disbelief. It wasn't every day he saw Alex getting physical.

"Honey, are you okay?" Alex asked, turning around to check Mark over, his face filled with concern as if Mark had been the one injured, not Franklin Turner.

"Uh… I'm fine," Mark replied awkwardly, scratching his face. He felt a bit embarrassed admitting that it was actually Franklin Turner who had been on the receiving end of the violence—especially since Franklin was related to Alex. But why did Alex side with him without hesitation? Mark was confused and curious.

Relieved by Mark's response, Alex let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're okay," he said, his tension easing. But as he looked around, it became clear that it was Franklin Turner who had been beaten.

*This trash—he must have a death wish,* Alex thought, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Franklin, his aura radiating menace.

Franklin, feeling Alex's piercing gaze, immediately lowered his head, clutching his aching face, his mind racing with disbelief. *What's going on? Why did Alex call this brat his wife?*

Suddenly, Franklin's eyes widened in realization, and his legs turned to jelly. *Could it be? Is this brat really Alex's husband?*

As the pieces fell into place, Franklin's body slumped with fear, instinctively backing away. *Damn it, if my sister finds out about this, she'll kill me.*

Grace, meanwhile, was still in shock, her eyes wide as she stared at Alex. The manager had called him "boss," and yet she couldn't believe it. *No way, Mark couldn't possibly know someone from the DuPont family—one of the most powerful families around. They're on a completely different level.*

Refusing to accept the truth, Grace's voice rose with anger as she grabbed Franklin's arm. "Is this man really the owner of this resort?"

Franklin, already fuming, shoved her aside with a curse. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this mess, you jinx!"

Grace stood there, stunned by his outburst.

Franklin wasn't done. He continued to berate her, his frustration spilling over. "I brought you here out of the goodness of my heart, and you drag me into this! Was this your plan all along?"

"How could it be? Those two are just ordinary people! And that brat, my own brother, is nothing but a disappointment—a failure at everything! There's no way he could know the owner of this resort," Grace frantically defended herself, her voice laced with panic.

"Who are you calling a disappointment? Who are you calling a failure? I'll tear your mouth apart!" Mark was the first to lose his temper, about to lunge at Grace from behind Alex, but Kyle quickly grabbed his arm, tears streaming down his face.

Kyle cried silently, his lips trembling as he shook his head, pleading with Mark not to make a scene. He was terrified of the stares and whispers from the crowd. Kyle had faced cruelty and ridicule his whole life, and he was deeply affected by the way people perceived him. He didn't want Mark to be dragged down with him, especially in such a public setting.

"Didn't you hear what she said about you?" Mark fumed, desperate to defend Kyle, but seeing Kyle's tear-streaked face and trembling hands, he could only sigh and back down, though he continued to glare daggers at Grace. *Damn this woman! Kyle is her brother, and she treats him like this? Has she no heart?* The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, feeling like his chest might explode.

"Kyle," a voice suddenly called out from the restaurant entrance. It was Richa, slightly out of breath, clearly having searched for Kyle in a panic.

Hearing Richa's voice, Kyle's tears fell even harder. He broke into a run, flinging himself into Richa's arms, clinging tightly to his clothes as he sobbed.