James slammed the door behind him as he stormed out of the mansion. His heart was pounding with a potent mix of rage, hurt, and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. This was it - the moment he had been simultaneously dreading and craving. The chance to finally cut ties with this sham of a marriage once and for all.
Without a second thought, he whipped out his phone and stabbed at his father's contact, impatience fraying his nerves with every ring.
"James? What's going on, son?" Senator Reynolds's gruff voice finally crackled over the line.
"It's Emma," James bit out, his jaw clenched so tightly he could grind teeth. "I caught her red-handed trying to meet up with her slimy ex-boyfriend behind my back."
There was a pregnant pause on the other end, the weight of his father's silence pressing down like a physical force.
"Well?" James finally snapped. "Aren't you going to say something? You can't honestly expect me to just sweep this under the rug!"