My second uncle died at only eighteen in a sudden accident. His car brakes failed, and he plunged off a cliff, Alexander recounted calmly. Later, when my third uncle was about twenty-five, he drowned while diving; his oxygen tank malfunctioned. Then, my youngest uncle—" He paused, glancing at Lily. "My real youngest uncle," he corrected, "fell ill and died of congenital disabilities shortly after birth. I heard he died in Grandpa's arms."

Lily's eyes widened. "So your grandfather switched him with Ralph?"

Alexander nodded. "Grandma was devastated by the deaths of my second and third uncles. She disliked my mother but remained largely uninvolved, as my father, though he survived, was in poor health. She wouldn't have coped with losing her youngest son. He was born three years before me, and, as you can imagine, Grandma was no longer young and risked her life to bear him. Grandpa feared she couldn't handle the grief, so he switched my uncle with someone of the same age—Ralph."

"Wouldn't she recognize her own son?" Lily stroked her belly, unable to fully grasp the situation, having never given birth herself. "Wouldn't a mother know her child?"

"Newborn babies are difficult to distinguish. My grandfather made an effort to find a child who resembled my uncle, and Grandma was in poor health after the birth. My uncle was frail and kept in an incubator; she barely noticed him, let alone any difference." He paused. "You can imagine how devoted she's been to Ralph since."

"No need to imagine; it's obvious," Lily replied. Margaret's overwhelming affection for Ralph had even drawn Hugo's disapproval. However, given her grief over her sons, he'd remained silent, unable to reveal the truth.

Lily sighed, feeling sympathy for Margaret. "Losing her sons so young… she might have succumbed to despair if not for Ralph. His arrival gave her hope, the strength to persevere." Now, in her old age, she faced this devastating revelation. Her faint was entirely understandable. "I'm surprised Grandma chose to tell the truth," Lily murmured.

Margaret, unconditionally devoted to Ralph, could have easily lied to secure his inheritance and eliminate Alexander. Instead, she chose honesty, even at great personal cost.

"Grandma did it for the family," Alexander said, equally surprised but ultimately understanding her motivations. Regardless of Margaret's affection for Ralph, their actions had always served the family's best interests. The Russell family's strength, spanning a century, stemmed from their unity.

Lily looked at Alexander thoughtfully. "You… you always knew Ralph wasn't Grandma's real son, didn't you?" His calm demeanor confirmed her suspicions. Margaret's last-minute decision, without prior discussion with Ralph, suggested Alexander had known all along. Even without Margaret's confession, Ralph wouldn't have prevailed against him.