Secret Billionaire’s Contract Bride: Marrying My Enemy’s Lover

Chapter 31

POV: Adelaide

“Grandma, what are you looking for?” I asked, bemused.

“It’s a surprise,” my grandma chuckled. “If I can find it, that is.”

Grandma frowned, surveying the storage room she’d led me to. From top to bottom, all kinds of junk lay around. I didn’t know what she expected to find in this mess.

“Oh. it’s your grandpa’s uniform,” she mused fondly as she pulled out an old army uniform from one of the boxes. “He served seven years, you know.” The pride in her voice was evident.

“I know, Grandma,” I chuckled. “You’ve told me a million times.”

“Oh, and look! This was your father’s,” she said as she brought out a bubblegum pink onesie, looking sheepish. “The doctors thought he was a girl before he was born, so we bought everything in pink.”

I snorted, hiding my laugh behind my hand. The onesie had in bright white lettering #1 Princess. I bet my dad just loved this.

“Why do you even keep all this junk, Grandma?” I laughed, sitting down on one of the old tables (supposedly mahogany from their old house).

“It’s not junk!” she huffed, sending me a cross look.

I raised an eyebrow and pointed lazily to the box of broken flower pots she’d kept.

“Okay, not everything is junk,” Grandma chuckled. She sighed, sitting down in a dusty rocking chair. There was a distant, melancholy look as she gazed at everything around us.

“It isn’t just objects or things, Adelaide,” Grandma said softly. “All of it has a story. They carry little memories inside of them. pieces of our lives that we pass down to one another. Things we’ve lost, and things we’ve loved. They remind me of times we may forget.”

“Grandma?” I asked, softly, I didn’t quite understand what she was talking about, but I knew it was something important she was trying to tell me.

“Oh!”

She smiled and exclaimed, “I remember where I put it now.”

She got to her feet, a bit unsteady. The floors creaked as she made her way to a black trunk with a lock on it.

“I stored it for safekeeping.” Grandma winked at me. “So 1 might give it to you someday.”

“Give what to me, Grandma?” I asked, making my way over to where she was.

She sighed, sitting on one of the wicker chairs next to the trunk as she handed me a small silver key.

“You’ll know,” was all she said.

Her smile was soft as I took the key from her. Shrugging, I got on my knees, brushing the dust and cobwebs from the old lock. As I did, my breath caught in my throat.

There, on a silver plate right above the lock was a name. But not just any name.

Maclyn. I traced the engraved letters, my eyes wide with wonder. Could it be?

starting

up

in her eye

the lock was rusted

it came off and I placed it next to me. I glanced at Grandma, and the nodded with a smile, gesturing to open

No I did

lined with an old floral pattern-most of it faded away but what was most intriguing was the variety

of letters and envelopes all wrapped together with a rubber band. Sure enough. I was

I whispered to

“Your mother’

after her death”

finished, sorrowfully. “At least, what

her things were

stepmother went into a frenzy as she threw away

jewelry,

and even

photo with

later bammed

like she had never existed.

my mother already, and then |

Hit wasn’t for me it

been like she’d

than grateful some of

any

led it out.

photo frame, tucked in the corner,

swallowed me up as

remembered. She was smiling in the photo, a baby with squishy cheeks being held up as

much.

trailing past over her face

Grandina said, quietly “Now, it’s time to do so. Do you see

in my eyes, placing the photo down as I glanced down into the trunk. Sure enough, there was

a bit for me to wiggle it out, all the other clutter being pushed away as I

Despite

ssive size,

I placed the box on my lap. My fingers itched to open it, to see what she’d left behind for me, but I was also scared.

didn’t like what I

you to have before you get married,”

bravery, I swallowed my anxieties and opened the

gasped in

dress. A beautiful one,

to my feet, allowing the fabric to flow against my body. It was incredibly soft. Off the shoulder with lace and

pattern on the lace was intricate, handstitched

I

it is,” she said with a rough voice.

looked up. Grandma was smiling, tears in her eyes as she gazed at me