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?

at my Grandma tears starting to burn in

up

tus tiramda clunkled, a knowing look in

though the

to me. I glanced at Grandma, and the

No I did

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

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

I whispered to myself. “These are

“Your mother’

after her death”

what i uld recover

her things were los

frenzy as

jewelry, furnitu

and even

photo with

bammed

she had never existed.

and then | existed. My stepmother tried to

Hit wasn’t

been like she’d

was more than grateful some of

saved, any of

led it out.

frame, tucked in the corner,

swallowed me up as

beautiful, even more so than I remembered. She was smiling in the photo, a baby with squishy cheeks being held up as the two smiled at each other so bright and beautiful

loved you so much.

my fingers trailing past

something in her place” Grandina said, quietly “Now, it’s time to do

my eyes, placing the photo down as I glanced down into the trunk. Sure

took a bit for me to wiggle it out, all the other

Despite

ssive size,

lap. My fingers itched to open it, to see what she’d left behind for me, but I

I didn’t like

she wanted you to have before you get married,” Grandma told me

of bravery, I swallowed my anxieties

in awe.

a white dress. A beautiful one, too.

against my body. It was incredibly soft. Off the shoulder with lace and beads decorating the entire body.

on the lace was intricate, handstitched lovingly.

I

is,” she said with a rough voice.

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