Chapter 9: Chapter 9 by HusnaS

“I don’t know what came over my grandson. In what way is that girl better than you?” Grandpa Winston lamented, shaking his head, his voice heavy with disappointment.

His voice, previously firm during the exchange with Lucas, now sounded weak and exhausted. Reaching into his pocket, Grandpa Winston retrieved a small satchel he always carried around. With a gentle hand, he opened it to reveal a necklace nestled inside.

“Heidi, I have always wanted to give this to you. I don’t want to delay it any longer. Do you know that a few hours ago, I almost thought I wouldn’t survive?” he confessed softly, taking Heidi’s hand and placing the necklace in her palm.

“Grandpa…” Heidi trailed off, blinking at the necklace.

The diamonds sparkled and glinted against the light, embraced by finely polished gold links. The simple yet elegant patterns captivated her eyes, casting a spell over her.

“You like it, right?” Grandpa Winston smiled, satisfied by her reaction. “It is all yours, Heidi.”

Heidi shook her head, breaking out of the spell. “But Grandpa—”

“No buts,” he interrupted gently, raising a hand. “Heidi, consider it a gift from me. I know my grandson hasn’t treated you well. I hope you can find happiness from now on.”

Grandpa Winston wasn’t a child. His grandson had always acted stiff around Heidi, and he wouldn’t force the girl to stay despite it being his utmost wish.

“Thank you, Grandpa. I will treasure this gift forever,” Heidi promised sincerely.

“Good. I’d like to see you wear it, Heidi. Let’s see if it looks good on you.”

“Of course.”

With the nurse’s assistance, Heidi put on the necklace. Grandpa Winston almost teared up when he saw how perfectly it suited her. For a few seconds, he could almost imagine his wife in her youthful elegance, wearing the same necklace and smiling brightly.

“You know, when I first came to this country, Heidi, I had nothing more than two pairs of shoes and a simple shirt and trousers,” Grandpa Winston reminisced, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

“Really, Grandpa?” Heidi asked, intrigued.

“Mm.” Grandpa Winston put on a far-off look. “Through hard work and dedication, I built GK Group.”

And the first asset he bought with a lot of money was none other than this necklace.

“Unfortunately…” his expression saddened. “My grandson is blinded by love and seems to be going astray. I hope he’ll return to his senses soon. Heidi, I also hope you will find a better home and someone who will treasure your heart.”

Grandpa Winston was afraid that she would be bullied out there. Since she was no longer his grandson’s wife, who was going to protect her?

Outside The Room…

Tracy sat on a waiting chair, tears streaming down her face, as Lucas tenderly wiped them away.

“I’m so sorry, Lucas. If I hadn’t come here, this wouldn’t have happened. Grandpa wouldn’t have threatened you. Please don’t give up the family business because of me. I- I don’t want to be the bone of contention.”

“I told you not to cry,” Lucas said gently. “Don’t blame yourself.”

“But, Lucas.” Tracy sniffled. “Isn’t Grandpa mad at you because of me? I think… I think it will be better if we don’t see each other for now. For your family’s happiness, I’m willing to compromise my own. Please don’t be impulsive. Listen to whatever Grandpa says.”

“Stop speaking like that.” Lucas drew her into his arms, hugging her. “Tracy, nothing is going to come between us.”

Heidi emerged from the room to find the two locked in a tight embrace. While Tracy looked as pitiful as a child whose snacks had been snatched from her, Lucas looked like the caring mother, promising her the whole world. It was truly a sight that even love birds would envy.

Heidi’s mood took a nosedive. She couldn’t pinpoint why she felt so down. After all, hadn’t she yearned for his affection for years? Those memories wouldn’t just go away easily, right?

Tracy sensed Heidi’s presence, and she brought up her hands and wrapped them around Lucas’s neck, leaning more into his embrace.

Just as Heidi was about to leave, Tracy lifted her head, her brows furrowed when she saw the necklace around Heidi’s neck. Heidi didn’t enter the room with the necklace; did Grandpa Winston give it to her?

“Oh, Heidi. You’ve come out!” Tracy hurried up to Heidi, giving her a desperate look. “I hope Grandpa is alright. You didn’t notice anything strange with him, right? You spent a long time in the room, so the nurse must have told you something about his current state.”

Heidi fought the urge to roll her eyes. She wanted to ignore Tracy and walk away, but then Tracy held her hand.

“I guess Grandpa is alright.” Tracy put on a smile. “Uhm, anyways, this necklace looks great on you, Heidi. I was so worried about Grandpa; I didn’t notice it on you earlier.”

Tracy’s mention of the necklace caught Lucas’s attention. His eyes strayed to Heidi’s neck, and they dimmed the moment he saw the necklace.

“Heidi, I now believe you are a trained swindler. So this was your ultimate goal for coming here,” Lucas accused, stepping closer and scrutinizing the necklace. “You did manage to fool Grandpa again, huh?”

“I didn’t take a single penny of your divorced assets, so how could I cheat Grandpa into giving me money?” Heidi retorted. Seriously, she had had enough.

But Lucas gave her a sarcastic smile as if she was the biggest liar in the world.

“Who is speaking about money? You seem to have surpassed that level.” His smile vanished, and he glowered. “What are you doing with the family’s heirloom? You swindled it from Grandpa, didn’t you?”

The family’s heirloom? Tracy gasped, covering her mouth. Even Heidi was shocked.

“Grandpa gave it to me as a gift,” Heidi defended, clutching the necklace protectively. “You can ask him yourself, Mr. Harrison, and stop laying meaningless accusations on me.”

Seeing that arguing with the man was pointless, Heidi turned around and left. Tracy recovered from her shock, and her eyes snapped to Lucas.

The family’s heirloom. Did Grandpa Winston favor Heidi that much? It was supposed to be hers. The heirloom should belong to the future matriarch of the family. Even Stella, Lucas’s stepmother, wasn’t granted the heirloom. How could Grandpa Winston give it to Heidi?

Tracy’s fingers dug into her palms, and she gritted her teeth.

“Lucas…” she tugged at his arm, putting on a crestfallen look. “You have to do something, Lucas. Heidi might be up to something bad.”

“What are you insinuating?”

Tracy sniffled, letting her tears run freely. “Heidi said she doesn’t want the divorce assets. She might use that against you, Lucas. She might leak it to the media, painting you as the heartless villain who left her with nothing. Lucas, GK Group’s reputation is going to be at stake!”