Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 128

Chapter 128: Little Princess
“My grandfather is sick,” Emmeline said, sniffling.

She cast a subtle look at the crowd. Good. Everyone had their eyes on them, blatantly or not. If it was a show they craved, she was more than happy to give them one. This was just the opening act.

“Are you that heartless, Matteo Montgomery? After you’ve already broken my heart so openly?”

***

Horace Hawthorne was resting on the hospital bed, but his eyes immediately sprung into wakefulness when he heard the sound of the door opening.

“Grandpa, how are you feeling?” Amelia asked quietly, taking care not to startle him with her voice. She slowly made her way to his bedside, her eyes roving over his waxy complexion. Was it her imagination, or did he look a lot thinner than she remembered him to be?

“I’m a lot better now that you are here,” Horace said, reaching a hand out to hold hers. “When I received the message from Matteo that you were trapped outside the snowstorm, I had feared the worst. Thankfully, Matteo managed to bring you back to me. I owe him a great debt.”

He took in a shuddering breath. Her grandpa’s rheumy eyes were filled with tears, and Amelia felt her own eyes water in response to the sincerity of his devastation.

“Don’t say that, you know Matteo didn’t save me to get anything from you. And I’m sorry for worrying you,” Amelia said, squeezing his hand. Guilt welled up within her. “I caused your heart attack, didn’t I?”

It wasn’t as though it was the first time someone she loved would suffer heart pains because of her. The memory of her father collapsing at home replayed in her mind. Her father wasn’t as old as Horace Hawthorne, but the media circus that had enveloped Amelia had caused him to suffer a heart attack anyway.

Then her face paled. Oh god. How was her father in this mess? Did he know about what happened to her?

She needed to pay him a visit afterward to explain herself. With her missing phone, he wouldn’t have been able to contact her anyway. He must have been sick with worry!

“Nonsense. At my age, one is bound to suffer from a few heart issues eventually.” Horace shook his head, a bemused smile on his face as he waved off her guilt and concerns. “I’m healthier than most of my peers since I started early on preventive care. But I guess age comes for all of us… The medication isn’t working too well now that I’m getting on in years.”

He sighed to himself. “But I guess I should be grateful that the heavens have seen fit to return me to the world of the living so that I can see you again. My old heart could not bear it if I had to say goodbye to you so soon after we had just found each other.” He gently patted her hands.

“Grandpa…” Amelia’s voice choked up. “You must live a long life. You can’t die anytime soon. Matteo and I haven’t even held our wedding yet!”

Her grandfather smiled. “Now that you mention it, we haven’t actually set a date for the wedding. I hope it’ll happen soon. I’m not getting any younger, and I hope to see my grandchild grow up.”

Amelia coughed. “I would like to hold it after the fundraising for Hope for Scholars is resolved. I want to have… something to my name before I marry Matteo for good.”

“Good, good.” Horace nodded approvingly. “It’s wise to have ambition. You’ll need it to survive in our world. Emmeline has too much, and it has blinded her. But your incident was a rude wake-up call for her as well. She never expected things to go so far, and is sorely repentant for her actions.”

Repentant? Amelia fought the urge to snort loudly. She recalled the look of shock on Emmeline’s face when she saw her, alive and breathing.

If anything, she knew Emmeline must have been hoping for things to go further. If Amelia were to return as a frozen icicle, Emmeline would probably host a year’s worth of parties to celebrate.

“I know she must have registered your presence as a threat to her relationship with Matteo, but please, for this old man’s sake, try to leave her some grace. She is my beloved granddaughter, just like you are. I do not wish to see our family tear itself to pieces when we can be stronger together,” her grandfather pleaded, the wrinkled pads of his thumbs brushing against her knuckles.

“I believe there is goodness inside her. I hope you can give her a second chance.”

“Well, I would not send her to prison since I have returned alive and well,” Amelia said with a wry smile.

Matteo might, but then he technically wasn’t a Hawthorne.

“That is all that I can hope for at this point. I’ll make sure she behaves herself,” Horace promised, and Amelia shook her head. She highly doubted Emmeline would listen. After all, this attempt happened right under Horace Hawthorne’s nose, with him none the wiser.

“Grandpa, you’re not her babysitter. Emmeline is a grown adult, not a toddler wetting her nappies. You should be focusing on your own health!” Amelia argued.

Horace Hawthorne laughed. “That may be so, but in my heart, she will always be my little princess. And so are you, even though I never saw you grow up.”

Now, there was a hint of regret in his words. Amelia didn’t want the mood to sour, so she quickly replied.

“Which is why you must remain healthy! Take your medicine regularly, so that you’ll live a long life. You may not have my past, but you can still be part of my future, Grandpa.”

Her grandfather wiped away a tear that beaded at the corner of his eyes. “Yes… yes, you’re right, dear one. Very wise indeed.”

A yawn then escaped his lips.

“Are you tired, Grandpa?” Amelia asked. “I should be leaving soon. You’ll need your rest.”

“No, not yet. Can you call Matteo over? I have some things I wish to speak to him about,” Horace said.

Amelia nodded agreeably, but before she could reply, there was the sound of screaming outside the door.