Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 194

Chapter 194: Equally Bad Grandfather
Both men were silent as they stared at her. None of them wanted to be the one who broke the stalemate. Eventually, Michael Kentwood could only give the tiniest of nods.

“Millie, I trust you to make your own decisions. But it is Matteo that I cannot trust.” He held out a shaky hand to forestall the indignant reply that would come from Horace Hawthorne’s lips. “Listen to me, I’m not insulting the depth of Matteo’s character― for better or worse, I do not know him well enough for that. So far he has shown himself in a good light. But we all know how appearances can be deceiving.”

Caleb’s presence filled the room like a foul stench they couldn’t shake. Carlo could only curse internally; he should tell Matteo to hire an exorcist just to get rid of his negative energy. Who cares if that son of a bitch wasn’t dead? If Carlo met him in a dark alley, he would gladly send him on his way.

“Dad…” Amelia said weakly.

“But I can close an eye when it comes to that,” Michael said, stunning Amelia. She hoped the issue would be resolved, but her father continued to speak. “Yet, there’s another issue that does not give me much confidence.”

“What is it?” Horace Hawthorne barked out, tired of his naggy son-in-law. What did his daughter see in this country bumpkin? “What could you possibly find inadequate about Matteo? He’s the most eligible bachelor in Solara!”

“His family,” Amelia’s father said, and the room plunged back into silence.

Horace pursed his lips.

“Don’t think just because I’m not part of your circle that I do not keep an eye out on the news, especially when it concerns my daughter. Matteo’s stepmother has been making attempts to ruin Matteo and my daughter, both separately and apart.”

“How did you know about that?” Amelia asked, genuinely surprised. She hadn’t told her father everything, worried about his failing heart. Michael Kentwood patted her hand apologetically.

“I know you wanted to keep things a secret, but I couldn’t help not knowing. I asked Dimitri and Ronan for more information.”

Oh. Well. Heat crawled up Amelia’s face. Her attempt at keeping things hidden had been thoroughly thwarted unknowingly by these two! Ronan didn’t even give her a heads-up! Some friend he was.

“That first restaurant date you went on with Matteo should never have been swarmed with reporters, to begin with,” her father said with a frown. “Not to mention all the other things she and that Annalise woman have been doing to ruin your reputation online before they discovered your heritage.”

“Dad,” Amelia said helplessly, trying to think of ways to reassure him. “Now that I’m part of the Hawthornes, they won’t dare to do much to me!”

“Do you think so little of my power to protect her?” Horace Hawthorne boomed out angrily.

“Your protection nearly caused her to die from a skiing accident!” Michael Kentwood pointed out angrily. “Your nasty granddaughter nearly murdered Amelia, and what were you doing then? You made them all go on the trip together to begin with, despite knowing that she hated my daughter. If not for Matteo, Amelia would have come home in a coffin! Her surname certainly didn’t help her then!”

Horace’s face purpled as he spluttered, trying to rebut Michael. Shame caused his ears to burn bright red, telegraphing his failure to everyone.

“And even after knowing this, you still let your granddaughter wander around, unpunished for her actions,” Michael Kentwood snarled derisively, his lips curling up. Blood gathered at the side of his lip, causing Amelia to panic, but he wasn’t done.

He was the only person who wanted Emmeline Hawthorne gone as much as Matteo did.

“You may have two granddaughters, but I only have this daughter of mine,” Amelia’s father spat out harshly, glaring right at Horace Hawthorne with intense dislike. Yet, Amelia could only feel her heart warm at her father’s words, and her eyes beaded with tears.

She was his only daughter. That would never change.

“You cannot even prioritize Amelia’s survival when Emmeline has made a murder attempt. What guarantee can you give me that you’ll protect Amelia if push comes to shove? Once you get over the novelty of having Amelia back, you might just decide to side with the granddaughter you’ve raised from birth instead.”

“I…I…” Horace could only open his mouth fruitlessly, as he felt Michael’s accusations hit him like boulders catapulted to a castle wall. “I would do no such thing!”

“You already have! If you cared for Amelia’s well-being, you should have sent Emmeline to another part of this planet― with your wealth, you could have strapped her on a rocket and sent her to the moon! Instead, you’re letting her stay in the same city, roaming around unchecked, where my daughter is.”

And there it was. Michael Kentwood had kept tabs on Emmeline’s whereabouts, but short of punishing her with a marriage that had not yet happened, the Hawthorne patriarch had done nothing else!

Michael Kentwood would bet his kidneys that Emmeline, Annalise, and Matteo’s stepmom were plotting something foul behind their backs.

Why wouldn’t they? They hadn’t even suffered a slap on the wrist.

What good was a marriage as a deterrent for someone who was willing to murder?!

Horace Hawthorne should know better than anyone since he did hire people to make an attempt on his life, he thought bitterly to himself.

What’s more, as if to add insult to injury, the marriage was to Matteo’s half-brother. Out of every other man in the world, he picked one in the same country, the same city, from the same family! Was this old coot senile? How was Emmeline meant to get over Matteo like this?

If he wanted to keep Amelia safe, he should have sent Emmeline far far away abroad so that she couldn’t cause any trouble. Instead, this man was an opportunistic coward who most likely wanted to strengthen ties with the Montgomerys. A foot in both boats, so that his family would benefit no matter who emerged victorious in the bloody fight for inheritance.

His opinion of Horace Hawthorne could not sink lower. Horace Hawthorne wasn’t just a horrid father to Elaine― he was also a horrible grandfather to Amelia as well!