Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: The Heiress’s Return
Before…

“Amelia, I am so glad that you can make it,” Horace Hawthorne said, his smile welcoming and his eyes wide.

He was slightly breathless, and Amelia guessed he must have rushed over the moment she called him. He politely embraced Amelia like a father would a daughter, and the paternal love that shone through in his eyes was unmistakable.

“I am so sorry you received such an awful welcome.” His gaze was stern. “Rest assured that this will never happen again.”

His gaze fell on Ronan, who stood just slightly behind Amelia after she stepped forward to greet Horace, and the old man nodded once to the young man.

“Young Master Sullivan,” Horace greeted, amusement dancing in his voice. “It is wonderful to see you as well. Is your brother in attendance today?”

“Dimitri can’t make it, unfortunately,” Ronan replied. He shook hands with Horace Hawthorne before gritting out the words, only to be polite. “Congratulations to your granddaughter, Mr. Hawthorne. I am sure she must be pleased about the engagement.”

“Ah, yes,” Horace said. “The Montgomerys and the Hawthornes have been in a business partnership for many decades. It is wonderful to have the younger generation expand this partnership into familial ties as well.”

“Thank you for inviting us, Mr. Hawthorne,” Amelia said. “It’s a beautiful party.”

When he moved his gaze, Horace’s eyes fell upon the necklace that hung on Amelia’s neck. Instantly, he froze, the smile fading from his face as his eyes fixated on the beautiful jewel.

“Amelia darling, that is a beautiful necklace,” Horace commented, his eyes lingering on it for a second too long. Only after a moment did he break contact with it to meet Amelia’s eyes. “Where did you get that?”

“Oh!” Amelia’s fingers reached for the pendant, the pad of her thumb running across the smooth sapphire. “My father gave it to me,” she said. “He said it belonged to my mother.”

“Ah.” Horace nodded once, and something Amelia couldn’t quite explain flitted over his eyes. They were slightly glossy, and for a second, Amelia wondered if Horace Hawthorne had remembered something about his own daughter after Amelia mentioned her dad.

He must miss her quite terribly, and Amelia internally kicked herself for possibly bringing up painful memories.

A short beep sounded from his pocket, and instantly, the look disappeared from Horace’s eyes the moment he saw the time.

“There is something I must do,” Horace said, his eyes sweeping over Amelia and Ronan. “Perhaps you two would like to wait backstage for me? I will be with you shortly.”

Horace Hawthorne’s words were awfully cryptic, but according to the event schedule, it was most likely that this was the time Horace Hawthorne would be announcing the engagement between Emmeline and Matteo.

The thought of it made Amelia’s heart sour. Whatever fleeting arrangement she had with Matteo, it would’ve been nice if he at least ended their contractual terms directly with her. Heck, he could’ve even sent a lawyer in his place, considering how they had signed their names on legal papers prior!

Yet, she was sent to stand behind the curtains and watch from the sidelines. This wasn’t nearly on par with what Caleb did, but it certainly left a similar sour taste in her mouth.

Horace guided them through a less crowded area before making their way backstage. While he stepped out into the spotlight, a microphone in hand, Amelia and Ronan remained behind where the audience couldn’t see them.

Her hands reached for her dress. She couldn’t see the crowd from here, but there was no doubt that Matteo was there, not too far away, listening in to Horace Hawthorne’s announcement of his engagement to Emmeline Hawthorne and the union of the Montgomery and Hawthorne families.

This was most likely the last night she would even see Matteo. After they were married — or even just officially engaged — Emmeline would surely do everything in her power to ensure that Amelia no longer appeared anywhere near the company.

That meant that Amelia would be jobless again.

Her thoughts had kept her so preoccupied that she hadn’t even realized that Horace’s speech had already rapidly progressed in an unexpected direction.

“―welcome my dearest second granddaughter, Amelia Kentwood, to the Hawthorne family!”

At the mention of her name, Amelia suddenly jolted in surprise. She looked up before glancing left and right. At the same time, someone had raised the curtains, and she was pushed out onto the stage where the Hawthorne patriarch stood, a microphone in front of him.

Ripples of surprise spread through the crowd the moment Amelia’s name was announced, and when she appeared, waves of chatter rolled through those in attendance. Downstage, Amelia quickly spotted Matteo standing in the crowd with Emmeline Hawthorne clinging onto his arm. Near them were Kelsie and Caleb, their faces blanched white in horror.

Caleb, especially, had his lips parted. Even from this distance, his eyes were unmistakably wider, the corners of his lips downturned in shock while his eyebrows soared to meet his hairline.

The paparazzi had been let in specifically for this segment, and the moment Amelia appeared on the stage, the cameras flashed and clicked. The sound of the continuous shutters rang in Amelia’s ears, and instinctively, she took a step back, wanting nothing more than to hide away.

Granddaughter? Of Horace Hawthorne?

However, before she could run off, Horace Hawthorne stepped over and placed a hand on her shoulder. His grip, despite the frailness of his hands, was strong, and effortlessly, he urged her to the front.

“Mr. Hawthorne, there must have been some misunderstanding―”

“There is no misunderstanding,” Horace firmly said.

He looked down at her and smiled warmly before looking back at the crowd.

In a louder voice, he continued, “Amelia is the daughter of Elaine, my long-lost daughter. By the mercy of the fates, Amelia has returned to the Hawthorne family, and will be treasured and loved as an official member of the family.”

With Horace’s words, Amelia’s eyes widened. She turned and cast a look back at Ronan, who merely shrugged knowingly. He folded his arms across his chest and nodded once. It was as though he already knew.

Then… when Matteo had insisted she acted as the Hawthorne heiress…

Her eyes scanned the crowd before eventually landing on Matteo. Their gazes collided, and Amelia’s breath clogged in her throat when she realized he was staring as intently at her as she was at him. Emmeline, who was by his side, had been completely ignored.

Calmly, he shrugged her hand off himself and made his way forward to the stage.