Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Worn Shoes
“Matteo!” Charles hissed, stepping forward only to be held back by Horace’s cane.

“Is there a reason for your change of heart?” Horace calmly asked. He was no longer wearing a warm smile, and instead, his expression was that of a cold-cutting and ruthless businessman on the prowl for the best interest.

“I never had a change of heart,” Matteo replied, finally tearing his gaze away to meet Horace’s straight-on. “I never agreed to marry Emmeline. Time and time again, I’ve expressed that Amelia is the woman who will be my wife.”

He didn’t falter and instead continued, “The engagement was agreed upon between our families. It could’ve been Aiden that Emmeline married, but he wasn’t her choice. In this case, Emmeline isn’t my choice.” He looked at Amelia when he spoke the next sentence. “Amelia has been recognized as a Hawthorne heiress. In that case, even if I married her, there should be no difference.”

With his words, Horace looked thoughtful. He nodded, looking at Amelia.

“And what about you?” Horace asked. “Do you share the same sentiments as the young man?”

At the same time, Emmeline finally couldn’t take it anymore. She charged forward, tears welling in her eyes.

“Matteo, how could you say that?” she wailed, catching the attention of a few other onlookers nearby. They originally hadn’t been completely listening in, but after the commotion Emmeline made, they couldn’t help but eavesdrop.

Emmeline turned to Amelia, and her eyes swept down her entire body. From the exquisite hairstyle and makeup, all the way to the stunningly glittery dress, Amelia looked every inch like an aristocrat who deserved to stand by their side, shoulder to shoulder. However, Emmeline didn’t want her here― not when Amelia’s presence would mean that everything would forevermore be changed for Emmeline.

Her eyes landed on the huge sapphire and diamond necklace that Amelia wore, and her clenched fists quivered in rage. As much as she wished that necklace was a fake, she had spent her entire life bathed in luxury. She knew a fake jewel all too well when she saw one, and the one around Amelia’s neck was unfortunately very real.

Regardless, she reached forward and attempted to snatch it, but before her fingers could curl around the necklace, Amelia stepped away.

“What are you doing?” Amelia snapped, frenzied.

She hurriedly pressed her hand over her necklace, securely pressing it against her chest so that the only way someone could pry it off of her was if they dug through her cold dead hands. This necklace belonged to her mother, and she would be damned if she let anything happen to it― she couldn’t let what happened with her mother’s flute repeat itself again.

“Where did you get that?” Emmeline asked.

“This was my mother’s,” Amelia hissed. “Did your mother never teach you not to touch someone else’s things?”

“I could say the same! You must have stolen this!” Emmeline screeched, pointing to the necklace, red-eyed. “How could you have afforded such a luxurious accessory? That sapphire — if it’s even real — has to at least be ten carats!”

“Amelia didn’t lie,” Horace suddenly said, causing Emmeline to quietly look at her grandfather in horror. When facing his granddaughter, his smile had returned, warm and benevolent. “This necklace was your grandmother’s. We gifted it to Elaine on her eighteenth birthday. It’s only right that her own daughter now wears it.”

“Just because she has Aunt Elaine’s necklace doesn’t mean she’s actually her daughter!” Emmeline said, exasperated. Big fat tears streamed down from her eyes, leaving a shining trail down her porcelain cheeks. “Her real mother could’ve stolen it―”

“That’s enough, Emmeline,” Horace firmly said. His smile was gone, and he thumped his cane against the floor, its sound resonating. Emmeline jolted in surprise― her grandfather had never spoken so harshly to her before. “Amelia is family. She just returned home. As her younger cousin, you should be treating her with respect and graciousness benefiting someone of your station.”

“Grandpa…” Emmeline’s lips wobbled. More and more tears streamed down her face as she looked at Amelia, her eyes burning with hatred. “Have you forgotten what she did to me? I am ruined because of her! Not to mention…”

She turned to Matteo and sobbed even harder.

“Matteo, how could you?” she choked out.

Her voice was muffled, a blush of embarrassment blooming across her cheeks. She didn’t care that there were so many others listening into what should’ve been a private conversation― in fact, Emmeline welcomed it.

“That was my first time. You promised that you would marry me if I… If we…”

Matteo’s face paled. He was sure he would’ve never said such a thing, but there was no evidence he had on hand to prove otherwise. There were photos spread far and wide across the internet to support Emmeline’s claims while Matteo had none.

“I did not spread the photos,” Amelia said, furrowing her eyebrows. “Why would I have a camera in Matteo’s room?”

“I don’t know, you tell me!” Emmeline countered. “For all I know, you could just be a creepy, obsessive stalker who is eyeing the Montgomery fortune.”

“Amelia lives with me,” Matteo cut in, stepping forward to block Amelia from Emmeline’s view when the latter got a little too close. Her long nails were just inches away from jabbing out Amelia’s eyes, and Matteo could stand still no longer.

His hands reached down and held Amelia’s, his tight firm and oddly comforting. At first, Amelia was surprised by his actions, but she didn’t question it now that they needed to get Emmeline off their backs. Even if she was irritated with him at the current moment — not to mention very confused — an enemy of an enemy was still a friend.

“You, on the other hand, broke into my apartment while I wasn’t around,” Matteo reminded. “I have never given you the passcode to my home, and yet you appeared while I wasn’t there. Wouldn’t you be a bigger suspect?”

“Matteo…” Emmeline sobbed. She shook her head and hiccuped, looking desperately at her grandfather and the rest of the men. “But why would I release my own photos to the internet? Who else could’ve possibly done such a thing, if not her? Why would I ruin myself like this?”

She cried out, “No one will marry me! Do you know what they’ve been saying about me on the internet? I am nothing but worn shoes!”