The Blackmail Bride

Chapter 49 Part 2

21 days since my last update. Hallu!

Wrappings

"Claire Smith didn't succeed, but I know someone who succeeded with the same method. Wanna guess who?"

I gave him a humorless smile, "Of course you'd turn this conversation back to me—" I paused, stopped as the thought came. My eyes widened and I grabbed the hand on top of my head, pulling it to my lap and squeezing to get his attention, "Do you think... my grandma knows about what you're telling me? About the engagement with Claire—on the pretext that you're telling the truth." The last part was an insult back. Just because he deserved it.

Jace's smirk fell. He narrowed his eyes, "On the pretext—?"

"So," I prompted him back to my question, "Do you think my grandma knows of the engagement five years ago?"

Jace looked to think about it, then sighed. "Initially, I thought the story never got out. But I'm more inclined to think it's one of those open secrets now. The people who know won't talk about it in the open out of respect for my parents. Recently, I'm finding out many people do know."

I hummed, "Well, that's probably where grandma got the idea then."

"Idea of what?"

Maybe I shouldn't have said that out loud.

"This is just my idea," I paused, hesitating. "Think of it as my theory."

Jace raised an eyebrow, "What?"

I dropped his hand and pointed my index finger to the ceiling, making a circular motion between us.

"I think Grandma got the idea from Claire. On how to get us together."

I dropped my hand awkwardly.

It was quiet in the room with just the two of us. And even to my own ears, I sounded crazy. But as far as I knew, my grandmother held special interest on failed projects when it came to our hotel business. She took an excruciatingly detailed lecture on why the project would have worked.

"A novel idea. But always failing on the execution," my grandmother would sit at the head of the meeting. The unfortunate team in-charge would stand on the other end, nervously fidgeting, wracking their brains for a solution as they were grilled. In all those times, Grandma already had an answer in mind.

"Come on. It's a wonderful plan that's supposed to work. What a pity if we don't get the desired results because of minor details. Or am I handing this project to the wrong people?" Grandma almost had icicles in her sharp blue stare, "Should I replace you instead?"

And instead of Claire Smith who failed on execution, she replaced the girl with me. An involuntary shiver ran through my body, I rubbed at my arms.

I waved a hand at him, "Never mind that. I'm probably overthinking it."

A squeeze on my knee. I raised an eyebrow in question on that hand's owner.

"You're probably not," Jace said reluctantly, "Your grandmother is crazy like that."

Watch him call my grandparent names. I widened my eyes at him dramatically, "Is that so? I always somewhat thought you two were alike."

It's like the insult went over his head and he asked me seriously, "Alike in what way?"

I hesitated at the sudden low tone and cleared my throat. "The aura. You both have the same aura."

"Ah," Jace leaned in a bit, "You always speak about your grandmother with high respects so does that mean—"

"With you? Not that way, no." I cut him off flatly.