Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Adalyn
I lay on the bed, stretched out with my hands on my belly.
“Did you hear all that? That was your daddy. He’s struggling, little one, and I wish I could help him, but I can’t. You’re my priority now, not him. It’s me and you against the world, kiddo. I have great plans for us, and I can’t wait to share them with you.”
It was the day of the reading of the will, and I hadn’t heard a word from Harrison. Honestly, I didn’t expect I would.
“So, what do you feel the baby is? A boy or a girl?” Athena asked with a smile as we strolled through Barney’s.
“I don’t know. I kind of feel like it’s a boy.”
“Ah, another male Grant in the world.” She sighed, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Have you talked to Harrison?” I asked.
“Not really. He’s been on edge, so it’s best to stay out of his way when he’s like that. You haven’t heard from him?”
“No. Not since the day of the funeral.”
“He’ll come around. He regrets what he said to you.”
“Has he been with anyone?”
“Not that he’s told me. But he really hasn’t been social since you left. He’s broken, Adalyn, like Humpty Dumpty.”
I let out the loudest laugh, and when I realized it, I placed my hand over my mouth.
“Did he sit on a wall?” I asked.
“He did, and he had a great fall.” She laughed.
“Well, I can’t put him back together. He must do that himself.”
She hooked her arm around me and let out a sigh.
I had just finished brushing my hair when there was a knock on my door. Opening it, Harrison stood there.
“Harrison. What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick you up for the reading.”
“I was just going to grab a cab.”
“See, here’s the thing. The cab drivers here are crazy, and they don’t care if they endanger the lives of their passengers. So, as long as you’re here, cabs are off-limits. Understand?”
“Okay. Fine.”
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah. I’m ready.” I grabbed my purse.
We arrived at the townhouse, and the moment I stepped inside, I let a smile grace my face. It felt good to see the place again.
“Make yourself comfortable. You know where everything is.” He smiled.
I went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator while Harrison went upstairs to change.
“Everyone should arrive soon,” he spoke as he walked in.
“Hey, would you mind if I went upstairs and looked at your bedroom furniture?”
“Go right ahead.”
I took the elevator up to the third floor and opened the double doors to the bedroom. Smiling, I stepped inside and noted how awesome the furniture looked. Damn, I was good.
“Better, right?” Harrison spoke as he came up from behind.
“Yes. So much better.” I laughed. “That furniture you picked was awful.”
“Hey, it wasn’t that bad. It just wasn’t a good fit for this room.”
“It wasn’t a good fit for any room.”
“I think people are arriving. We better get downstairs.”
We both took the elevator down, and I stepped into the kitchen to grab my water.
“Hey, you. When did you get here?” Athena asked as she hugged me.
“Harrison picked me up. He didn’t want me taking a cab.”
“Really?” Her brows furrowed. “Is everything okay?”
“Actually, it is.”
The rest of the family arrived, and we were all seated in the dining room with Bernard, the lawyer, sitting at the head of the table.
“Humpty Dumpty.” Athena mouthed across the table from me, causing me to let out a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Harrison glanced over at me.
“Nothing.”
He looked at Athena and narrowed his eye as she began to laugh.
“Okay, now that everyone is here, the reading of the Will of Mary Elizabeth Grant will take place.”
He went through everyone, leaving equally divided bits and pieces of her estate and fortune.
“Now, for Adalyn Banks. She wanted me to give you this first before I moved on,” Bernard spoke as he handed me a blue velvet box.
I nervously opened it, and my heart practically stopped when I saw her ring inside.
“Give me that,” Harrison spoke as he took it from my hand and closed the lid.
“Harrison,” Bradley spoke.
“No, Dad. She cannot have that ring. I won’t allow it. That damn thing is cursed.”
“May I continue?” Bernard asked.
“Yes. Continue,” Harrison replied.
“Mary wanted me to read this letter out loud.”
My Dearest Adalyn,
I leave my most prized possession to you, and don’t worry. I promise it won’t bring you any bad luck. It’s a gift from me, and I give it to you with all my heart. My losing the ring and you finding it after so many years was not a coincidence. It was fate. You were meant to find it as part of your destiny. You were lured to New York by it, not only to return it to me but for another purpose. You belong in New York. Your destiny lies here, don’t forget that. I want you to wear the ring with pride, just like I had. Let it be a reminder that true love exists in the world. I am also leaving you with a lump sum of one million dollars for you to live comfortably and start your own interior design business. As for my great-grandson, I am leaving him with a trust fund of one million dollars, which will be paid upon his twenty-first birthday. May the legacy of the Grant family live on.
I sat there in shock. How did she know about the baby?
“Does this mean you’re having a boy?” Athena asked.
“Did you tell my grandmother you were pregnant?” Harrison cocked his head at me.
“No. I told no one.”
“Bernard, when did my grandmother update her will?” Athena asked.
“The evening before she passed. She told me to come to the hospital after you all left and gave me strict instructions not to say a word about it.”
“She knew she was going to die?” Bradley asked.
“I don’t know. It all seemed so strange to me,” Bernard said.
“Look at you.” Athena smiled. “A million dollars richer. Yay! Now you can move here, start your business, and I can see my nephew as much as I want.”
“Athena, I don’t know if it’s a boy or girl yet.”
“If Grandmother says it’s a boy, then it’s a boy.” She grinned.