Amelia found him just as she remembered.
Seated in his favorite leather recliner by the grand bay window, Jacob Gray looked like time had barely touched him—aside from the subtle silvering of his hair and the deeper set of wrinkles lining his wise old face. His posture had slightly curved over the years, but there was still a spark of fierce intelligence behind those closed eyes.
She paused at the threshold of the room, her hand on the carved mahogany doorframe. For a long moment, she simply stood there, drinking in the sight of the only person in the Gray household who had ever seen her, not as a mistake, not as a charity case or a burden, but as a granddaughter. A person. Someone worth loving.
"Grandpa," she said softly, her voice threading through the quiet like a lullaby. "I'm here."
Jacob's eyes opened instantly. His entire face lit up as though someone had flipped a switch inside him. In an instant, the old weariness fell away, replaced by a bright and youthful joy that reminded Amelia of the summer afternoons they used to spend together in the greenhouse, before everything had gone sideways.
"My dear child," he exclaimed, shifting upright in his chair with unexpected energy, arms outstretched. "Finally! Come here, let me get a good look at you!"
Amelia stepped into the room, and he grasped her hands with surprising strength. His eyes shimmered with a pride that reached straight into her soul.
"Oh my," Jacob breathed, scanning her from head to toe with grandfatherly awe. "Just perfect. Even more stunning than I imagined. See? I always said it. Told them all, 'my Amelia is a diamond in the rough.' Just needed time to shine. Living with that fast food workers' family might've hidden your nature, but it didn't change who you are underneath. How could you be anything but extraordinary? You're a Gray."
He leaned back slightly, his expression settling into a smug grin. "That Bond boy must have been blind as a bat."
A warmth spread through Amelia's chest, pooling in the spaces she hadn't realized were still empty. This, this was why she'd come back. Not for the family name. Not for the money or status or legacy. She had no interest in reclaiming a spot in a house that had shut its doors on her.
She came back for him.
"I followed your advice, Grandpa," she said, squeezing his hands. "All those years ago, you told me to focus on becoming the kind of person I could be proud of. I took that to heart. I've worked hard to improve myself, to stand on my own two feet. That's why I came back, to show you that I've changed. That I'm someone worthy of being in your life again."
"Of course, of course!" Jacob's voice cracked with emotion. "You've come so far, my brilliant girl. A surgeon! Making waves in the medical field like it's nothing. They write about you in magazines now! Oh, how I brag to my friends about you. None of their grandkids can compete, not even close."
But then his smile faltered. His brow furrowed and a shadow passed through his expression.
"Those foolish parents of yours should see you now," he muttered bitterly. "They threw away their own flesh and blood, all because of a mix-up they were too proud to fix. Treated someone else's daughter like royalty while casting you aside like garbage. It's madness. Absolute madness."
Amelia's eyes flickered at his words, haunted by the same memory. Eight months before she'd left Gatham, the truth of her identity had come to light, an ugly, complicated revelation that should have set things right. Jacob had been the only one to insist that Sophie return to her real parents, the fast-food workers who had unknowingly raised Amelia. But James and Rose had refused to back down. Too proud to admit they had raised the wrong daughter for over two decades. Too invested in their society image to correct the mistake.
Three years ago, against Jacob's objections, they had gone ahead and formally adopted Sophie. Now, she remained the darling of the Gray household, still perched on the pedestal Amelia had never truly been allowed to stand on, even though the blood in her veins had always belonged here.
"Grandpa," Amelia said gently, "what they think doesn't matter to me anymore. Truly. You're the only one whose opinion I care about. I'm not here to flaunt my achievements or rub anything in anyone's face. I came for you. And to finally wrap up all that old engagement nonsense."
She leaned forward, her tone softening. "I'm still looking for a permanent place to stay, but once I get settled, I'd love for you to come live with us. Somewhere peaceful. Where we can really take care of you, keep an eye on your health. What do you think?"
Jacob's face brightened again like dawn breaking through clouds. "Of course, my dear. Of course! That sounds wonderful. This house feels like a tomb anyway. I'd much rather spend my days with you, and my three adorable great-grandchildren."
The mention of the triplets brought a sparkle to his eyes. "Speaking of the kids, they do know who I am, right? Are they safe at the hotel? I worry."
Amelia laughed softly. "Don't worry, Grandpa. Those three are far too smart for their own good. Honestly, anyone who tries to mess with them would end up regretting it. Probably in therapy."
Just then, Jarel entered the room with his usual dignified presence, though the faint smile he wore was reserved only for Amelia. "Miss Amelia," he said politely. "Mr. and Mrs. Gray have returned. They've asked for your presence in the main hall."
Jacob's gaze hardened instantly. "Are you ready to face them?"
Amelia stood up and smoothed the front of her dress with calm elegance. "Always."
Six years had taught her more than resilience. They had given her clarity. These people might share her blood, but they were not her family. Not in the ways that mattered.
As she descended the grand staircase, the conversations below came to an abrupt halt. Every eye turned to her. James looked like he'd seen a ghost. "Is that… you? Amelia?"
Jacob let out a sarcastic snort from behind her. "Can't even recognize your own daughter, James?"
Sophie's eyes locked on Amelia, wide and almost disbelieving. She looked so different, no longer the awkward girl who'd worn secondhand clothes and tried too hard to fit in. Now, she radiated the poise and quiet confidence of someone born into privilege.
And Jacob's gaze, that look of pure pride he wore for Amelia, twisted something in Sophie's chest. In all her years as their daughter, he had never looked at her like that. Not when she'd topped her class, not when she'd helped secure the Gray Group merger. Nothing had ever been enough to earn that kind of warmth.
Even Jonathan stared at Amelia like he was seeing her for the first time. And maybe he was.
"If only she'd looked like this six years ago," he thought, already regretting the decision to leave her behind.
Sophie saw it too, the fascination in Jonathan's eyes. The way his gaze followed Amelia's every move. Her stomach turned uneasily.
"Hello, Grandfather," Sophie said, stepping forward.
But Jacob's face turned cold. "Why are you here? Gray family business doesn't concern outsiders."
"Dad," James said quickly, coming to Sophie's defense. "Sophie was our daughter for twenty-two years. She's still our adopted daughter now. You can't just…"
"Oh, can't I?" Jacob cut in, his voice like ice. "Let me make this clear. Blood is blood. My real granddaughter is standing right here. And you, you threw her away. For what? Pride? Convenience?"
Rose's lip curled. "I don't have a disgraceful daughter like her."
Jacob trembled with rage, but Amelia stepped between them before his blood pressure could spike. "Grandpa, please," she said soothingly. "Don't upset yourself. It's not worth it."
She turned to James and Rose with a clinical calm. "Let's just get to the point. I'm fine ending the engagement with the Bond family. Whatever paperwork is needed, I'll sign it. I've got far more important things to focus on."
The sheer indifference in her tone shocked everyone, except Jacob.
Jonathan's smirk wavered. That wasn't the reaction he expected. No tearful plea. No desperate attempt to win him back.
Just calm dismissal.
She's playing hard to get, he decided, smirk returning. Well played, darling.
But he had no idea just how wrong he was.