Chapter 9 - The Heirloom Restored
I looked at the wooden box with mild curiosity. ""What is it?""
Alden unlatched the brass clasp and lifted the lid. Inside, resting on a bed of dark velvet, was an antique platinum-and-sapphire pocket watch engraved with intricate filigree work.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was my maternal grandfather’s pocket watch—the same grandfather who had established the original educational trust for me, the one my parents had spent my entire life pretending had never existed or had been lost to bad investments. Althia had always claimed the watch was lost years ago, but the truth was obvious: they had hidden it, intending to sell it to fund Sutton's luxuries.
""How did you find this?"" I whispered, reaching out to gently touch the cool metal surface of the heirloom.
""Althia dropped it out of her handbag while she was screaming at the hotel manager on the night of the rehearsal,"" Alden explained, his eyes fixed steadily on mine. ""I scooped it up before anyone else noticed. I wanted to give it to you then, but everything was too chaotic. I waited until the dust settled, the legal battles were over, and you had completely reclaimed your life.""
I lifted the watch from the velvet. It still ticked with a steady, reassuring rhythm, mechanical and precise—much like the engineering structures I dedicated my life to building.
""Thank you, Alden,"" I said, looking up to meet his gaze. ""This means more to me than you realize. It's the only genuine piece of family history I ever had left.""
""It belongs to you,"" he said softly. ""Just like your future does.""
He stood up, adjusting his blazer, preparing to leave. But he lingered for a moment, his expression earnest and open in a way I had never seen during his engagement to my sister.
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""I'm not here to ask for a second chance or to drag you back into any family drama, Fallon,"" Alden added, offering a faint, self-deprecating smile. ""I just wanted to make sure this got back to its rightful owner. And... I wanted to see for myself that you really did win.""
I stood up from my desk, walking around to shake his hand firmly. ""I won, Alden. And for the first time in my life, I built the victory entirely on my own terms.""
