Chapter 54: The Man Selling a Fake Book Was Her Grandfather
For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became extremely awkward. The tension dropped to freezing point while tears welled up in Nora’s eyes.
“If you don’t want me to go, then I won’t! Who cares? You’re so arrogant just because you have a good grandfather!”
After speaking, she lifted her skirt and headed upstairs. Cheyenne heard what she said and smiled at Zack, “Zack, what does Nora mean? Is she criticizing you for being a rural farmer?”
Malaya and Emmanuel’s faces turned purple for a moment, while Zack was shaking with anger.
He stood up with his cane and said, “Alright, as a country bumpkin like me, it’s not appropriate to sit here. Emmanuel, let’s go!”
Emmanuel hesitated for a moment. He wanted to get to know Cheyenne better.
Unfortunately, his grandfather was already urging him on.
“Yes.”
“Miss Lawrence, since you’re going to the Todd’s today, we’ll make plans another day,” he said gently as he helped Zack up from his chair in preparation to leave.
Cheyenne smiled coyly while crossing her arms looking at the two of them. “I won’t have free time for you!”
Emmanuel couldn’t keep the smile on his handsome face any longer; he prided himself on maintaining gentlemanly behavior from the moment he entered until now without any missteps. However, Cheyenne was impolite and unfriendly to him. Yet he couldn’t get angry watching her stunning face.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
“Miss Lawrence, you must be joking. We’ll talk more later. I’m always available to meet with you,” he said as he helped Zack out of the Lawrence Villa.
Malaya glared at Nora, signaling for her to apologize. Nora was very concerned about saving face and even if she knew she was wrong, she couldn’t apologize in front of Cheyenne.
“I’m not going,” Nora stubbornly replied.
What started off as a pleasant meeting ended up ending on a sour note. Malaya felt stuck in the middle and it wasn’t easy for her.
Finally, they were able to get rid of the group of people and Cheyenne and her grandfather exchanged a glance before saying their goodbyes. She got into her luxury car and took on the responsibility of driving while Layne sat in the passenger seat with his eyes half-closed, looking slightly annoyed.
“I had no idea you’ve been through so much these past few years. Your stepmother is such a hypocrite,” Layne commented.
“I figured that out when I was a teenager,” Cheyenne replied nonchalantly.
“Really? When was that?” Layne couldn’t help but think back to when she was just fourteen years old with an attitude that showed no fear or hesitation whatsoever.
Layne chuckled and asked, “So you you’ve pretended as a rebellious girl since you were fourteen?”
It wasn’t until eighth grade that Cheyenne first met Layne.
At that time, he had just returned from abroad. Due to being engaged in research work for more than ten years, he had become unkempt.
Wearing a dirty black coat, with greasy gray hair sticking to his face, his beard has grown long enough to braid.
In the midst of winter, he was wearing a pair of sandals.
He bought cotton candy at the school gate and looked at her with a lewd smile.
No matter how you look at it, he doesn’t seem like a good person.
Cheyenne walked around him, but who knew that the “weird old man” would block her way.
With a smiling face, he handed her the cotton candy and said, “Your name is Cheyenne, right? You are my granddaughter. You are really beautiful!”
“You and your mom are like carved from the same mold.”
The little girl was twelve years old. With curly hair and a small dress that looks mature in style, she was wearing three-centimeter high heels. Malaya dressed her like that deliberately.
It was clearly a very tacky and nouveau-riche style of dressing, but because she had fair and beautiful skin, delicate features, she didn’t look tacky at all.
Staring at the strange old man, the little girl looked wary. “Don’t think that just because you know my name, you can pretend to know me. Are you one of those human traffickers?”
Cheyenne instinctively took a step back.
Layne knew she was scared of him, so he quickly scratched his beard to the sides, revealing a kind smile.
“Don’t be afraid, little Cheyenne. I’m your grandfather. Your mother is my daughter and I am her father.”
“You’re such a chatterbox,” she replied.
However, when he claimed to be her grandfather, the young girl’s eyes showed a hint of longing mixed with some skepticism.
Layne handed her the cotton candy and then rummaged through his bag. After searching for a bit, he pulled out a hardcover book and presented it to her like it was treasure.
“Cheyenne, look at this! It’s our Edwards family’s medical secrets book!”
Cheyenne who was 12 had some baby fat on her face and loved snacks. With cotton candy in hand, how could she resist?
She stared at the book in his hands with wide eyes while secretly licking the cotton candy in her hand.
“Our Edwards family is an ancient clan that has been practicing medicine for generations!”
“I promise you that if you learn these medical skills well enough, you can dominate the world.”
Cheyenne thought he would give her toys or snacks but instead gave her an old book that wasn’t even half as interesting as the fairy tale books she already had. The more Layne talked about it, the more he sounded like a con artist trying to sell something cheap.
Layne stroked his beard seriously. “You don’t need to pay for it. It’s our family’s secret book. You’re my only granddaughter. I’ll pass it down to you as long as you become my apprentice.”
Cheyenne quickly finished the cotton candy and asked, “So I have to become your apprentice? But you just said I’m your granddaughter.”
Layne replied confidently, “Yes! Why not? Can’t I be both your grandfather and master?”
Cheyenne thought for a moment and realized she had finished her candy. She decided it wasn’t worth arguing with him anymore.
“Okay, old man, your scamming skills are too low. I won’t fall for it. Thanks for the candy though. I’m going home for dinner now.”
“What?” Layne was shocked that his own granddaughter saw him as a liar.
Layne could only shake his head helplessly as he chased after Cheyenne all the way from school to the Lawrence Villa.
It wasn’t until George invited him in and explained the truth to Cheyenne that everything became clear.
The young girl burst into tears and cried out “Grandpa!” while Layne was moved by her trust in him.
Actually, the little Cheyenne felt a moment of insecurity. She still found it incredulous that the man selling a fake book was really her grandfather!