Chapter 54: The Man Selling a Fake Book Was Her Grandfather

A tense silence fell over the hall. Tears welled 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!”

She swept upstairs, her skirt lifting behind her. Cheyenne smiled at Zack. “Zack, what did Nora mean? Is she criticizing you for being a farmer?”

Malaya and Emmanuel’s faces flushed crimson. Zack, trembling with anger, rose with his cane. “As a country bumpkin, it’s not appropriate for me to stay. Emmanuel, let’s go!”

Emmanuel hesitated; he wanted to get to know Cheyenne better. But his grandfather’s urgency prevailed.

“Yes.”

Emmanuel helped Zack up. “Miss Lawrence, since you’re going to the Todds’ today, we’ll make plans another day,” he said gently.

Cheyenne, arms crossed, smiled coyly. “I won’t have free time for you!”

Emmanuel’s usually impeccable composure faltered. Cheyenne’s rudeness surprised him, yet her stunning face prevented him from expressing anger.

“Miss Lawrence, you must be joking. We’ll talk later. I’m always available,” he said, helping Zack from the Lawrence Villa.

Malaya glared at Nora, silently urging an apology. Nora, fiercely protective of her pride, refused, even knowing she was wrong.

“I’m not going,” she stubbornly replied.

The pleasant meeting ended on a sour note. Malaya felt caught in the middle. Finally, the group departed. Cheyenne and her grandfather exchanged a glance before saying goodbye. She drove her luxury car, Layne sitting beside her, eyes half-closed, looking slightly annoyed.

“I had no idea you’ve been through so much these past few years. Your stepmother is a hypocrite,” Layne commented.

“I figured that out when I was a teenager,” Cheyenne replied nonchalantly.

“Really? When was that?” Layne recalled her as a fearless fourteen-year-old.

He chuckled. “So you’ve been pretending to be rebellious since you were fourteen?”

Cheyenne first met Layne in eighth grade. He’d just returned from over ten years of research abroad, appearing unkempt. He wore a dirty black coat, greasy gray hair plastered to his face, a long, braided beard, and sandals—in winter. He bought cotton candy at the school gate and offered her a leering smile. He hardly seemed like a good person.

Cheyenne tried to avoid him, but he blocked her path. Smiling, he handed her the cotton candy. “Your name is Cheyenne, right? You are my granddaughter. You are really beautiful! You and your mother are like carved from the same mold.”

The twelve-year-old Cheyenne, dressed in a mature-style dress and three-centimeter heels (Malaya’s deliberate choice), looked wary. “Don’t think knowing my name lets you pretend to know me. Are you a human trafficker?”

Cheyenne instinctively recoiled. Layne, sensing her fear, quickly adjusted his beard, revealing a kind smile.

“Don’t be afraid, little Cheyenne. I’m your grandfather. Your mother is my daughter.”

“You’re such a chatterbox,” she replied. But a hint of longing, mixed with skepticism, flickered in her eyes when he claimed to be her grandfather.

Layne gave her the cotton candy, then produced a hardcover book. “Cheyenne, look! It’s our Edwards family’s medical secrets book!”

Twelve-year-old Cheyenne, still sporting baby fat and enjoying her candy, stared at the book, secretly licking the cotton candy.

“Our Edwards family is an ancient clan of healers! Learn these skills, and you can dominate the world!”

Cheyenne expected toys or snacks, not an old book, less interesting than her fairy tales. Layne sounded like a con artist.

Layne stroked his beard seriously. “You don’t need to pay. It’s our family secret. You’re my only granddaughter. Be my apprentice.”

Cheyenne finished her candy. “So I have to be your apprentice? But you said I’m your granddaughter.”

Layne replied confidently, “Yes! Why not? Can’t I be both?”

Cheyenne, realizing she'd finished her candy, decided not to argue. “Okay, old man, your scamming skills are too low. I’m not falling for it. Thanks for the candy. I’m going home.”

“What?” Layne was shocked.

He chased her from school to the Lawrence Villa. Only after George intervened and explained the truth did Cheyenne understand. Bursting into tears, she cried, “Grandpa!” Layne was moved by her trust. Even then, a flicker of disbelief remained: the man selling a fake book was really her grandfather.