Chapter 27: THIS IS NOT A REAL - , DONT UNLOCK

Chapter 27: THIS IS NOT A REAL Chapter, DONT UNLOCK [From Author: This Chapter is dedicated to Darlene_Noble_9982, Dawn_Holmes_7985, and Kourtney_Sspears. Thank you for your golden ticket. And for the power stones, I’d like to thank everyone else. Your support is very much appreciated. (^_^)] "Adonis isn’t as bad as Grandma makes him sound," the man sitting beside Heather said with a soft, nervous laugh. There was something in his voice — maybe hurt — like he was used to hearing those words, but they still stung. Heather gave him a polite smile and turned away slightly. She didn’t understand what was going on. Everything felt confusing. Maybe Grandma Ellie had some form of memory loss or confusion. How else could she explain her calling this man — who looked so much like Caius — Caius while calling the real Caius Adonis? Was Caius’s name actually Adonis now? She rubbed her knuckles together, clearly uncomfortable. She wanted someone — anyone — to explain what was happening. "Nonsense," Grandma Ellie suddenly spoke up with firm conviction. "His gold-digging mother tried to take everything Gerald worked for. She brought that boy around, hoping that bringing in a bastard son would mean he could claim the inheritance. But it doesn’t work that way. She failed." The strength in her voice caused her to choke mid-sentence. Heather stood up quickly and patted her back. She grabbed the glass of water from the nearby table and handed it to her. Grandma Ellie took the glass, drank deeply, and handed it back. Then she cleared her throat again, this time more carefully. Heather watched her for a moment, making sure she was okay before returning to her seat. Suddenly, Grandma Ellie lit up. "I just remembered something!" "What is it this time, Grandma?" the man asked with a tight smile. "Last time you said that, you showed us where you’d hidden Adonis’s birth certificate." Grandma Ellie let out a loud laugh. "No, it’s not that." She turned to Heather, her expression softening. "Heather, dear, will you be coming to the party?" "What party?" Heather asked, confused. Grandma Ellie looked at the man beside her, surprised. "Caius didn’t tell you about the party?" "It slipped my mind," he said calmly. "Well, it’s a family celebration," Ellie explained, turning back to Heather. "Will you be coming?" Heather gave another polite smile and nodded, even though the thought of returning to Caius’s family house made her stomach turn. The last time she’d been there, she’d actually laughed in his mother’s face when she begged her to sign the inheritance papers, after Caius came back. A knock came at the door. A nurse entered, pushing a wheelchair. "Nurse Alice, what brings you here?" Grandma Ellie asked, eyeing the wheelchair as if she already knew what it meant and didn’t like it one bit. The nurse smiled warmly. "Grandma Ellie, it’s time for your X-ray." "Don’t call me Grandma. I’m not your grandmother," Ellie snapped playfully. She didn’t want to leave Heather and "Caius," but she knew she had to go. The nurse helped her up gently and guided her into the wheelchair. That’s when Heather noticed the nurse’s name tag: Dawn. But Grandma Ellie had called her Alice. Heather was beginning to think her condition was more serious than she had assumed. The nurse turned back to them with a warm smile. "I’ll be taking her for a little over an hour. If your visiting time ends before then, you’re welcome to head out." She gently handed Grandma Ellie her scarf, making sure it was secure before carefully guiding her out of the room. As soon as they left, Heather turned to the man sitting next to her. "What’s wrong with Grandma Ellie?" "She has early-stage dementia," he said quietly. Heather sighed. Things were beginning to make more sense. Ellie calling this man Caius now felt more tragic than strange. But it still didn’t explain everything. "How long has she been like this?" she asked. "It’s been three years," he replied. "She’s been in the hospital that long?" "Pretty much," he said, standing up and stretching a little. "I’m Adonis, by the way." Heather raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Yes," he continued, "the same Adonis Grandma Ellie keeps insulting. She never liked my mother." "Your mother is...?" "The first wife of Gerald Thorne." "You’re Caius’s older brother?" she asked, her voice laced with surprise. "Exactly." If Adonis was the legitimate firstborn, why was Caius inheriting? Heather tilted her head slightly. "If you’re the older one, then why is Caius inheriting everything?" "Because he’s the favorite," Adonis said with a small shrug. "But legally, I’m the rightful heir." "That doesn’t sound fair." "It’s not," he replied. "Ellie has been against my mother and me from the start. She even chased my mom out of the house and brought in Amaranth — Caius’s mother — to replace her." Heather frowned. Could Grandma Ellie really be as cruel as Adonis described? "Do you even know what’s happening at the party she invited you to?" he asked. Heather shook her head. "It’s when you’re supposed to meet with the family council and sign the inheritance ledger. After that, everything officially belongs to Caius." Heather blinked. "I don’t think you should sign anything," he added. She hadn’t really been planning to. But with how things had played out, she felt pressured — as if she owed Caius for "saving" her. Now she was beginning to see the bigger picture. Maybe he hadn’t saved her out of kindness. Maybe it had all been a setup. A way to use her. Still, Heather hesitated. Caius was a lot of things, but would he really go so far as to blackmail her? That didn’t sound like him. Or did it? "Why shouldn’t I sign?" she asked. "Because it’s not fair," Adonis said quietly. "That people who shouldn’t have power always find ways to get it. Just because our mothers are dead." Heather’s eyes narrowed. "How do you know my mother is dead?" Adonis pulled out his phone and held it up. "It’s not hard to find things about Heather Remington. When I learned that, it just made me realize we’ve both suffered the same kind of loss." "Your mom died?" "She passed away after my father abandoned her. Honestly, I don’t even think of him as my father anymore. And Ellie? She’s just as cruel as he was." Heather looked away, confused. Ellie had always treated her kindly — especially in her early years of marriage. When Caius had been at his worst, Grandma Ellie had welcomed Heather into her home, stood up to Caius, even scolded him like a child. Still, Adonis’s words stayed with her. "I know it’s hard to believe," he said gently, "but sometimes people are not who they seem. We all see different sides of a person, depending on how they treat us." Just then, the door opened again. Caius stepped inside. His eyes locked on Adonis first, then shifted to Heather. Adonis turned to her. "It was nice meeting you, Heather," he said, then walked past Caius, the two exchanging a brief, tense glance before Adonis left. "Where’s my grandmother?" Caius asked. "A nurse took her for an X-ray," Heather replied. "Looks like our visiting time is up, then." Heather nodded, grabbing her bag. But as she walked toward the door, Caius stepped in front of her, blocking the way. "Did Grandma Ellie mention the party?" he asked. "Yes," Heather replied with a sigh. "Now, can you move?" "The party is meant to be—" "Right after I sign the inheritance ledger," she finished for him, her tone flat and cold. Something about what Adonis had told her had changed the way she looked at Caius. She had already thought of him as controlling, but this opened up a deeper, darker possibility. And Ellie? Could she really have been manipulating things all along? "How did you know?" Caius asked. Heather said nothing. Not that she owed him an explanation; but mostly because the stress of explaining herself wasn’t something she enjoyed. "Of course," he muttered. "He told you. Be careful around Adonis. He’s not who he pretends to be." Coming from someone like Caius, that warning didn’t mean much. Heather couldn’t help but scoff. "What exactly did he tell you?" Caius demanded. "I don’t think I owe you an explanation," she replied coolly. "Now, move." Caius stared at her for a long moment. "I’ll come pick you up for the party. Just so Grandma thinks we’re still together." Heather laughed in his face. "Caius," she said, stepping closer, "I don’t think I want to sign anything." He removed one earbud. "What did you just say?" "I said," she stepped even closer, raising her voice a bit, "I’m not signing anything." Caius took a step back, inhaling sharply. "Heather, don’t make me repeat myself." "And I’ll tell you as many times as it takes — I’m not signing." He stared at her, face unreadable. "Don’t make me do this." "Do what, exactly?" "You know what I mean." "No, I don’t." "Just sign the papers, Heather." "Make me." Caius let out a laugh and started pacing slowly around the room, before turning back to face her. Heather didn’t wait. She opened the door and shut it firmly behind her, leaving him standing there in silence.