The Double Life of Trillionaire Heir

Chapter 2

Adrian clutched his face, stunned. He knew the old matriarch was knowledgeable about jewelry; how could she not tell that the necklace was fake?

“Grandma, please look again. This kind of texture…” Adrian tried to explain, but the old matriarch cut him off sharply, “Are you saying I’m blind and can’t distinguish real jewelry from fake? Apologize to James!”

Adrian clenched his fists, his veins popping with great pressure. ‘It's not that she can't tell; she just doesn't want to expose her own grandson.’

“Grandma, even if Adrian made a mistake, you shouldn’t hit him!” Sabrina spoke up angrily.

“He falsely accused James. Should I reward him instead?” The old matriarch retorted, pointing at Adrian. “You, worthless piece of trash! Apologize to James!”

“Grandma, it’s wrong to hit people. You should apologize first,” Sabrina stubbornly held her ground.

The old matriarch was so furious that she pounded her cane on the floor with great force. “Are you questioning me?! How dare you! Say that again!”

Adrian sighed and looked to Sabrina, “Let it go. I was wrong. I apologize. ”

He walked over to James and said calmly, “I’m sorry.”

James smirked and whispered in Adrian’s ear, “Did you really think Grandma couldn’t tell? I’m her grandson. Why would she expose me for someone like you?”

James's smug tone was especially grating to Adrian, but with the old matriarch twisting the truth and declaring the necklace real, there was nothing Adrian could do.

***

After the commotion, the banquet began, and everyone took their seats according to their status.

Adrian had to sit with the servants.

As he was eating, a servant rushed into the dining room, looking panicked.

"There is someone here with gifts!" The servant was out of breath.

"Who is it?" The old matriarch asked.

"Someone from the Watson family."

The old matriarch frowned. Watson family? She had never heard of them before.

The only person with the surname Watson present was Adrian but no one connected it with Adrian at all.

"Ten luxury yachts!"

"Ten limited-edition sports cars!"

"One hundred diamonds made of Africa Red!"

"One hundred pieces of Eastern jade!"

As she listened to the list of gifts, the old matriarch was stunned. The Watson family had sent such valuable gifts; could they be aiming for a business marriage alliance with the Taylor family?

"A wedding gift of fifty million dollars in cash!"

As crates of cash were carried in, the Taylor family members started breathing heavily. Fifty million dollars was an astronomical figure for a second-tier family like them.

The old matriarch stood up with the help of her cane, excitedly asking, "May I ask, which of my granddaughters have you taken a liking to?"

Upon hearing this, the unmarried girls in the Taylor family blushed with excitement. For the Watson family to send such incredible gifts, they must be from a super-rich family. Marrying into such a family was their lifelong dream.

Sabrina lowered her head, smiling bitterly. She was the only married woman in the Taylor family. Everyone else had a chance, except her.

"I only deliver the gifts. I know nothing about anything else," said the gift bearer before leaving, not leaving any further information.

The Taylors stared at the dazzling treasures and bundles of cash, drooling with envy.

"It must be me. I'm the most beautiful woman in the Taylor family," said a shapely woman.

"Shut up! You look like trash. Unless the heir of the Watson family was blind!"

Even before anything was decided, the Taylor women started fighting over the fortune. For them, marrying into a wealthy family was above their manners.

James sneered at Sabrina, gloating, "Everyone else has a chance, but you can only watch, haha!"

Adrian watched the gifts filling the living room, sneering inside. ‘Is my family trying to make amends? I don't care.’

"Stop fighting. I'll keep these gifts safe for now. Once the Watson family confirms who their heir is trying to pursue, I'll hand these over to her," the old matriarch declared, silencing the arguing girls.

After the birthday banquet, Sabrina and her parents left without waiting for Adrian. Today's events had embarrassed them deeply.

Back home, Sabrina locked herself in her room.

Her mother, Helen Harris Taylor, yelled at her husband, Adam Taylor, furiously, "If it weren't for you being useless, Dad wouldn't have made Adrian marry into our family! I must have been blind to marry a loser like you! Look at your brothers, living in villas and driving luxury cars, while I'm stuck in this rundown neighborhood with you."

Adam kept his head down, not daring to argue back.

"Make Sabrina divorce that loser right now! I don't care about the Taylor family's reputation; do you hear me?!"

Adam replied timidly, "Dad said they couldn't divorce; plus, the whole Rainford City knows about it. The Taylor family's reputation would be..."

Helen slapped him across the face, "You spineless coward! Are you going to ruin Sabrina's life just to preserve the family's reputation?"

Adam held his face, struggling inside. He loved his daughter, but he had no say in the divorce matter. The old matriarch would rather see Sabrina suffer than let the Taylor family become a subject of gossip.

Adrian walked to the door and heard the sound of crying and yelling inside. He quietly sat on the steps and lit a cigarette. After finishing it, he heard Sabrina's voice when he was about to enter.

Sabrina walked into the living room and looked at her emotionally distraught mother. "I will not divorce Adrian."

"Sabrina, are you crazy? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with this useless man?" Helen was beside herself. Sabrina should have been the one most eager to divorce, but now...

"I'm not crazy. For three whole years, though he hasn't achieved much, he's taken care of all the household chores without a single complaint. If you kept a dog around for three years, even you'd develop feelings for it, so what about a person?"

At the door, Adrian took a deep breath and smiled. Only today did he realize that Sabrina actually had feelings for himself.

"Sabrina, I'm sorry you’ve been made to suffer so much," Adam expressed his sympathy, sighing in shame.

"No, I’m just angry!" Sabrina stubbornly raised her head as tears streamed down her face.

Adrian walked into the living room and gently wiped the tears from Sabrina's face.

"Sabrina, trust me, I won't let you suffer anymore. I'll make sure all those who looked down on us will regret ever being born!"

With that, Adrian turned to leave.

***

Peninsula Hotel, Presidential Suite.

Adrian sat on the sofa, looking at the well-dressed woman in front of him.

"Son, I'm glad you came to see me," the woman, Natalie White Watson, Adrian's mother, warmly addressed him.

Adrian remained unchanged as he spoke calmly, "If the family wasn’t lacking an heir, would you even want to see me?"

"Adrian, I know you still blame me, but it was your grandmother who drove you away, not me. I wanted to protect you, but I was helpless," Natalie explained, tears welling up in her eyes.

Adrian sneered, "If my brother hadn't gone to prison, you wouldn't even look at me! Enough talk! If you want me back in the Watson family, show some real sincerity!"

Natalie took a deep breath to calm herself. She handed Adrian a black card. "A new company will be established in Rainford City, and you'll be in charge. This card has five billion dollars in it. You can use it as you wish until the end of the year. If you can double this amount, the 100-billion-dollar assets of the Watson family will be yours."