Chapter 43
“I know my grandson, Melanie, and I have no doubt that you would find him attractive. But before you get ahead of yourself, take this into consideration…” With a deliberate motion, he slid the folder across the table toward her, a glint flickering in his eyes.
Melanie hesitated as her fingers hovered over the folder for a moment before finally picking it up. The moment she did, she regretted it. Damn it. She hadn’t needed to see him like this. Honestly it was of no concern to her.
Schooling her expression into one of indifference, she methodically flipped through the first few photographs, taking in just enough to understand the intent behind them. Fine. So the man had a few… hundred relationships but whatever. Then, without hesitation, she snapped the folder shut and placed it back on the table with controlled decisiveness.
When she lifted her gaze, the old man was watching her with unmistakable satisfaction. His lips curled ever so slightly, the look of a man who had planned this moment to perfection. He wanted to see her reaction—wanted to unsettle her. And he thought he had succeeded.
Suppressing a grimace, Melanie met his gaze head-on and asked, her voice steady despite the irritation simmering beneath her composure, “What exactly is the meaning of this?”
Robert Collins frowned, tilting his head slightly as though genuinely perplexed by her reaction. Then, with a measured calm, he continued, “I am showing you your future, Melanie.”
She arched a brow, her fingers tapping lightly against the closed folder. “This seems more like Adam’s past than my future.”
The old man let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. “It is Adam’s past, present, and future! Like I said, my grandson is an attractive man—he always has been. He’s had countless women throwing themselves at his feet. It’s second nature to him. So even if your attraction to him is genuine and not just some act of vindictiveness, you cannot expect any kind of fidelity. At least with Spencer—”
Melanie cut him off before he could finish, her scoff sharp and derisive. “Don’t even try to tell me that with Spencer, I could expect fidelity.”
Holding his gaze, she reached for her phone, unlocked it with a flick of her finger, and pulled up a picture. Without a word, she sent a few pictures to the old man’s phone. She watched as he picked it up and looked at the images
“Don’t you think these pictures are just amazing? They show your older grandson’s ‘sacrifices’ while he was away studying? And his fidelity of course.”
Robert’s expression darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line as he looked down at the images on his phone, his hand tightening enough to almost crush the phone.
Melanie didn’t need to see his reaction to know she had made her point her point and stood up, taking the folder with her. “I don’t think we have much to say to each other at this point, grandfather. So, I’ll simple say this, I am going to marry your grandson tomorrow. If you would like to bless up, then you are welcome. If not, then so be it.”
With that she walked out. Once inside the guest bedroom, she looked down at the imaged on her phone, feeling her heart tighten all over again. Maybe they were not as hurtful as the time when she had first seen them, but they were still a proof of her own naivety. She looked down at the folder in her hand then. These pictures… of Adam, on the other hand, were much more shocking than Spencers…
However… he was nothing but a stranger to her. Yes, there was an undeniable magnetism about him—an almost primal allure that made it impossible not to take notice. But that attraction was purely physical. Surface-level. Those pictures, the ones Robert Collins had so smugly presented to rattle her, did nothing to shake her.
From the moment she had agreed to Adam’s proposal, he had made one thing abundantly clear: while they were together, their personal lives would remain separate. It was going to be nothing but a business transaction. As for the physical aspect…that was upto their own discretion.
She thought back to the moment just before he had presented the pre nuptial agreement to her. She’d called him out about his continuous flirtation and crossing the lines. And then he’d said that he enjoyed the flirtation. And then, he’d presented the pre nuptial agreement…
As she’d begun reading through the legal jargon, her eyes skimmed over the usual clauses—assets, separation terms, expectations. But then, one particular line made her pause.
“In the event of any children…”
Her head snapped up. Brow furrowed, she met his gaze, her voice laced with disbelief. “Children? This is a marriage of convenience.”
Adam didn’t answer right away. Instead, he simply stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he leaned in, closing the distance between them.
“Melon,” he murmured, his voice smooth, almost amused. “You don’t listen, do you?”
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
“This isn’t just an act,” he continued, his tone low, deliberate. “We’re two free, consenting adults who are going to be in close proximity. And, well…” He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes gleaming with something unreadable. “I’d have to be dead not to want you. So I should say it would be really convenient to be able to sleep with each other…”
A shiver ran down her spine.
He leaned even closer, his breath warm against her skin. “So, isn’t it better to prepare for all eventualities?”
Melanie shook her head at the memory and then looked down at the file with distaste. Okay… It would be better to have him take a blood test before she even… then she shook her head. Nope. Better not think of something like this and stick to the resolve that she would not be sleeping with him. Once they were married, all this flirtation would be coming to an end…
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