•Ivy•
Dinner was filled with interrogation and unveiling. I was the one being interrogated, Camden's childhood was what was being unveiled.
Grandpa William had asked about my alma mater, my discipline, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and all. It was like the two of us were on a blind date and I was the one who did all the talking.
That was until the topic somehow shifted to Camden, and Grandpa William began to talk about his childhood.
One would've thought that a man like Camden would have been a menace while growing up, but it was actually the opposite. He was such a well-behaved kid; respectful to his elders, polite, gentle. Until he wasn't.
Grandpa William said it took only one day for Camden to transform from a peaceful angel into a dirty Rottweiler—yes, the man compared his grandson to an untrained dog. Camden had learned how to backtalk so fast that it surprised everyone around him.
He picked up friends who were skilled at being bad kids, and he never once looked back.
The more Grandpa William spoke, the dimmer his green eyes became. I had glanced at Camden from time to time, trying to catch his reaction to what his grandfather was saying, but he was completely blank.
He carried on with eating like the topic of discussion was some person other than him. I didn't pretend like I understood what was going on in the Evander family, but I somehow managed to shift the conversation subject into something else to ease the tension.
After we finished eating, we moved to the living area of the room. Grandpa William already looked worn out from all the talking.
"You've met Ivy Beaumont, you've talked to her, you've seen that she's a good girl. There's nothing left for us to do here. We'll be leaving now, Old Man." Camden didn't settle on the couch like I did when we reached the living room.
"Leaving? Isn't it a bit too early for that? I thought you came to keep me company for the night?" Grandpa William said.
I opened my mouth to speak but Camden's voice sounded before mine. "No, we didn't. We only came here for dinner. And we've had dinner."
Gosh, this man. Wasn't he a bit too rude? He was talking to his grandfather who raised him for goodness's sake.
"I see…" Grandpa William turned to look at me. "I have a gift for you. Camden, go get it from my study room."
"I should go get it? Do I look like one of your servants?" Camden snapped, offended.
Grandpa William glanced at him and said, "Can you just do what I tell you to without backtalking?? One would think you enjoy my company with the amount of effort you put into getting me to repeat the things I say to you. Run along, boy! Scram!"
Camden looked at his grandfather with a hardened gaze before dragging his body away and muttering something along the lines of, "I'm not a boy."
In Camden's absence, Grandpa William wheeled his chair in front of me and stopped. There was a solemn expression on his face as he said, "You don't have to pretend now that he's not here."
"I'm not pretending." I quickly covered up.
"You won't admit it, but it's clear to me that the two of you aren't in that sort of relationship."
I opened my mouth to deny it but the old man raised his palm to stop me, gesturing I should let him finish speaking.
"But the fact remains that he's willing to go through all the trouble and get married to you, so that counts for something, at least. I want you to know this, child: my grandson is extremely difficult. Very annoying, arrogant, and quite a bit ugly. He has all the bad genes in the family."
There was a small smile on the old man's lips as he spoke, and I almost laughed. Camden got the bad genes in the family?? If he was a bit ugly, then I was as hideous as an ogre.
"But he has something good in him. Though it might be miniscule or even nonexistent at this point, there was a time when it was there." Grandpa William continued.
I couldn't stop myself from imagining Camden with some good in him. Maybe he'd smile genuinely and restrain himself from saying vulgar things.
Grandpa William reached for one of my hands and held it between his own. His hands were so soft that I could've mistaken them for a baby's.
"If that idiot kid ever gives you any trouble, you can come to me. I'll knock some sense into his head and hand you his ass, alright?" He smiled kindly.
I couldn't help but mirror his smile and say, "Alright. I—"
"What's this? I step out for a second and you're already seducing my fiancée? What the hell is your problem, Grandpa??" Camden arrived that very moment and rolled his grandfather's wheelchair away from me.
"Keep your insecurities to yourself, kid. It's not my fault you were born ugly, paling to me." Grandpa William sneered, and I actually broke into a fit of laughter.
The man was hilarious.
"What are you laughing at?" Camden's upper lip was tugged upwards as he stared down at me.
I switched to a cough and pretended I wasn't laughing. "Nothing."
"Stop annoying the girl and give her the gift." Grandpa William's voice sounded from behind Camden.
I looked at his hand and saw him holding a maroon velvet-covered box in his hand. Camden extended the box towards me and I collected it from him.
"You can open it," he said.
I looked at him skeptically, then my gaze shifted to his old man who gave me a go-ahead gesture.
I opened the box to reveal a gorgeous jewelry set consisting of a diamond necklace, diamond bracelet, and diamond earrings.
And they were real diamonds. I, of all people, could tell.
It was beautiful.
"Oh, my goodness…" I picked out the bracelet, my fingers raking across the fine structure.
I had never seen anything like it before. The intricate carving and the extreme amount put into the detailing was absolute perfection.
"I had gotten it customized back when I was still with my wife. It was an anniversary gift. Thank God I found out she was a sneaky little bitch before I gave it to her." I heard Grandpa William explain with a bitter tone.
But I was too focused on the design. I stroked the necklace in awe.
"Made by the one and only Zigler." Grandpa William added, and I lifted my head.
"Z-Zigler?" I pronounced the name tentatively because I couldn't afford to put such a mighty name to shame.
My idol, my role model, a man I'd never met but admired with all my heart. I had hoped to meet him before but he was crazy reclusive. Only a handful of people in the world could brag about owning one of his masterpieces.
Because that was what everything he created was—a masterpiece.
"Ah yes. A dumb old friend, that Zigler fellow. Charged me a fortune for it. I almost thought this set was a waste all these years. But now it's found its use. Take it. Use it to show off to the wretched mass of the world that you're marrying into the legendary Evander family."
And I used to wonder who Camden got his absurd amount of arrogance from. No need to wonder anymore.
"Thank you very much. This is more than… anything." I said with the utmost gratitude, rising to my feet to thank Grandpa William.
He waved me off, saying, "This is the least I can do to welcome you to the family."
I had so much to say to him. So many words of gratitude to vomit, but my watering eyes did the most to show my appreciation.
"I want to see you sparkle at the wedding as the new addition to the family tree, alright?" Grandpa William said.
An arm fell on my shoulders and Camden spoke in my place, holding my gaze with a sharp glimmer in his eyes.
"Sparkle, she will. Even the sun would need shade when she shines."