Her Scissors Cut My Hair, But His Betrayal Cut Deeper - Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Nathan received a call from his assistant when he was neck-deep in company troubles. His project plans had been repeatedly leaked, and all evidence pointed to Melody.
"Sir..." Edward hesitated on the phone. "I've been following the trail as instructed. The person in the photos, Louie Palmer, was in the New York, but he seems to have known I was looking for him and has fled to Boston. Should I continue pursuing him or move on to the next person?"
Louie? Nathan rubbed his temple. He remembered him—a notorious rich guy from college who spent his days partying. Their families had once had business relationships, and when the Gray company went bankrupt, the Palmer family had been slightly affected as well.
Back then, Nathan had been wandering aimlessly through campus when he encountered Louie, who had taunted him mercilessly. Despite Nathan's efforts to ignore the provocations, Louie wouldn't stop.
"Going bankrupt yourself wasn't enough? You had to drag others down with you?" Louie had sneered.
"Getting my father to invest with you—was your plan to bleed us dry all along?" Louie got in his face. "Why don't you just die? Why don't you follow your father's example and jump from a building, end it all..."
Nathan looked up, his voice dangerously quiet. "Say that again."
Louie, oblivious to the danger, taunted, "Say it again? I'll say it a hundred times! You still think you're the Gray family heir? You should die with your coward father..."
Nathan snapped. The veins on his hand bulged as he grabbed Louie by the throat and repeatedly slammed him against a tree.
It was Melody who somehow found them. She clung to Nathan desperately, trying to make him stop. The Gray family was already in crisis—Nathan couldn't afford more trouble.
Melody. Always Melody. Nathan realized that at every critical juncture in his life, Melody's shadow was there.
"Sir?" After waiting too long for Nathan's response, Edward asked again, "Should I continue the investigation?"
"Yes," Nathan decided. "Go find him. Use whatever means necessary to find out what happened back then."
After the call ended, a figure quietly disappeared from Nathan's office doorway.
At the hospital, Grandfather Sinclair couldn't stop praising the medicinal soup Melody had brought, declaring it the best food he'd ever tasted. Jackson deflated his grandfather's exaggerated praise, "Really? Who was it that ate my braised ribs and claimed they were better than anything a Michelin-starred chef could make? And now..."
"You!" Grandfather Sinclair playfully raised his hand as if to discipline Jackson, who quickly dodged, making Melody laugh.
After dinner, as Jackson and Melody were discussing when to speak with the doctor about his grandfather's observation period, Grandfather Sinclair called them back just as they were about to leave.
"Let Jackson handle that himself. Is a grown man so helpless he needs someone to accompany him to ask a few questions? Melody, you stay here with me."
Melody nodded with a smile, understanding the old man wanted to speak with her privately, so she let Jackson go alone.
"Melody," Grandfather Sinclair carefully began. Having lived many years, he had met countless people and could discern their true nature through minimal interaction. But Melody—he genuinely liked her. He had investigated her background and reviewed her history, which only made him appreciate her rare qualities more. He didn't want her to suffer.
"What is it, Grandfather?" Melody asked when he fell silent after saying her name.
"I know you married Jackson to please an old man like me," Grandfather Sinclair sat up, his tone becoming serious. "I truly care for you, so I don't want you to feel trapped. If you don't have feelings for Jackson, you shouldn't force yourself."
Melody had expected Grandfather Sinclair might want to ask about Jackson, but she hadn't anticipated this conversation. She didn't know how to respond.
She had always wanted a family, and everyone in Jackson's family treated her like a true member of their household.
She genuinely felt happy and not at all burdened. Jackson was truly good to her, remembering everything she mentioned and fulfilling every promise he made.
"Grandfather," she said softly, "I don't feel forced. I'm very happy with the Sinclair family. Jackson treats me well, and I don't feel burdened at all."
Grandfather Sinclair sighed, "Jackson has a strong sense of responsibility, so you don't need to worry about him mistreating you. But do you only appreciate his kindness, or do you truly love him? I'm concerned that you might be confusing gratitude with love. If there's no genuine affection between you and Jackson, your marriage will eventually become difficult."
Melody fell silent, recognizing the wisdom in his words.
Seeing her bowed head, Grandfather Sinclair continued, "I'm not trying to push you away. I know you're a good person, and I'd love for you to stay. I just worry about your happiness..."
Leaving the hospital, the doctor informed them that Grandfather could be discharged in a week. When Melody reached the car, she noticed the driver was gone. Then she saw Jackson sitting in the driver's seat.
"I gave the driver some time off," he explained.
Melody nodded and got into the car.
She watched the neon lights flashing by, thinking about her conversation with Grandfather Sinclair.
Did she truly love Jackson?
The streetlights receded as the night grew deeper.
"I thought he was going to tell you something important, but he was just encouraging us to divorce?" Jackson's voice betrayed no emotion, as if discussing something trivial.
Melody realized what he meant. "You were eavesdropping?"
"Not intentionally," his fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel. "The door wasn't closed, and... I came back quickly from asking my questions."
Melody remained silent.
"Our previous agreement still stands. If you're unhappy, I won't force you to stay."