Chapter 853 Aiden's Gift
Chapter 853 Aiden's Gift
Isabella was halfway through her coffee when Stella spoke. Without thinking much of it, she reached for Stella's handbag, settling it on her lap. Her fingers brushed past a few items until they found a small velvet case.
"Is this the one?" she asked.
Stella glanced over, nodded once. "Yes. That's it."
She made a small gesture toward Isabella. "Go on. Open it."
The clasp gave a soft click. The lid lifted. For a moment, Isabella simply stared, her breath catching. "This is…?"
"Familiar, isn't it? I knew you'd recognize your grandfather's gemstone bracelet."
Nestled inside was a bangle of deep, flawless green, the stone catching the light like still water under moonlight.
A dozen memories surged up at once, and with them came the image of Aiden — his kind eyes, his steady presence.
He had always been the sort of man who favored tailored suits and little else in the way of adornment, save for this single bracelet. Over time, everyone had come to know that Aiden's one indulgence was this piece of jade.
But Isabella knew better: he didn't care for trinkets. He wore it simply to avoid the fuss of choosing something else.
Then came the blow to the Brown Group — a strike that left the Brown Family reeling. Nolan's vendetta landed him behind bars. Aiden, already worn down, fell ill soon after. The illness took him quickly.
If she had known then that his time in the hospital would be his last, she would have stayed longer, sat with him more, listened to his voice while she still could.
Her lips pressed together. "This bracelet… it was Grandfather's favorite."
Stella was still rocking Michelle gently in her arms, but at Isabella's words, her expression softened. "It was. Hard to believe it's been almost a year since he passed."
She glanced down at the bracelet. "It was with him for half his life. He used to say gemstones could soothe the soul. He never had the heart to give it away. Your grandfather spent his life carrying the Brown Family on his back, and in the end, he didn't even get to enjoy the love of his grandchildren. When he was in the hospital, he put this in my hand and told me to pass it on to your child. He said it was his way of making amends."
"My child?" Isabella blinked. "Grandfather knew I was carrying Michael's baby?"
During Aiden's hospital stay, the Brown Group had just been hit. She had been quietly helping Michael dig for answers, but she and Michael hadn't met in private — not until the day Stella asked her to go check on him.
Nolan and the Adri Family had been making Michael's life hell, and he'd gone days without proper rest. Stella had been tied up at the hospital, afraid to leave Aiden's side, so she'd sent Isabella in her place.
That night had been the first time she and Michael truly spoke without walls between them, the first time they saw each other's hearts. She'd stayed in his office until morning.
But even then, she hadn't known she was pregnant. How could Aiden have guessed?
Seeing the confusion on her face, Stella glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in. "If I tell you, you can't breathe a word to Michael. He's jealous enough as it is."
Isabella's eyes widened. Michael didn't know?
"Your grandfather's exact words were that the bracelet should be given to your child when the time came, as a blessing. But I think he just wanted to get it into your hands — to give you something that was his, something to make up for the past. It wasn't about forcing you and Michael together."
"What?" Isabella almost laughed in disbelief. "But he held our hands and told us to be good to each other. Why would he…?"
She remembered that day in the hospital. She and Michael hadn't reconciled then. In front of Aiden, they had been acting, playing the part of a couple for his sake. Had he seen through it?
Stella let out a quiet sigh. "You underestimate your grandfather. There's nothing in this world he hadn't seen before. He knew you were pretending. He went along with it because he hoped you might find your way back to each other. But in the end, he told me not to push you after he was gone. The Brown Family already owed you more than it could repay. He didn't want you hurt again."
Her voice softened. "He said he'd been friends with Daniel for too many years to let you carry Michael's mistakes. Michael's wrongs were for him to bear, not you."
The words made Stella think of her own actions toward Isabella in the past. Regret was a bitter taste she couldn't quite swallow. She had no right to ask Isabella to return to the Brown Family — only to see Michael one last time, to give them both a chance to say goodbye.
That things had changed between them afterward had been the one outcome she hadn't foreseen.
Isabella sat in silence, her thoughts tangled. Aiden had known all along that she and Michael were putting on a show. He hadn't called her out because he didn't want to break her further.
And now she remembered Daniel, too — how, in his final moments, he had told her to live simply, to live happy, to stop pretending.
Both men had seen through her, and both had chosen to let her keep her illusions, hoping they might lead her back to love.
But in the end, all they had wanted was her happiness, even if it meant she chose a life without Michael.
The realization left her chest tight. She had been loved more than she had ever realized.
When Stella noticed Isabella's silence, she assumed it was because of the past — and the part she herself had played in it. She wanted, at least once, to explain.
"Isabella," she began, "that day I asked you to check on Michael, it wasn't to push you back together. I'd already let go of that. But your grandfather couldn't be left alone, and I was afraid to leave him. You happened to come by, so I asked you."
Isabella shook her head. "You don't need to explain, Mom. I'd already let it go. And that night… I went to see him because I wanted to."
If they hadn't sat down that night and laid everything bare, she might have walked away from Michael for good. Whatever had brought her there, the choice to stay had been hers. And she would never regret that.