An Understated Heir Returns

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Number He Never Called

The moment the front door closed behind the Turner family, Emma turned on Adam.

“What were you thinking?”

Adam had barely placed the Weston proposal back on the table when she stepped in front of him. The red mark on her cheek had started fading, but the anger in her eyes was still very much there.

“Twenty-four hours, Adam. You gave me twenty-four hours to get a contract I’ve been chasing for weeks.” She lowered her voice and rubbed her forehead. “Do you actually want to leave me?”

Adam looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.

“No.”

“Then why would you say something like that?”

“Because I’m not leaving.”

Emma stared at him as if that answer somehow annoyed her even more.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It will.”

She opened her mouth, then stopped, there was something different about him.

Emma had known Adam for five years. He had always been calm, sometimes too calm, especially whenever her family insulted him. He rarely argued back and never seemed interested in proving himself to anyone. Even when Robert called him useless or Linda complained that her daughter had married beneath herself, Adam usually ignored them but tonight had been different.

The moment Margaret slapped her, Adam had walked into the room looking like someone Emma had never seen before. He had not shouted or caused a scene, but there had been something cold in his eyes when he stopped Margaret’s hand and then there was the bet.

He had spoken as though Weston Group’s contract was already theirs.

Emma studied him again. “You’ve been acting strange lately.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. “Strange?”

“Different.”

“Maybe I got tired of watching people trouble my wife.”

The answer was simple enough, but Emma still felt there was more to it.

Before she could ask, her eyes dropped to the package still half-hidden beneath his soaked raincoat.

She frowned.

“What’s that?”

Adam followed her gaze and paused.

Only then did he remember the reason he had rushed home through the rain in the first place.

A small smile returned to his face.

“I almost forgot.”

He pulled the package out carefully, unlike the rest of him, it was almost completely dry.

Emma’s expression softened slightly. “What is it?”

Adam handed it to her.

“Open it.”

She gave him a suspicious look but took the package anyway. The anger on her face slowly disappeared as she removed the wrapping and opened the small box inside.

Then she froze cause inside was a delicate gold necklace with a small teardrop pendant.

Emma stared at it for several seconds.

Months ago, she had stopped in front of a jewelry store while they were returning from dinner. She had admired the necklace for less than a minute before seeing the price and immediately walking away. Adam had asked whether she liked it, but she had laughed and told him there were better things to spend money on.

She had forgotten about it but Adam had not.

“Adam…”

“Happy anniversary.”

Emma looked up at him.

“How much did this cost?”

“That is a terrible first question.” he chuckled

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

She looked back at the necklace, then at his rain-soaked clothes.

Adam worked ordinary jobs and never complained about money, but Emma knew exactly how much he earned. There was no way he had simply bought something like this without saving for it.

Her fingers tightened around the box.

“You’ve been saving for this?”

Adam shrugged. “A little.”

“A little?”

He smiled.

Emma suddenly felt the anger she had been holding onto lose some of its strength.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I hear that often.”

She gave him a look. “Don’t think this means I’ve forgotten what you did.”

“I didn’t expect you to.” he winked at her

“You placed our marriage on the line and now you’re giving me jewelry.” she sighed though clutched the gift tighter

“I gave you the jewelry before you started shouting. Technically, the timing isn’t my fault.”

Emma stared at him for another second, then finally laughed under her breath despite herself.

Adam watched her expression soften and felt something inside him settle, for five years, this woman had stood beside him even when everyone told her she had made the wrong choice.

Emma closed the box carefully. “Thank you.”

Adam nodded then her expression turned serious again.

“But I still have less than a day.”

“I know.”

“Weston doesn’t even have to entertain my proposal. I’ve submitted requests more than once already.” Her brows knotted

“Try again.”

Emma sighed. “You make everything sound easy.”

“It might be easier than you think.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but Adam only smiled, eventually, Emma picked up the Weston proposal from the table.

“Fine. Since you’ve already caused this mess, I’m going to work on it again. Maybe I can find something I missed.”

Adam watched her walk toward the bedroom she had turned into a temporary workspace over the past few weeks.

Just before she disappeared inside, Emma looked back.

“You better start thinking of a backup plan.”

Adam leaned against the table.

“I already have one.”

Emma shook her head and closed the door and the house became quiet.

Adam remained where he was for several seconds then the smile left his face.

He looked toward the closed door before lowering his eyes.

One month.

That was how long it had been since everything returned.

The memories had come after something so ordinary that Adam almost found it ridiculous. He had slipped while fixing something at home and hit the side of his head against the floor. The injury itself had been minor but the memories were not.

For five years, Adam had believed he was an ordinary man with no past worth chasing then suddenly, he remembered everything.

The Carter family, the capital, companies, people who bowed when he entered a room and the accident.

Adam walked slowly toward the window.

Five years ago, he had been one of the most promising heirs of the Carter family. His grandfather had placed enormous trust in him, and while other relatives depended heavily on the family name, Adam had built several things outside it.

That had made him dangerous.

The Carter family had money, influence and power, but it also had something Adam had hated since childhood.

Greed.

Everyone smiled at the same table while quietly calculating how much they could inherit if somebody else disappeared.

Adam had known people wanted his position but had simply underestimated how far they would go.

The accident had been carefully planned.

He still remembered the headlights, impact, car breaking through the barrier and then nothing.

When Adam opened his eyes again, he had no idea who he was.

A couple passing through the area had found him badly injured and arranged for him to receive treatment. The authorities had no useful identification, and Adam remembered nothing that could help them find his family.

Eventually, he stopped looking backward and started living with what he had.

Then came Emma.

He met her during an incident that could easily have ended badly for her, and what began as gratitude slowly became something else. Her family had hated him almost from the beginning, but Emma never cared.

She married him anyway and for five years, she had never once used his lack of money against him.

Even when her own life became harder because of it, that was why, after recovering his memories one month ago, Adam had chosen silence, returning to the Carter family meant returning to the same people who once tried to kill him.

He still did not know who had planned the accident ot betrayed him and as long as the people behind it believed Adam Carter was dead, Emma remained outside their attention.

So Adam had decided to leave the past buried.

At least, that had been the plan.

His gaze shifted toward the room where Emma was working.

Tonight, Margaret had slapped her because everyone believed Adam was powerless.

Jason Ford had not even appeared yet, and already the Turner family was willing to trade Emma’s marriage for his help.

Adam could endure insults directed at him, he had done it for years but watching Emma suffer because of him was different.

He had hidden long enough.

Adam picked up his phone from the table and stepped outside.

The rain had weakened into a light drizzle.

He scrolled through his contacts until he reached a number he had entered from memory a month ago but never called.

His thumb hovered over it, for a moment, Adam simply stared.

Calling this number meant opening a door he had deliberately kept shut abd touching his old life again but this time, Adam did not hesitate for long.

As he stepped outside fully, he stared at the number he had refused to call for the past month.

Then he pressed it, the line connected after two rings.

“Hello?”

Adam remained silent for a moment.

“Who is this?”

His eyes turned cold.

“Old Fox.”

The other end went completely silent then came a sharp breath.

“Young Master?”

Adam’s expression did not change.

Henry sounded almost overwhelmed. “Young Master, is that really you? Where are you? I’ll come immediately. I’ll bring...”

“One car.”

Henry stopped.

“No convoy or unnecessary people. Come alone with someone you trust.”

There was a brief pause before Henry quickly agreed.

Adam gave him the address, then ended the call before the old man could ask anything else.

He looked back toward the house, where Emma was still working on her proposal and the coldness in his eyes eased slightly.