They all stood around Emerson and sang happy birthday while she blowed the candle and cut the cake.

Rose fed her the first bite, then Henry , Eliza, Nathan and at last, Adrien and wished her happy birthday.

Emerson cut the cake in pieces for them to eat.

Eliza opened the boxes of Chinese food and every one settled in the dinning room room to eat it.

It was a comfortable silence Eliza broke it.

"Who was the man whom you beat Adrien? And what did he say?"

Em and Adrien froze.

Adrien remembered what he said.

'On our wedding day.'

He wondered if Emerson was married or just engaged.

"Michael Fort, he introduced himself. But I think the rest should be Emerson's choice to tell or not." He said seriously.

Rose gave Emerson a worried glance.

"How in the name of God he came to London? That piece of ---" Henry cut her off by a cough.

Emerson sighed.

"I don't know, he said he was for business here. Heather said something in the office about our old time. Then at the club he just exposed something I never wanted to come out, at least not from his mouth. The thing is I never told him those secrets. He also told me ---" Emerson cut herself and froze in between like realising something.

She looked at Henry and gulped.

"He said my parents literally sold me, they were going to get some shares in Fort's company. Why did they agree to your wish of me marrying Adrien? " She asked, but feared the answer.

Every one on the table froze.

When Henry didn't answer, she asked again.

"Why? "

Her eyes shined with tears. Henry averted his gaze. Even Adrien was shocked .

"You bought me like an object , didn't you? " She asked again, her knuckles turning white.

"You did what? " Adrien shouted.

He never raised his voice on Henry, infact no one did.

Henry sighed and glanced at Rose who was looking at him with blank face but she was gripping her fork tightly.

"Peter asked me to take your care. You are a piece of his heart Emerson. I thought you married that Fort but when I got to know your marriage was called off , I thought of making you Adrien's bride because then I could easily take you out of that Leone household. It wasn't my intention to make you feel like an object. I am sorry for that, really."

Emerson averted her gaze and a traitorous tear escaped her eye. Adrien placed his hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze of support.

Emerson bit her lip and glanced at Henry.

"It's ok. It was on my parents to accept it and sell me like an object. You don't have to be apologetic." She said softly.

Henry sighed in relief. Even if he knew he gave no choice to her parents.

But it was short lived because Rose slammed her hand on the table, breathing heavily, her face red with anger.

"You did what Henry? " She asked rhetorically, but her tone was lethal.

Everyone on the table jumped at that.

Henry gulped visibly.

"See Rose, it was to protect her, her parents---"

Rose cut him off.

"Stop! Peter never wanted you to bind her in a loveless marriage, or even buy her like an object! You knew how much he hated Michael because he knew he won't be the one for her! He wanted her to find love, like we did with us, but you ruined her chances of that, for a promise Peter gave you which you fulfilled with a sacrifice of her happiness. You could have sued ger parents, taken legal actions, anything to protect her, AND YOU KNOW COULD HAVE EASILY DONE THAT! BUT NO YOU SELFISH BASTARDO YOU BOUGHT HER LIKE A FUCKING OBJECT! "

She screamed on the top of her lungs, her chest heaving.

Adrien was more sad that Rose said she lost the chance to find her love, which meant she believed Emerson won't ever love him.

The Stone couple were shocked and scared by her outburst.

Emerson was more worried for Rose's health because of how her face went red and her heavy breaths.

She immediately went to her side and rubbed her back.

"Calm down grandma, everything will be ok." She tried to calm her down.

Rose gave Henry one last menacing glare.

"Gabriella and Peter would be disappointed in you." She whispered, her tone filled with venom. Every other person who heard her froze. Henry's face changed from panic to pain.

Emerson was confused who was Gabriella but it didn't last long and turned in panic when Rose limped to her side, her eyes closed.

Her mind went into frenzy.

"Grandma, Grandma please wake up, please..." She broke into hysterics.

Henry was still frozen.

Eliza was by her side in a beat.

"Emerson, dear calm down." She said, but Emerson couldn't hear anything.

Adrien carried Rose and laid her in one of the guest room.

Nathan called an emergency doctor .

Emerson was shaking, her tears flowing like water dam. Her sobs taking through the condo.

Eliza was rubbing her back, trying everything to calm her but it wasn't useful.

Adrien came out running to her.

He kneeled in front of her slouched body and hugged her to him.

"It's ok Emerson, calm down. She will be fine. She is firecracker, isn't she? And she still has to be there in ours children's marriage." He whispered in her ear , remembering her one phone call to her grandma in their kitchen.

Though he liked the idea of 'our children'

Not the time Adrien.

She looked up at him, her eyes puffy and tears still flowing, a hopeful expression on her face.

"She will be, right? " Her voice turned hoarse.

He smiled softly at her.

"Yeah, she will be."

This seemed to calm her a little.

The case with Henry was different.

He was still like a statue.

Nathan out a hand on his shoulder.

"She didn't mean it dad." He whispered to his father.

The pained expression on his face never changed. Her words ringing in his ears.

How can he be calm when she said that his wife, whom he loved more than his life, and his best friend, who wasn't with him constantly but always there when he needed, both in their graves would be disappointed in him.

"She never says things she doesn't mean. She is an always truth speaking person. Probably she is true." He whispered to himself and left the room.

Nathan sighed.

He turned to the young couple, Emerson tucked in Adrien's embrace like her life depended on it. While Eliza looked at them with adoration in her eyes.

"The doctor is on the way. She will be fine Emerson." He said in a fatherly tone.

Adrien nodded, Emerson didn't respond.

A few minutes later, Emerson was still crying silently in Adrien's chest , sitting in the room where Rose was laying unconscious.

They heard the door open and a man in formal wear and briefcase came in.

"Hello, I am Dr Harps, can you please wait outside while I check her? " He asked politely.

Emerson looked conflicted, so Adrien spoke.

"Sure, come on Emerson, we need her to wake up." He whispered to Emerson gently.

She nodded and they both went outside.

Emerson was biting her lip in fear, scared for the only person she could genuinely call family without any hesitation. She lost her Grandpa Peter, but she couldn't bear to loose Grandma Rose.

Adrien was rubbing soothing circles on her back.

In the room, Henry was staring at his phone. A picture in which two young couples were looking at each other with love, so much love.

It was the picture of his and Gabriella's trip to Rome.

The black and white picture at that time was a luxury, in their days of youth.

A traitorous tear escaped his eye and he laughed a humourless laugh.

"How are you Gabi? You must be spreading sunshine where ever you are. You know, obviously you know, you were always there. I never regretted my decision, even if it didn't work out, it taught me something. But first, first time, " He swallowed, tears flowing out continuously, " I am regretting the decision of marrying Emerson and Adrien. Adrien told Rose that Emerson asked to keep their distance, probably she is right, I snatched the chance of her finding love, like Rose and Peter did, like we did." His shoulder shook, " I just wanted Emerson to be happy, to fulfill my promise to Peter, oh god Peter, " He chuckled darkly, " He must be twisting and turning in his grave to come out and kill me. I really did snatched Emerson's happiness, didn't I? I saw your gentleness and kindness in her. I really though this would work, but looks like I, The great Henry Stone made a wrong decision." He cried.

"I miss you Gabi, I really do. It feels like crying even after all those years, when I wake up and you aren't by my side.

But when Emerson married Adrien, their first day of marriage was one happy day for me in years since you were gone. She came early to cook for me, cared for me. Her sticky note, made me feel like you are there, wishing me good morning when it came to my sight. But I guess she must hate me for what I did, she is just too kind to admit it. Can you imagine she forgave me so easily. I wish she didn't. Rose made me realise how wrong I was. I wish you will forgive me too. And tell Peter the same. Tell him I am really feeling guilty and regretful. I am sorry love. Love you always." He said and turned his phone off, crying silently.

*********

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