Marrying A Secret Zillionaire: Happy Ever After Novel

Chapter 455: Seeing the hopeful look on Linsey's face, Collin let out a long breath, unable to refuse. Under Linsey's eager gaze, he handed the album back to her.

Linsey's face lit up with a bright smile. "Thank you, honey!"

From the side, Ivy couldn't resist teasing. "Well, well, who would've thought? This rascal's become whipped."

Linsey blushed, a soft pink coloring her cheeks at Ivy's playful jab. "Ivy, let's look at the album," Linsey suggested, eager to change the subject. With curiosity, Linsey flipped open the album and gazed at the first photo. The boy in the picture was wearing a cozy red jacket, his innocent face full of wonder, taking in the world around him.

Ivy pointed to the photo at just the right moment. "This was taken when Collin was one year old. Look how adorable he was. Even back then, you could tell he was going to grow up to be a handsome guy."

Linsey studied the child in the photo, trying to imagine him as the Collin sitting beside her. It was hard to picture the two as the same person.

Collin sat quietly next to Linsey, watching her as she became absorbed in the photo. He couldn't help but smile.

As they continued flipping through the album, his smile slowly faded. The next photo showed a small Collin, sitting in a mud puddle, his rosy cheeks smeared with tears.

Linsey burst out laughing. "How did you end up in a mud puddle?" Ivy chuckled softly. "He was such a mischievous little thing. Accidents like that happened all the time. I was used to it by then."

They continued flipping through the album. In the next photo, little Collin looked utterly terrified, his eyes wide with fear.

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Ivy's voice softened as she spoke to Linsey. "This one was taken when a caterpillar scared him to tears. I remember it well. He was determined to play in the backyard. I warned him that spring brought out a lot of bugs, but he wouldn't listen. Then, of course, he ended up crying when a caterpillar freaked him out."

Linsey pointed at the child in the picture. "He must have been five or six then."

Ivy nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. "Yes, about that age."

Linsey couldn't help but smile, too. "What a kid-afraid of bugs."

Linsey's gaze remained locked on the album; she grew more fond of it with each page she turned. Collin had been so adorable as a child, naturally endearing.

Lost in the thought, Linsey couldn't help but voice it aloud. "He was so cute as a kid. How did he end up so reserved?"

Ivy let out a deep sigh, her gaze settling on Collin. "I can't shake off the guilt. Back then, I failed to protect him. He was set up, caught in a car accident, and I could do nothing to stop it. Later, to protect himself-and to keep me from getting involved-he spent years pretending to be disabled. All of it happened because I was powerless."

Collin, already uncomfortable with the conversation drifting toward his past embarrassments, stiffened the moment Ivy blamed herself. A frown creased his forehead. "Grandma, you can't think that way. None of it was your fault. Please don't say that."

Linsey's expression grew solemn, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of the photo album.

But Ivy still looked troubled. "I've always felt I failed him," she admitted. "That's why I've wanted him to settle down, to have a family of his own. He's been through too much. As his grandmother, the last thing I want is for him to go through life alone."

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