THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 273

Yes, that’s right.

Even after all these years, Fortune still kept Caitlin’s childhood clothes safe.

Originally, Fortune had planned to give Caitlin these things on her wedding day.

But since Fortune didn’t approve of Caitlin’s marriage to Julian Chandler, he refused to attend the ceremony.

That’s why, when the Chandler family offered a house as Caitlin’s dowry, the deed ended up bearing Ernest Kensington and Iliana Hadley’s names instead.

From the very beginning, Fortune had disagreed with the marriage.

So Jarvis had no choice but to approach Ernest and Iliana, since at the time, they were Caitlin’s uncle and aunt in name.

Even the wedding witnesses were Ernest and Iliana, who stood in for Caitlin’s side of the family.

When Fortune mentioned this, Hannah and Keira both nodded in agreement. “Grandpa, would you mind getting them for us?”

Fortune nodded. “All right, just give me a moment.”

He got up and made his way upstairs.

A short while later, Fortune returned to the living room carrying a small wooden chest.

It was burgundy, not very large, and the paint had chipped away in places with age.

Fortune reached into his pocket, pulled out a key, and unlocked the chest.

Inside, right on top, lay a blue padded jacket and a pair of tiny black pants.

Fortune picked up the jacket, his eyes warm with memory. “This was the jacket Catie wore as a child.”

Keira immediately rose from the sofa, her hands trembling as she reached for it. “I—I bought this outfit for Freya myself...”

Nineteen years had passed, but Keira remembered every detail like it was yesterday.

She recalled how, because it was still chilly in early spring, she’d asked her daughter-in-law to dress her granddaughter in that blue jacket before the family left the house that morning.

After Caitlin put on the jacket, Keira had complimented her fair skin, saying she looked adorable—like one of those rosy-cheeked children in a storybook.

Never in her wildest dreams did Keira imagine that after their goodbye that morning, it would take nineteen years before she’d see her granddaughter again.

“And these—” Fortune lifted out a pair of tiny tiger slippers, “—are the shoes Freya wore back then.”

Stephanie accepted the slippers, her voice catching. “Do you all remember? The eight of us made these together.”

Keira took the photos and passed them around for everyone to see.

Fortune had raised Caitlin with so much love.

One-year-old Caitlin was plump and adorable.

At two, her clothes were a bit shabby, but her bright, innocent smile was genuine.

At three, she was still beaming, leaning against Fortune like a little dumpling, the kind of child you just wanted to scoop up and smother with kisses.

At four, at five... Nearly every photo was labeled with the date it was taken. Though they hadn’t been part of Caitlin’s childhood, looking at these photos made it feel like they’d been right there all along.

The Richards family and Keira looked through the photos, their hearts heavy, as if stuffed with cotton. They had missed out on nineteen years of Freya’s life—years they could never get back.

Everyone pored over Caitlin’s childhood belongings again and again, but found no clues about the accident that had separated the family all those years ago.

Warren looked up at Fortune. “Mr. Kensington, was there anything else in Freya’s pockets that day? A note, perhaps?”

Fortune shook his head. “No, nothing.”

Hannah frowned, worry etched deep on her brow. “Then where on earth did Carey go?”