Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 449

I sighed with a blend of pride and disbelief. Everything had been going so smoothly, it felt like I was living a dream. And who would have thought? An impromptu visit to Hazel led to this surprise discovery. I couldn't help but snicker to myself. It seemed that, in the end, a little kindness did pay off.

Hannah, on the other hand, was buzzing like a bee at a picnic, prodding me to hurry up. "Allie, stop gawking and open it already! Let's see what treasures Hazel was keeping in here," she chirped with a mix of impatience and curiosity.

Truth be told, my curiosity was off the charts too.

I quickly fished out the key and opened the long metal box that lay before us.

As the lid flipped back, Hannah and I both peered inside, our faces inches apart. But there wasn't anything shocking inside.

Though the cabinet might look modest, the box had more space inside than one would expect.

The contents were sparse, giving off a somewhat meager impression.

I reached in and began to pull out the items one by one. First to come out was a set of emerald bracelets, glinting beautifully.

I recognized these instantly. They were a gift from a factory owner when I had given birth to Probert. Hazel had been over the moon, her eyes practically popping out of her head with excitement. At the time, she was more thrilled about the bracelets than seeing her first grandson.

The Dawson family had an old-fashioned preference for boys, and Probert's birth had filled Farley and Hazel with joy, their faces blooming like roses in May.

But Hazel's daily visits under the pretense of helping me through the postnatal period were clearly motivated by her desire for the bracelets. I knew her game.

Once the baby was a month old, Jaylan, ever the smooth-talker, had hinted more than once that his mother had worked hard her whole life without a single piece of decent jewelry, and how she fancied gems above all else.

I played dumb for a while, but ultimately, on Hazel's sixtieth birthday, the bracelets ended up in her hands.

Also nestled amongst the items was a coordinated set of emerald pieces - a sophisticated necklace, earrings, and a stunning ring - all in that signature emerald hue that Hazel favored. Safe to say, I was the one who shelled out for these luxurious adornments.

Then there were several gold jewelry sets, some gems, a diamond brooch, and five gold bars...

Hannah clicked her tongue twice in awe. "Looks like her life savings are all here!"

"Most of these are mine!" I scoffed with a wry smile. "The valuables are definitely here!"

But what really caught my eye was a gold jewelry set tucked into a separate compartment on the other side of the box.

A tiny, exquisitely crafted gold necklace with a unicorn charm, a baby bracelet, and an anklet, each piece adorned with little gold bells that tinkled crisply when I gave them a shake.

A strange feeling washed over me as I handled them.

Hannah leaned in closer. "Aren't these baby items?"

"If memory serves, these were gifts from Hazel and Farley for their second grandson, Carl. So she saved these too?" I mused, staring at the trinkets in my hand.

Hannah couldn't resist a jab. "Talk about a penny-pincher-taking back gifts she gave away. She's got more tricks than a carnival con artist!"

"I bet this set cost a pretty penny back in the day!" I quipped.

Beneath the jewelry, there was an old, battered cell phone. I pressed the power button, but it was dead. I tossed it aside, thinking that Hazel really did keep everything, even a useless old phone.

In another grid, there was a property deed. I flipped through it and saw it was in Hazel's name, but the property was rather small. I pondered why Hazel, who always loved sprawling estates, would bother with such a modest place.

Everything was laid out before us.

Hannah looked a bit deflated. "Is this it? All this fuss for this?"

"To her, these are substantial," I explained. "She probably kept some trinkets on hand for everyday use, but these are the real valuables, which is why she stored them here. Keeping them at home would be risky both Farley and Jessica are threats. Farley because of his spending habits, and Jessica... well, she's light-fingered. If she sees an opportunity, she'll take it without a second thought!" Hannah rolled her eyes. "They are indeed family..."

"Farley always wanted cash, and in Jessica's mind, these should all belong to her, so why not help herself? There's no way Hazel would give them to her willingly. I know the Dawsons all too well." Hannah glanced at the box then at me, her expression questioning. "So what do we do with all this?"

I gazed at the box, pondering the same question. Indeed, what should I do?