Chapter 426: The Young Madam’s Inspection of the Gustin Family’s Villa (5)
As soon as she finished speaking, the entire room fell silent. Everyone had different expressions, all tinged with a peculiar awkwardness.
Annie.
Jeremy’s first wife, Annie Davis.
The name had been a taboo in the Gustin family’s villa for over two decades. Everyone avoided mentioning it. Even after Enrico seized power, he rarely stayed at the estate, and the staff had silently agreed never to bring it up.
Yet, the new young madam brought it up boldly right after stepping through the door.
Enrico looked at her with deep, contemplative eyes.
He had only asked her to inspect the areas his mother had managed, and now she had almost finished. But what was she planning to do now?
“What exactly do you want?” Jeremy’s face turned sour. He couldn’t fathom what Enrico intended by bringing this woman here. Was he trying to humiliate him? But he had lost all his dignity long ago!
“Nothing much, just thought we should talk about the name Annie,” Paige said calmly, her gaze sweeping over the people present. She then picked up a document from the table, flipping through it slowly as she paced. “Today, I reviewed the many architectural plans since the estate’s creation and found something interesting – the foundation of the Gustin family’s villa, as it stands today, was shaped under Annie’s management.”
“…”
“The helipad, the ski resort, the hot springs, the golf course, and the conference building all came into being under her watch. The estate is perfectly divided between leisure and business, with road planning so meticulous that even the presidential palace can’t compare.”
“…”
Enrico remained silent, watching her.
Everyone watched her.
“Looking at the foundation of the estate, I can almost imagine how grand the Gustin family’s villa must have been back when my mother, Annie, was still here,” Paige said, moving to stand behind Jeremy. She lowered her eyes, her expression turning cold. “But despite all her contributions, there’s not a single trace left of her in this estate!”
With that, Paige slammed the document onto the table, her eyes devoid of any warmth.
“…”
Enrico’s chest tightened at her action.
She was behaving in a way that went far beyond his expectations.
“The woman’s been dead for years. What traces do you expect to find?” Jeremy sneered.
“Mr. Jeremy,” Paige lowered her head, speaking directly to the middle-aged man who still retained an air of handsomeness. “Who stood by you when the Gustin family’s villa was torn apart? Who helped you when the estate was first established? I imagine you wouldn’t have sweet-talked her into designing the estate while pregnant if she hadn’t been by your side, right? Doesn’t a woman like that deserve to leave some traces of her existence behind?”
Her words were sharp, directly striking Jeremy’s pride.
“You’re out of line!” Jeremy’s face darkened as he shouted at her.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
“What’s out of line is you! A woman gave everything for you, and yet you had her son destroy what she designed!” Paige retorted coldly, her voice slicing through the air.
Hearing this, Enrico’s expression shifted, his eyes turning cold, his voice thick with restrained fury. “Paige, what are you talking about?”
“…”
Jeremy’s face became even more unpleasant.
“Mr. Beau,” Paige straightened up, turning her gaze to the butler.
“What would you like, young madam?” The butler’s face had already gone pale, and he could guess that whatever Paige wanted now wouldn’t be good.
“You once said that after Enrico seized control, Jaden brought in people to work with you and fired many others, leaving only the elderly staff who had worked with my mother. You also said that certain ‘unsightly’ buildings and facilities were demolished-mostly ones that were my father’s or Leah’s additions, correct?” Paige asked, her tone cold as she looked at him.
“Y-yes, that’s right,” Beau stammered, his face growing even paler.
“Now, tell everyone, were those demolished structures truly ones cherished by my father and Leah?” Paige’s words were as sharp as blades, and they cut through the air like deadly weapons.
Hearing this, Beau looked at her, sweat pouring down his face. His legs wobbled. “Young madam, the documents clearly state that, I…”
“Documents are written by people,” Paige interrupted coldly. “Butler Beau, your attempts to play both sides end here. I know your heart isn’t bad; you’re just someone who loves a good, happy ending. This is your last chance.”
“…”
“Tell the truth, and you stay. Lie, and you go,” Paige said firmly.
“Speak!” Enrico growled, his expression dark and menacing. His fury was palpable as he grabbed the glass in front of him and smashed it onto the floor.
The glass shattered into pieces.
The entire dining hall fell into a terrified silence. Everyone was holding their breath.
This wasn’t about letting someone leave; Beau Butler clearly wasn’t going to be walking out of here today.
Beau fell to his knees with a thud, trembling as he spoke, “I just thought… less trouble was better than more. I hoped that, if I let the old man blow off some steam, maybe he and the young master could reconcile. I didn’t mean any harm.”
So, he had truly dismantled many things that Enrico’s mother had left behind.
Enrico closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, they were bloodshot, his voice hoarse. “I destroyed what my mother left behind?”
Beau, still kneeling, immediately bowed his head to the floor, overwhelmed with guilt. “When Mrs. Annie passed away, Mr. Jeremy ordered us to pack away all her belongings, but we didn’t touch the estate’s facilities. As the young madam mentioned, her design was flawless and practical, so it remained intact.”
“It wasn’t until you took over the estate, young master, and wanted to see the estate’s plans that the old man became furious. He ordered me to alter the documents and make it seem like some parts were Leah’s additions or alterations, making you believe your mother’s designs had been tampered with.”
“Since you hadn’t lived here before, and the eldest daughter probably didn’t mention anything, you believed it. In your anger, you ordered all those things to be demolished.”
Beau’s voice trembled. “Including the hot spring mountain, the water landscape, the scenery merging with the sky… and…”
He paused, lifting his head.
Paige stood there, her gaze cold as ice. Somehow, Butler Beau felt like she already knew everything. He continued, “And the garden. Leah never cared for flowers, but the garden was filled with flowers Annie herself had nurtured and planted…”
But later, after Enrico’s order, everything was destroyed.
Not a single flower remained.
“…”
To have a son destroy what his mother painstakingly cultivated-it was a gut-wrenching act.
Paige glanced down at Jeremy, noticing his face was tight, his expression unreadable.