Chapter 429: Paige Comforts Enrico
Enrico rolled up his sleeves with a cold expression.
Butler Beau quickly lowered his head and backed away, afraid to provoke Enrico any further.
Enrico glanced toward Paige, who was now surrounded by the servants. He raised his hand to check his watch.
“Damn it, it’s only 1 PM.”
…
Paige knew that those who remained in The Gustin family’s villa were skilled in emotional intelligence, but she hadn’t expected them to be *this* skilled with words. One after another, they found ways to present themselves perfectly in front of her, speaking just enough to not make her uncomfortable, but also making sure she couldn’t leave-forcing her to get to know everyone.
By the time Paige had finished reviewing a stack of documents for the estate, it was already evening.
“Madam.”
Butler Beau sent someone over at just the right moment with a cup of warm tea.
Paige reached up to rub her temples. Though she had a photographic memory, staring at all those densely packed documents had exhausted her. By the end of the day, she had even become familiar with the estate’s drainage system.
It was terrifying.
She took a sip of the tea, the warmth spreading through her body. “Where’s Enrico?” she asked.
“…”
Butler Beau looked confused.
Paige glanced at the group of senior staff standing around. They all had the same puzzled expression, indicating that none of them had paid any attention to Enrico’s whereabouts.
She sighed. “Enrico is still the master here. Don’t go too far.”
“Yes, Madam.” They responded loudly.
Paige left the dining room, rubbing her shoulders. As she walked, every servant she passed greeted her with the utmost respect, much more sincerely than they had that morning. Their eyes even held a certain reverence, as if they were looking at a superhero.
She kept asking where Enrico was, but no one seemed to know his location. Instead, she was given a bunch of small handmade gifts by the maids, all thoughtfully prepared.
Her arms now full, Paige stopped asking and headed directly to the garden.
As expected, from a distance, she saw Enrico’s figure.
The front garden of The Gustin family villa was vast, with tall green walls, rare and exotic flowers, all illuminated beautifully by ground lights. But now, it was a complete mess.
Many plants had been ripped out of the ground, tossed aside, their flowers withered, far from the beauty they once displayed.
Enrico stood in the middle, his leather shoes covered in mud. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he bent down, pulling up plant after plant, tossing them aside like trash. Mud splattered all over his pant legs.
Paige looked at him and felt a pang of sadness.
“No matter how many flowers you pull out, they won’t come back.”
Hearing her voice, Enrico’s movements froze. After a moment, he resumed tearing out the plants, throwing them aside.
The next second, he squatted down, resting his elbows on his knees. His long, slender fingers, now covered in mud, hung limply as he stared at the flowerbed in front of him, his shoulders slumped, as though defeated.
Paige carefully placed the gifts she was carrying on the ground by the path. She took out a bottle of water and a neatly tied towel, then walked into the garden, stepping onto the soft soil as she approached him.
Enrico didn’t look at her; he just kept staring at the flowerbed in front of him. He curled his lips into a self-deprecating smile. “I’m trying to remember what the garden used to look like.”
“…”
“But no matter how hard I try, I can’t remember.”
He added, “I never really cared about this place. If it weren’t for knowing that my mother tended to it and my sister lived here, I wouldn’t have even wanted to step foot inside.”
But because of that, he had been tricked into destroying all the flowers Annie had planted herself.
Paige squatted down beside him, gently taking his hand. She poured water over it, washing away the mud, and then silently wiped it clean with the towel.
“I don’t really have any memories of her either. You know that she was killed the day she gave birth to me,” Enrico said with a bitter laugh.
In his world, Annie didn’t exist. The only person who ever talked to him about her was his sister.
“Do you miss her?” Paige asked while wiping his hand.Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.
“I can’t remember.” Enrico looked down at her pale face. “The only thing she ever did for me was give birth to me, and the only thing I’ve ever done for her is follow her will.”
“…”
“I always thought we were even. But I ended up destroying her garden.”
Paige felt his pain. He had never met his mother, but deep down, she knew he carried her memory. He held onto it tightly.
After finishing cleaning his hand, she put the towel back on the water bottle. Then, she gently wrapped her arms around him from the side.
It wasn’t enough to fully embrace him, but it was all she could manage.
She rested her cheek against his arm, gazing softly at his face. “While touring the estate today, I realized it could be even more beautiful and magnificent. I got a little angry and might’ve spoken harshly to you. But if you think about it, it’s really not your fault. If your mother could see you from above, I believe she’d be happy.”
“Happy?” Enrico looked at her as if she were joking.
“If I had a son, and he had suffered so much but finally emerged on top, I’d be happy even if he destroyed everything I had,” Paige smiled. “All I’d want is to see him healthy and happy.”
“Your son?” Enrico’s eyes sharpened as he looked at her. “Do you want to be a mother?”
Was she hinting that she wanted children?
Paige rolled her eyes. “I said *if*.”
“Really?”
Enrico studied her, scrutinizing every detail of her face to see if she was just saying that casually.
Paige laughed, “Are you even sad right now?”
How did the conversation shift to her so quickly?
Enrico lowered his gaze and replied, “I’m not exactly sad. Just frustrated, especially after being tricked by Jeremy. It’s really irritating.”
In the past, he could tolerate it, knowing that one day he’d go mad and exact his revenge. But now, he didn’t want to go mad, and seeing Jeremy live freely annoyed him.
“Alright, alright, don’t let it bother you anymore.” Paige reached out to rub his chest where his heart was. “Giving Jeremy this kind of end isn’t it more satisfying than simply killing him?”
Well, it wasn’t quite *that* satisfying.
Enrico frowned at her, then his expression softened. In a low voice, he said, “I’ll listen to you.”
“Then let’s not stay here. Come on.” Paige pulled him up.
“Where to?” Enrico asked, following her.
“Anywhere you want. You’re feeling down. Should I have a drink with you?” Paige suggested.
Hearing this, Enrico seemed to remember something. He looked at her, “I have just the place to show you.”
“What place?” Paige was confused.
“Come with me,” Enrico said, taking her hand and leading her out of the garden.
Paige, once again, ended up with a handful of gifts from the maids as they walked back to the main building.
As they headed upstairs, Enrico glanced at her. “Your talent for winning people over has only grown.”
Once she stepped into his territory, his people became hers.
Thinking about that, Jaden seemed quite loyal after all.
“…”
Paige felt a bit innocent, just as she was about to explain how she never actively tries to win people over, Enrico stopped her.
On the stairs, Enrico grabbed a red ribbon from the railing and gently tied it over her eyes.