It was the first day of snow. The chauffeur carefully pulled over the car in the driveway, glanced at the rearview mirror, and announced, "We've arrived, sir."
"Hmm…" The man, seated in the backseat, wearing an Armani limited edition suit, hummed lazily. His eyes closed, but he was awake the whole time, lost in his thoughts. The door on his side swung open, and the bodyguard stood with an upright back, waiting for him to get out of the car.
Not long after, the man exited the car, sweeping his gaze over the garden to familiarize himself with the place. Then, he looked up at the three-story manor, including its attic in the middle of the building, noting its appearance.
His pupils were constricted from intrigue. He thought it was just a hearsay that the patriarch was very generous to his granddaughter-in-law. Studying the entire place tells him how the woman lived a lavish life in the years since the marriage.
Five years ago, patriarch Aleksandr Ferrero purchased a manor and extensively renovated it for his new granddaughter-in-law. However, as the man could see, flower vines almost occupied the manor, covering most of the walls but leaving out the windows, allowing enough sunlight to pass through.
He had heard that the patriarch had allocated funds to maintain the entire manor. However, the inhabitants seemed to have abandoned the place.
It was as if no servant was in the manor to care for the garden. Then, what has the young matriarch been doing all these years?
He pursed his lips, wondering how she could handle Ferrero Castle when she'd neglected a small manor like this.
"We've knocked on the door, sir," sounded from the side, informed by a bodyguard.
"Great…" he nodded, tugging his tie as he strode toward the door where a middle-aged woman greeted him.
"You must be Attorney Larsen."
"Hummed, that's me, Madam." The man merely nodded, sizing up the middle-aged lady, but did not attempt to extend his arm for an answer.
Hearing his answer, the middle-aged lady grinned and ushered the man into the living room. "Please have a seat, Attorney. May I serve you tea? You are a long way from home. I am very pleased you paid me… erm, I mean us—a visit. Haha."
Lina Herbert laughed. The man frowned when her voice reached his ears. They were very unpleasant to hear.
"Ahem…" Standing by the side, the bodyguard coughed and gave the older lady a warning look. He, too, wished for the woman to shut her mouth.
The man in an expensive suit smiled.
"My apologies for not informing you ahead of time, Madam Herbert. I would not stay long, anyway, so I would cut to the chase." The man paused and then surveyed the inner manor. "It seems that your daughter's presence is missing. Is she not home?"
Lina Herbert opened her mouth to respond. But then there was the sound of a fragile object falling on the floor from the bedroom in the left wing.
The man looked up and wondered if it was the bedroom of the young matriarch.
Noticing his curiosity, Lina Herbert clapped to get the man's attention.
"Aha! I apologize on her behalf, Attorney Larsen. My daughter Yelena is such a shy person. Not only that, but she is also very clumsy. Hence, she rarely leaves her bedroom, so she is not used to meeting strangers." She hurriedly explained, and an awkward smile spread across her face.
The man raised a brow. He grimaced and said, "Is that so, madam? Unfortunately, I believe I am not a stranger to ignore."
Lina's face fell. She was taken aback momentarily but recovered quickly. She clapped her hands again and laughed to hide her nervousness. "Of course not! Haha! You are our distinguished guest. How could you be a stranger? I'll go and fetch my daughter."
"That would be wonderful, madam."
"Please, make yourself at home, Attorney..." the lady said before leaving and scurrying to the manor's second floor.
The man, who introduced himself as an attorney, took this opportunity to explore the manor's interior. He thought it would look unpleasant compared to its outer appearance. But he was wrong. The inner manor was well-kept; surprisingly, he found no dust on the furniture. It was also well organized, with everything in its rightful place.
In fact, the interior design was lavish and could be compared to those of typical wealthy upper-class families. This is to be expected since Yelena Herbert is the favored granddaughter-in-law of the distinguished Ferrero family.
As the saying goes, the patriarch pampered her daughter-in-law in the Ferrero mansion.
Attorney Larsen had been waiting for a while. Glancing at his gold wristwatch, he noted that it had been fifteen minutes since the older lady had fetched her daughter.
Attorney Larsen glanced at his bodyguard. Without words, the man understood his request.
The bodyguard approached the center table and poured tea into an empty cup. He sipped the tea and waited for a few seconds. After confirming his intention, he picked up another clean teacup, poured tea into it, and offered it to his boss.
"Young Master…" The bodyguard didn't finish his words when the man glared at him sideways. The man merely bowed and returned to his post.
Attorney Larsen picked up the floral porcelain teacup but paused midway. The set of teapots and teacups seems familiar. If he isn't mistaken, Aleksandr Ferrero owned a few sets.
"He's undoubtedly spoiling that woman," he mumbled, disgust flashing in his eyes. Gradually, he sipped the warm tea and recognized it as one of the patriarch's favorite teas, not to mention it cost a fortune, as the supply was limited. "I can't believe it."
The man who introduced himself as Attorney Larsen shook his head in amazement. He could not use words to describe Old Ferrero's relationship with his granddaughter-in-law.
That Old Man is stingy even to his grandson, but he instructs him to work hard and receive a suitable wage for his position. Old Ferrero was likely in control of everything.
Hence, his grandson Aleckin Ferrero learned to do business and make wise investments at a young age. Otherwise, he would be an orphan child begging in the street, as the older man would not bat an eye to kick him out of the family.
Another five minutes had passed, and Lina Herbert hadn't returned yet with her daughter.
"Should I fetch them, Young Mas… I mean, Attorney Larsen?"
Attorney Larsen glared at his bodyguard, who called him by his fake identity in a teasing tone. He didn't answer but waited.
Not long after, he finally heard footsteps descending the grand staircase. He looked up, and, for a strange reason, he seemed to anticipate the girl behind Lina Herbert coming into view.
'What the heck!' Attorney Larsen cursed under his breath after he was forced to swallow the warm tea. He almost would have dropped the teacup if it weren't for his good reflexes. 'The hell is going on here?'
"Attorney Larsen, this is my only daughter, Yelena Ferrero."
Lina Herbert smiled widely, overlooking his disgust. She introduced her twenty-three-year-old daughter to him as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world.
The older lady glanced at her daughter and nudged her in the arm. Yelena immediately stretched her arm, but the man across from them merely stared at it and didn't shake her hand.
Yelena Herbert was embarrassed by his cold treatment. She timidly retracted her hand and lowered her head, her eyes fixed on her shoes. She didn't get involved in the conversation but listened in silence.
No longer able to withstand the pressure of the attorney's and her mother's exchange of words, she clenched her palm tight before she inserted her other palm in her skirt pocket, pulled out candy, and put it in her mouth.
Attorney Larsen noticed this. His brow lifted as he witnessed how the woman chewed on as she was lost in her own world.
'What poor manners she has!' Attorney Larsen rolled his eyes.
On the other hand, Lina, who was cautious from the side, witnessed how the man rejected her daughter's offer to shake hands.
This made her unhappy. She clenched her jaw, annoyed at his arrogance. Even so, she shrugged it off and laughed in an attempt to make the atmosphere lively, not angering the guest.
"As I am saying, Attorney Larsen, my daughter is timid. You know, she married the young master by the age of eighteen, and since then, she never met her husband, nor did he visit, and she was introduced to the public as Madam Ferrero."
Attorney Larsen raised one eyebrow. He stared at the middle-aged lady with a chill in his eyes.
"Did the Ferrero family abandon your daughter this whole five years, Madam?" he made a stern remark that shut off Lina.
The older lady gulped when she met the man's stern gaze. Instantly, a chill ran down her spine, causing her body to shiver slightly.
"No, no, Attorney. The Ferrero's are very generous to us. I have no say," she answered hurriedly.
"That's good then… Now, I would not beat around the bush, Madam Herbert. I am here specifically to speak with your daughter." Upon saying that, Attorney Larsen shoots Yelena a meaningful look.
Attorney Larsen picked up the black suitcase on the floor and placed it on the center table. He pulled a document and presented it to the girl across from him.
"Miss Herbert, my employer, wished you to sign this document." Without any further explanation, he pushed the red folder toward Yelena.