The sky was already dark when the MPV drove into the summer villa.
“Young Master Justin, why are you here at this hour?”
“Where’s Grandpa?”
“Old Mr. Burton is already resting. How about I get someone to arrange for you to stay here tonight? Then if there’s anything, you can talk to him tomorrow night.”
Outside Arthur’s room door, Justin was stopped by the butler. The door was tightly shut, as if the old man didn’t intend to see him at all.
“Young Master Justin, Old Mr. Burton is really resting
Justin clenched his fists. “Where’s Rae?”
The servants on the side dared not speak.
“Are you all mute?” Justin looked around, but no one dared to answer his question, so his face turned gloomy in an instant. “I’m asking all of you a question!”
The atmosphere in the living room was deathly still, and everyone was staying silent out of fear.
“Oh, a rare visitor.”
A sarcastic voice sounded from the stairs, and Tina stood there with her hand on the handrail. “I thought I was hearing things, but you’re really back, Justin.”
Justin frowned, but he appeared calm.
“Justin, it’s unlike you to come here and make a fuss so late at night. Did something happen to the company?”
“Where’s Rae?”
“Rae? Oh, you mean my mute cousin-in-law. I seem to have heard that Grandpa called her over today, so you should ask him.”
The impatience in Justin’s eyes intensified. He didn’t want to continue talking nonsense with her. “Leon, is Grandpa really asleep?”
The butler replied helplessly, “Young Master Justin, If Old Mr. Burton says that he’s going to sleep, that means he doesn’t want to see anyone anymore. If you believe me, then just listen to me and don’t ask
any more questions. Tomorrow morning, Mrs. Burton will definitely return in perfect condition.”
“Where is she now?”
“Young Master Justin-” He was about to say something but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind him.
The servant who opened the door stood by the door, then a cold voice sounded from inside. “Ask him to come in.”
Something flickered across Justin’s eyes, then he immediately entered the room.
The butler wanted to give Justin a word of advice, but he didn’t manage to pull him in time, so he could only stare at the closed door and sigh.
He had watched Justin grow up, but he had never seen him act as irrational as he was now. He was focused on searching for one person; no wonder Arthur was so angry.
Right now, the only person in the Burton Family who was delighted was Tina.
Even in August, the mountains were exceptionally cold at night. This temperature wasn’t comparable to the city’s
Rachel was only wearing a dress, so she was shivering as she kneeled in the ancestral hall.
The light inside was dim, and she didn’t bring her phone in, so she didn’t even know what time it was.
The creaking sound of the door opening came from behind, causing Rachel to shudder in fright as she looked vigilantly at the door.
Under the moonlight, a pair of high heels clacked against the floor as the woman stepped through the door with the moonlight shining behind her. Then, she walked toward Rachel.
It wasn’t until the visitor got closer that Rachel saw her figure, and her pupils constricted.
“It’s only been a few days, but we meet again, Rachel
Tina stood a short distance away from Rachel. As usual, she appeared domineering. “Don’t you think that we always meet at the weirdest places? You must’ve owed me a lot of money in your past life, huh?”
Rachel didn’t have a phone, nor did she have a paper and pen, so she couldn’t respond to Tina’s remarks and could only listen as she spoke,
Tina walked one round in her 4-inch high heels, then she crossed her arms, as if she was watching a show, looking extremely smug. “Did you know that Justin arrived half an hour ago?”
Rachel froze.
Justin is here?
“Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to want to care about you at all. Grandpa called upon him to talk about something. After he got out, he went to the guest room to rest. He didn’t even ask about you.”
How’s that possible?
“Are you surprised? You don’t believe me? Tina let out a bitter laugh. “Let me tell you why: It’s because there’s no need to be falsely affectionate and pretentious with a dead person.”
What did you say?
Rachel’s expression changed to one of disbelief.
“It won’t be long before you become one of these plaques. You’ll be placed in this ancestral hall, and it’ll be declared to the public that you have passed away due to a certain illness, leaving Jefferey a large amount of money as compensation. Do you think he’ll pursue it then?”
Rachel staggered as she stood up from the futon.
This is impossible. I didn’t do anything wrong, so why would the Burtons want to kill me?
“You don’t believe me?” Tina played the recording. “Listen for yourself.’
Chapter 15
After a loud noise, Arthur’s voice came from the recorder. “Justin, I’m very disappointed with your recent behavior. The Burton Family is like a tough bone-not easy to chew-but this does not mean that Jefferey won’t try to fool you.”
“Grandpa, Jefferey isn’t that capable yet. You’ve overestimated him.”
*Don’t think that I don’t know anything. He’s capable enough to replace the bride. The way you handled It has already disappointed me. You should’ve let Rachel leave. She’s worthless.”
We’re only keeping her to get the formula.”
“Didn’t we already get the formula?”
“We’re still matching the ingredients, so there’s no final product yet.”
“Then, let me ask you-what are you going to do after we get the final product?”
After a silence that lasted for several seconds, a gust of cold wind blew in the ancestral hall, causing the back of Rachel’s neck to turn cold.
After some time, Justin’s voice rang in the recording. “I’ll take care of it.”
Arthur didn’t make any comments, but the conversation changed abruptly. “Did you order for the company’s personnel transfer?”
“I haven’t given the order, but I had that idea.”
“For that woman?”
“It’s for the normal operation of the company,” Justin answered in a calm tone. “Since Zayn dared to do anything he desired because of one sentence from Tina, that meant that he didn’t have any regard for the company’s rules. Keeping him will cause something major to happen.”
“What if I say that something major will happen if that mute stays by your side?”
When this sentence emerged from the recorder, it echoed in the huge ancestral hall.
“Then, it’s all up to you, Grandpa.”
When the simple and concise sentence was spoken, not a trace of reluctance could be heard. It was as if she was an item to be bought and sold at will; only her body substantiated her existence.
Arthur said, “She will become a plaque in the Burtons’ ancestral hall. Are you willing to let that happen?”
“Marrying her was originally for the exchange of benefits.”
Rachel was taken aback, unable to believe what she had just heard,
After the recording finished playing, Tina gave her a condescending look, but there was slight sympathy in her eyes. “Did you hear that? Grandpa doesn’t plan to keep you around anymore Keeping you at the Burton Residence is the biggest mistake Justin has made in his life. If you’re still counting on Justin to save you, then I advise you not to continue with your wishful thinking, because he’s not coming Previously, I thought he cared about you, but now, it seems like he doesn’t”
Rachel sank down onto the futon
Am I really going to die here?
Every one of Tina’s mocking remarks made its way into her ears, gnawing at her nerves like dense insects.
Justin was so indifferent in the recording that it felt like he was a completely different person from the one who had been taking care of her for the past few days.
Which one is the real him?
Tina continued, “Didn’t I say that if you snitch on me, I’d kill you? I’m a little upset now that you’re not gonna die at my hands.”
Rachel suddenly came to her senses. Shooting Tina a glance, she was struck with a sudden thought as she retrieved a chalk from the incense case and started writing on the ground.
“What are you doing?”
Tina frowned and stared for a long while.
‘Do you really think the person who snitched on you was me?’
