Chapter 54
I briefed Vida on the remaining work, grabbed my car keys, and left the office.
I drove to an apartment in the suburbs.
This was a place I'd bought with my own money, a safe house that belonged entirely to me—one the White family knew nothing about.
Opening the safe, I took out a thick stack of documents and a locked box.
The documents contained a complete inventory of all the assets Cecilia had left behind, each item clearly documented.
And inside that box were her most precious belongings and some important property deeds.
I had to get everything sorted out before the engagement and ensure the most thorough legal protection.
This wasn't just to guard against the White family wolves—it was to protect the last gift of love and armor Cecilia had left me.
They were mine alone, and no one was going to touch a single thing.
I sat alone in that apartment, the spread-out documents taking on a worn texture under the cool lamplight.
Aurora's words were like a stone dropped into a deep pool, stirring up endless ripples in my heart.
I'd always thought my revenge was about taking back the White Group, about making Amelia and Marlowe lose everything. My fingertips traced over a jewelry inventory, my gaze settling on a pigeon blood ruby brooch.
It was Cecilia's favorite piece, and the first item among the wedding gifts she'd left me.
But I remembered clearly—three years ago, Marlowe had taken it from me under the guise of "safekeeping."
She said it wasn't safe for a kid to wear something so valuable, and she'd return it when I got married.
After that, similar incidents of "safekeeping" and "borrowing to wear" happened constantly.
Back then, I wasn't strong enough, so I could only endure it.
Now, it was time to take back everything that belonged to me, piece by piece.
The next day, I went straight back to the White Mansion.
Preston was in the living room, smugly on the phone, discussing a new project he'd successfully secured thanks to my marriage alliance with the Wilson family.
I quietly sat down on the sofa, and only after he hung up did I speak unhurriedly, "Dad, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Go ahead." He was in an excellent mood today, even looking at me with a rare hint of "affection."
"The engagement ceremony with Benjamin is coming up," I placed a prepared list on the table in front of him. "I'm sure you've seen the wedding gifts from the Wilson family—quite impressive. Naturally, the White family can't look shabby and lose face."
Preston's eyes fell on the list, his brow furrowing instinctively.
I continued, "Most of these items were left to me by my mother—they should have been mine all along. It's just that over the years, Marlowe thought I was too young and might lose them, so she 'borrowed' quite a few for safekeeping." I emphasized the word "borrowed," my tone calm and steady. "Now that I'm getting married, these things should be returned to their rightful owner."
Preston picked up the list, and the more he read, the darker his expression became.
It included not only jewelry but also several valuable paintings and even some antique ornaments from Cecilia's collection.
Each item was clearly marked with the year it was "borrowed" and by whom.
Seeing his silence, I gently tapped the table as a reminder. "The Wilson family values character above all else, and Quentin especially cares about integrity. If I can't even protect my own mother's belongings before the engagement, word will get out—and it won't just be my face that's lost, but the entire White family's."
That sentence hit Preston right where it hurt.
Compared to the enormous benefits of the Wilson family alliance, Marlowe and Amelia's petty greed was utterly insignificant.
"Outrageous!" He slammed the list on the table and shouted upstairs, "Marlowe! Amelia! Get down here now!"
Marlowe and Amelia clearly hadn't expected him to be this angry. They rushed downstairs, still looking half-asleep.
"Preston, what's wrong? Why are you so angry this early in the morning?" Marlowe tried to play the virtuous wife.
Preston threw the list right in her face. The paper grazed her cheek, leaving a faint red mark. "See for yourself! Is this how you've been running this household all these years? You've had your hands on Ophelia's mother's belongings! You've made me lose all face!"
Marlowe's face went instantly pale, and Amelia was too scared to make a sound.
"Dad, I... I just saw she wasn't wearing them, so I borrowed them..." Amelia tried to make excuses.
"Shut up!" Preston's patience had run out. "Return everything on that list to Ophelia, not a single item missing! If anything's lost or damaged, you'll replace it with your own things! And not just replace—double it!"
When he turned to look at me, his expression had softened. He even pulled out a black card from his wallet and handed it to me. "Buy whatever you like. Don't shortchange yourself. The White family now... depends entirely on you."
That last sentence was his true feeling.
I took the card, feeling nothing inside.
I looked at the stunned Marlowe and Amelia, a faint smile playing at my lips. "So, Marlowe, can you take me to inventory my things now?"
Marlowe's body swayed, nearly unable to stand.
She glared at me with hatred, but when she met Preston's warning look, she had to bow her head in humiliation and squeeze out through gritted teeth, "Follow me."
I took the list and followed her into her luxurious walk-in closet.
Amelia reluctantly trailed behind, each step seeming like walking on knife points.
Marlowe opened her massive safe, which was filled with dazzling jewels that nearly blinded the eyes.
She began taking things out one by one, her expression twisting more with each item.
"'Ocean Heart' sapphire necklace." I read from the list, my voice cool.
Marlowe gritted her teeth, pulled out a velvet box from the very back, and slammed it heavily on the vanity.
"A pair of emerald earrings."
"Patek Philippe antique watch."
With each item I called out, her face grew darker.
Amelia was so heartbroken that she was nearly in tears. She was wearing one of the ruby bracelets from the list on her wrist, and now, under my gaze, she had no choice but to return it.
The items on the list were checked off one by one, and Marlowe's movements became increasingly agitated.
When she reached for the last pair of diamond cufflinks, her emotions got the better of her. Her movements were too forceful, and her elbow accidentally knocked into the shelf next to the safe.
A heavy carved ornament on the shelf tilted and fell backward, hitting the wall with a heavy thud.
The sound didn't seem like it had hit a solid wall.
Marlowe's face turned deathly pale, even more panicked than when Preston had scolded her earlier.
She instinctively tried to straighten the ornament, attempting to cover something up.
But it was too late.
My gaze moved past her shoulder, and I clearly saw that the wallpaper behind the ornament had split open in a thin crack from the violent impact.
And beneath the crack, what was revealed wasn't the wall itself, but something with a metallic sheen.
There was another safe hidden there.