Capítulo 5: Chapter 5
"It's a small place, but it is nice," Stephen commented after his sisters gave him and their mother a tour around Mikael's Villa, and all three ladies rolled their eyes.
"It's more than big enough for three people," Grisha told her son, who was being ridiculous.
The house itself covered an area of approximately 1500 square metres, counting the basement, garage, and two storeys, and then there were two outdoor swimming pools and gardens and grounds. The estate was situated on 8 acres of land.
How could it be small for a family of three and their dozens of servants?
She noticed that there were only three maids in the house, and then there were guards, who had their own quarters on the boundaries of the estate.
There was also a Horse Stable, and a dirt road around the boundary, clearly created for horseriding and jogging.
Grisha, being a businesswoman, was aware of the value of this place and the people behind this posh Residential Town.
This land once belonged to the Zarayne Family, and even though they had sold it to a Real Estate Giant, it was not surprising that their son received or kept one of the finest estates in this Residential District. If she had to guess, this estate was easily worth 60 Million Draks.
However, to compare a Villa to a Manor was simply unfair, but Stephen was not old enough to realise it yet.
Her son was immediately attracted to the gaming lounge in the basement, connected to the underground Garage, where all sorts of setups were placed.
It was clearly designed as a place for friends to gather and spend a good night of gaming, snooker, pool, table tennis, and other games.
However, what Grisha found surprising was that there was no bar in the Villa.
She knew her daughters hated drinking, and when she was in their room, she could not help but notice that whoever decorated it, was well aware of the likes and dislikes of her girls.
There were two Gyms in the house, one for workouts, and the other with a boxing ring and a hall for Martial Arts Training.
However, what shocked her most was Mikael's Study, which was full of thousands of books, and there was a small bar as well.
The far end of the study opened into a secret room, which Stephen was eager to see, and Klara seemed curious about it as well.
Only Raeya had an idea about what was behind it, and when they entered it, it almost looked like they had entered an Art Gallery.
There were collections of paintings on the walls, some very valuable, and then there were paintings on the stands, all curious, marking a journey of improvement, and their steps halted when they came across a very recent painting, still unfinished, and on it were the faces of the Twins, who were laughing brightly.
Grisha smiled as she saw how much effort had been put into it, and though unfinished, it was already the best painting that Mikael had created so far.
Once the Art Room ended, they found another secret room. The Lady of the Albonn Family was very surprised to find all sorts of Musical Instruments here as well as a fully equipped recording room.
There was a very complicated look in Raeya's eyes after she saw everything in the study and beyond it.
It was clearly a house that she had once told Mikael that she would love to live in with him.
This place had everything that she could ask for, catering to all her hobbies and interests.
The only place that they did not visit was Mikael's Room, it was out of respect for his privacy, and also because Stephen was very tired after checking every corner of the house.
"Too small, huh?" Grisha teased her son, who blushed at her words and then happily sipped the juice that Aunt Lu served him.
"Does your Master often bring his friends here?" She curiously asked the Nanny, who had raised Mikael since he was a kid.
"No, Madame. Master does not bring his friends inside the house. They stay in the basement, and visits are very rare."
"Not even the girls?"
"No, Madame. Master has never brought a girl home. Only the family members and maids are allowed inside." She clearly answered what Grisha wanted to know, and the woman smiled after hearing those words.
It was good that Mikael knew where boundaries needed to be drawn.
Another complicated look passed Raeya's eyes after hearing what Aunt Lu said, and she decided to question the woman in detail later.
There was no way that she was telling the truth.
After all their things had been moved into the new home, the ladies sat down at the dining table for lunch, and Grisha took this opportunity to ask Aunt Lu about Mikael and what he was like in his private life.
It was clear from how fondly the woman spoke about him that he cared for her and cherished her a lot. Then again, this woman was his Nanny.
Even though she intended to meet her Son-in-Law before leaving, seeing that it was nearly evening and he had not turned yet, Grisha left after a very long hug with her daughters.
She gave them a few very healthy and useful pieces of advice on married life, and both the girls blushed and nodded their heads, even though these suggestions and pieces of advice were of no use to them.
Mikael did not return home until 10 pm, and at that time, Raeya and Klara were sitting in the lounge, chatting with Aunt Lu.
He did not seem surprised at seeing that they had come back, and after smiling at them, he walked towards his study.
"What happened to your face?" Raeya suddenly questioned him, which made him stop in his tracks, and Aunt Lu immediately stood up to check what the young lady was talking about.
Her eyes welled up with tears when she found a clear mark of a slap on his face, and even his lip was broken in the corner.
"Heh... there is someone in the city who dares to slap you?" The older twin stood up and smirked at him, and he chuckled at her words.
"Yes. My father." He told her and then continued walking towards the Study. "I have already eaten, Aunt Lu. Please get some rest."
The old lady sadly lowered her head and wiped away her tears, and then she bowed to the two ladies and excused herself.
"Wait!"
"Yes, My Lady?"
"Why did Mikael fall out with his father?"
The old lady hesitated as it was the private matter of the family, but then thought that both the girls were her Master's Wives, so it was fine if they knew.
"I don't know exactly what happened, My Lady. All I know is that Master had asked the Old Master to go and ask your parents for your hands in marriage, and the Old Master had refused his request. Later that evening, they loudly argued with each other, and then Master Gabriel..." She hesitated as she recalled the day. "He beat him with a baseball bat. Master had to stay in the hospital for two months after that incident, and he never went back to the Family Manor. Not until today."
Aunt Lu excused herself after telling them all she knew, and she retired to her room to get some sleep.
Raeya and Klara stayed standing in the lounge for several minutes, recalling the period of six months after Mikael's graduation, when he had disappeared and no one in their circle knew where he was.
Some had even speculated that he had gone to a different city or another country to get his Masters Degree, but he was soon seen attending the birthday party of his younger cousin and had appeared at the event with his mother and his aunt.
Now they knew why he had stayed off the radar.
Suddenly, they heard the door of the lift connected to the garage open, and both girls curiously watched a pair of ladies walking down the hallway, towards the lounge.
They immediately recognised the middle-aged woman, who was six years older than their mother, slightly over 50 years old, but looked to be in her late thirties. She had a tall figure and was well-maintained. Her soft brown hair with soft curls complemented her blue eyes.
She was wearing a pair of rimmed glasses and was in her office suit, and the look she gave them made them forget to breathe.
This was none other than Mikael's mother, Maria Zarayne, CEO of the Ravenstein Conglomerate, owned by the Zarayne Family.
If their Grandfather was called the Business God of Sylvor City, then Maria was the witch that no one wanted to mess around with.
She had singlehandedly quadrupled the value of Ravenstein Conglomerate ever since she took charge, and now, under her leadership, the parent company was seeing a very steady and stable rise.
"Where's my son?" The woman asked them, not even greeting them, and her eyes were unkind.
"He's in his study, Aunty." Klara politely answered, and she was relieved in her heart that Maria did not correct her on how she had addressed her.
She simply walked deeper into the house towards the study, and a young girl, who was around eighteen years old, glanced at the twins with some anger in her eyes.
"You must be very happy right now. Right?" She coldly spat those words and followed her Aunt.
She was Anaiah Zarayne, a sophomore at their university, and Mikael's beloved little cousin.
Usually, they got along very well with her, and they could even be considered friends. Never before had they seen Anaiah be so cold to someone.
"Anaiah, wait!"
Raeya gritted her teeth and walked over to the girl who stopped in her tracks.
"Yes?" She impatiently asked.
"What happened?"
"Don't you know?" She coldly asked, but frowned when she saw her shake her head. "Brother has been expelled from the family by Father and Grandfather."
The girl did not say anything more and walked towards the study.
Thankfully, the door was still open, and she closed it after entering the room.
The twins looked at each other and sat down, frowning and deep in thought. They did not even realise how much time passed, and when they heard the door of the study open, they immediately stood up on their feet.
Maria did not look well, and her eyes were red from crying. However, she still looked very dignified as she approached them.
Anaiah was right behind her, looking immensely sad, and Mikael was standing at the door, watching them with a frown on his face.
They thought that Maria was going to say something harsh to them, but she only had one question.
"How's your family taking it?" She gently asked Klara, who kept her head lowered.
"We have been expelled from the family."
Her answer surprised both Maria and Anaiah, and they both frowned.
"Why?" She genuinely asked, but seeing that her daughter-in-law was hesitant to answer, she did not push it. "Come to Aunty if you need any help. Okay?"
Feeling the soft palms gently cupping her cheeks, her eyes teared up and she nodded her head in a promise.
"Take care."
She told Raeya and then left with her niece, who looked at them in some sadness but followed her Aunt to return to the Family Manor.
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