Chapter 372 The Slaughtered Family
The man helped Francesca up as he spoke.
Francesca was still in tears. With the man supporting her, she moved like a marionette, following his every step.
The man respectfully held Francesca's arm, covered by her sleeve, and escorted her back to her room.
After settling Francesca down, the man lit some incense nearby and poured a large glass of wine, handing it to her. "You haven't rested well for a long time. I added a bit of a sleep aid to the wine. Drink it and get some good sleep first. Whatever it is, we can talk about it after you wake up. Your body can't take any more stress."
The man persuaded her a bit, and Francesca took the glass.
Perhaps she had thrown things too forcefully earlier, as her arm was still trembling.
She lifted her tear-streaked face and said to the man, "I can't sleep."
The man knelt in front of Francesca. "Mrs. Carnegie, you must rest. You haven't slept well the night before last or last night. Your body can't take it anymore."
Francesca closed her eyes, and the last of her tears fell. She tilted her head back and downed the large glass of strong wine.
Handing the glass back to the man, he took it, wiped her face with a towel, and then left the room with the glass.
He quietly closed the door, and the waiting servants approached. "Mr. McCoy."
Butler Rodolfo McCoy put a finger to his lips and whispered. "Let's talk downstairs."
Once downstairs, Rodolfo handed the glass to a servant to wash.
Rodolfo instructed, "Cleaners, go upstairs and tidy the room. Storage staff, pick out a new batch of decorative items to replace the broken ones. Remember, be very quiet. Mrs. Carnegie hasn't rested in two days."
After Rodolfo gave his instructions, everyone moved quietly and efficiently.
In the storage room, identical items were neatly arranged on several tall shelves.
The servants, familiar with the routine, quickly counted and retrieved the items, placing them back in their original positions once the upstairs room was cleaned.
In the bedroom, Francesca finally fell into a deep sleep under the influence of the medication.
Everyone in the villa knew that Rodolfo might not be there every day to manage things, but he had a calming effect on everyone.
Mrs. Carnegie usually had a good temper, but she had her moments of madness.
During such times, only Rodolfo could calm her down.
On the other side, Paige, who had been hurt, was recovering under Raymond's comfort.
As long as Paige didn't dwell on certain issues, she felt much better.
As long as she didn't think about Francesca as her biological mother abandoning her, her emotions remained stable, and she wouldn't suddenly burst into tears.
Raymond deliberately changed the subject to distract Paige.
But Paige wasn't interested in food, drink, or entertainment; she was more concerned about the secret funds.
Paige asked, "Did you see Lily at last night's party?"
Raymond replied, "I know she was there, but my eyes were on you the whole time."
Raymond always seized the opportunity to express his love for Paige.
Paige said, "I'm talking about serious matters."
Raymond smiled, "So am I."
Looking at Raymond's handsome face and smile, Paige felt unexpectedly good despite discussing troubling matters.
Paige spoke, "Lily has been helping me investigate her backer, but the person behind her is too cunning."
No other clues had been found so far, but it was clear that Lily's backer had something significant.
Perhaps, besides the clues Lily and Oliver had found, the backer had more.
This was what Paige wanted most.
But the backer was too cautious and cunning. Paige wondered if she should change her strategy. Even if she couldn't find the person immediately, she couldn't let the backer go.
Raymond said, "It seems we've encountered a tough opponent this time. But if the person is so cautious, they probably aren't from the Hamilton family or the Russell family. These two families have been searching for the secret funds for years. Although they are discreet, their methods are much bolder and not so cautious."
"If it's not the Hamilton family, the Russell family, the Ellison family, or your family, could it be that the Douglas family has resurfaced?" Paige looked at Raymond.
Raymond smiled and said, "The Douglas family was always small and has long been extinct. Now, it seems that more than the original five families know about the secret funds."
Paige took a deep breath. "It's already difficult enough. Why make it even harder?"
Raymond smiled and patted Paige's head, soothing her. "My father started looking for the funds, but he passed away too early. For a long time, the search was abandoned."
Paige looked at Raymond. "I've always been curious but never had the chance to ask. How did the Carnegie family..."
Paige knew this topic would be difficult to discuss.
But as Raymond's wife, she felt she should understand what he had gone through.
She thought it would be hard for Raymond to talk about it.
But Raymond thought for a moment and decided to tell Paige. "In the battles among top families, there are murders, assassinations, and all kinds of accidents. These schemes have never stopped for over a century. My mother was shot and killed after she stepped in to take a bullet for my father. After that, my father became very concerned about safety. He found a way to send me away and eventually had me registered under Bradley's name."
Raymond continued, "The Carnegie family was a deeply hidden subsidiary of our family. Because it was far enough from Dominia and had a long history, I managed to survive here. Later, my father was poisoned in his daily food and died a tragic death. He died when I was six. I couldn't take over the Carnegie family and couldn't avoid the schemes, so I lived as Bradley's son. Actually, I'm the second child in our family. I originally had an older sister, but she died even earlier. I barely have any memories of her."
Paige asked, "How did your sister die?"
Raymond's eyes filled with pain. "She fell from a building, the top floor of the Hawke Corporation building. There were no cameras, no witnesses. No one knows if she jumped or was pushed."
Paige was shocked by Raymond's answer. "Oh my God, fell from a building? How old was she then?"
Raymond thought for a moment and remembered. "Fourteen."
Paige said, "And then? Was there an autopsy or anything?"
Raymond shook his head. "I was too young then. I don't remember. I only learned about my sister's cause of death later from the records."
Paige asked, "So, the Carnegie family was brought down by the other families?"
Raymond answered, "Yes, after my father died, several branches also met with accidents, and the people were gone. When Bradley was young, he was quite capable. He led the effort to transfer most of the Carnegie family's wealth back to the country. Then he dispersed the wealth that couldn't be transferred back. That's how the Carnegie family survived until now."
Listening to these stories, Paige felt increasingly that the Hamilton family and the Russell family, who still stood at the top, were ruthless.
To amass wealth, they didn't care about human lives.
"When Mr. Ellison taught me about the five families, he mentioned that his relatives fell one by one like stars. Some bodies were never found. I knew then that joining Mr. Ellison's plan was very dangerous. Now, with Emory and Jenny appearing, it feels like we're officially encountering people from these top families, and danger is right in front of us." Paige said, suddenly touching her belly.
She was worried. "It seems our child is coming at a bad time."
Paige feared that, with her identity tied to the Ellison family, she might attract schemes from the Hamilton family and the Russell family.
She could dodge these threats herself, having undergone special training in both medicine and combat.
But the little one inside her was so small and fragile.
Even after a safe birth, the child would remain vulnerable for a long time.
Paige began to feel a vague sense of unease.
Raymond also knew they were facing extraordinary enemies.
But he was no longer the child from the time when the Carnegie family was suppressed.
He had grown up. Over the years, he and Bradley had worked hard. Although he hadn't officially announced himself as the heir of the Carnegie family among the five families, their hidden strength was formidable.
He reassured Paige. "Don't worry. Since our child has the chance to come into this world, I will protect him. Our family has learned from past mistakes. I won't let history repeat itself."
He had never planned to marry and have children before his plans succeeded.
But falling in love with Paige had made him start planning in secret.
Paige nodded, "It seems we need Julian to send more people over. We need to be more vigilant in every aspect."
Then Paige asked, "Do you know what happened to the completely extinct Douglas family?"
When Wesley taught her, he rarely mentioned the Douglas family.
Probably because the Douglas family had not only lost all its people but also had its business and wealth swallowed up.
Raymond thought for a moment. "The Douglas family was the lowest-ranked among the five families and ended up the worst. Carnegie family was betrayed, and Mr. Ellison faked his death to escape. But the Douglas family was massacred!"
The word "massacred" sent a shiver through Paige.
Raymond continued, "At that time, the Russell family orchestrated a disturbance in Dominia. They used the chaos to surround the Douglas family and slaughter everyone, even the servants working for them. In the end, they blamed the rioters. The Hamilton family and the Russell family completely cleared their names and even became the 'good guys' who helped the Douglas family."
Paige was confused. "Helped?"
Raymond nodded, "Yes, although the Douglas family was gone, their wealth remained. After the Hamilton family and the Russell family divided it, some assets couldn't be taken and had to be managed. Unfortunately, there were no descendants of the Douglas family to reclaim those assets. But to maintain their good image, the Hamilton family and the Russell family have added to the Douglas family's trust fund over the years. Soon, the Douglas family's trust fund might rival a significant portion of the secret funds."
Paige was shocked. "They killed everyone and still put on a show?"
Raymond nodded, "That's how top families operate. They care about their reputation. Since there are no Douglas family members left to inherit the wealth, they continue to add to the Douglas family fund from their joint projects. It's not a loss for them. They get both reputation and money!"
Paige cursed, "Hypocrites! Emory and Jenny are clearly well-trained by their families."
Speaking of Emory and Jenny, Raymond frowned. "When you left the party, Emory followed you. Did you know he looked at you like a hunter eyeing his prey?"
Paige was stunned. "Does he want to kill me?"
Raymond shook his head, "Not sure. I didn't sense much killing intent. Of course, he might be hiding it well."
Paige said, "The Douglas family is gone, and the Carnegie family is practically hidden. Now, I'm the only one from the Ellison family out in the open. With me here, it forms a stable triangle. If they want to kill me, wouldn't that be foolish? Now, with their families fighting, the situation might be dire. Seeing Emory and Jenny so eager to approach me, they must be desperate to win me over."
Raymond reminded, "The Ellison family still has its strength. Mr. Ellison was smart to preserve most of it. So, it's normal for them to want to recruit you. The more they stand to gain by bringing you in, the more impatient they'll be. It looks like the Hamilton family will soon approach you too. We might as well see what offers they each make to attract you!"
Paige smiled. "It seems I'm quite safe and very popular right now!"
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