Chapter 217: Is It Wrong for Him to Want This Only?
Two tombstones stood quietly before him. In the past, they only had two photos attached, without any names. The tombstones were tall and cold.
But now, the photos were gone, replaced by perfectly sculpted engravings. The two people who should have been in the photos were turned into images, meticulously carved onto the tombstones. They occupied half of the space, without any color, yet were vividly lifelike. Their long hair flowed, their faces were stunning, and their smiles were more vibrant than in the photos. Despite being colorless, their pupils seemed to glow with light.
The engravings were deep, making them difficult to erode even after hundreds or thousands of years. These smiles would remain eternally with the tombstones.
“I remember Paige saying that the tombstones were too tall and cold,” he recalled.
What had he said back then? Enrico stood there, staring at the engravings for a long time, until he finally remembered. He had said, “I’m thinking about a way to preserve them permanently, not just the tombstones but also their appearances. Unfortunately, no matter how well the photos are preserved, they will eventually turn yellow and deteriorate. When I die, there will be no one left to replace their photos.”
Those were his words.
This was the gift Paige wanted to give him-the way to preserve the images of his deceased mother and sister forever.
Even the words on the tombstones were carefully engraved, the lettering smooth and elegant. The surrounding edges were adorned with intricately carved rose patterns, each bloom sculpted into stone, embodying countless tender feelings in a single monument.
Who knew that tombstones could be so beautiful and dignified?
“Hey, sir, didn’t Miss ask you to look at this later?” Olivia couldn’t help but approach when she saw Enrico pull off the fabric covering. “Sir, while you were abroad, Miss Paige was here almost day and night, carving the tombstone.”
Enrico didn’t move, letting her continue.
“I’ve heard that engraving images onto tombstones is an incredibly difficult skill to learn,” Olivia chattered on, becoming more talkative when speaking about Paige. “Miss Paige first had to turn the photos into drawings, and she practiced each stroke several times on stone before engraving them to make sure everything was perfect.”
“…”
“Miss Paige hurt her hands several times while carving, but she didn’t stop. She just put on bandages and kept going. She said you were anxious and would want to see the tombstone as soon as you returned, so she worked tirelessly to get it done.”
Olivia stood behind Enrico, chattering away, completely unaware of his expression.
To care about what the other person cares about…
“Heh.” Enrico suddenly chuckled, seemingly mocking himself, then began laughing more and more wildly, his shoulders shaking, his eyes misting over.
So, the one who never cared about the other person was him?
She knew his mother and sister were the most important people in his life, so she specifically learned the skill of engraving images into tombstones, bandaging her hands as she worked tirelessly to carve the tombstones herself.
And he-he wasn’t unaware of what she cared about most. He was just jealous, just competing, wanting to be the only thing in her heart, not even allowing the slums to compete with him.
But was that wrong?
Was it wrong for him to want to be her only?
“Sir…sir…” Olivia was frightened by Enrico’s sudden laughter.Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
Enrico suddenly turned to look at her, his smile twisted, almost feral. “Do you think I’m ridiculous?”
In his twenty-some years of life, this was the first time someone had ever pointed at him and called him ridiculous.
And at this moment, he had to admit he did feel a bit ridiculous.
“Sir, what’s wrong?” Olivia looked at him in shock, wondering if she should call Miss Paige.
Before Olivia could react, Enrico had already stumbled inside, his steps unsteady, as if he were drunk or disoriented.
…
Upstairs, in the small living room, Paige was reading a boring entertainment magazine. As she read, she dozed off.
She sat on the sofa, resting her head on one hand, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her eyes half-closed, her expression peaceful with a hint of weariness.
The magazine slipped off her lap.
Suddenly, she sensed someone watching her and woke up from her sleep, opening her eyes.
Enrico stood in front of her, looking down at her, his deep eyes seeming to contain endless abysses, impossible to fathom, sending chills down her spine.
“What’s wrong with you?” Paige noticed something was off about him.
“I saw your gift,” Enrico said slowly, his voice low and emotionless.
Hearing this, Paige furrowed her brows and straightened up. “You don’t like it?”
She thought she might have overstepped by touching his mother and sister’s tombstones, which she shouldn’t have done.
Enrico squatted down in front of her, expressionless, and grabbed her hand, examining it carefully.
In his palm, her hand looked pitifully small, her fingers soft and delicate, as if they could easily break. Her injuries healed quickly, and there were no visible scars on her hand now.
But just the thought of this hand, bandaged and carving the tombstone day and night, twisted something inside his chest.
“I never asked you to do this,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’m sorry,” Paige apologized. “Maybe we can find a good day to redo the tombstones. I shouldn’t have…”
“All I need is for you to stay by my side,” Enrico interrupted, his eyes deep and unreadable beneath his long lashes. “I don’t need any gifts from you, and you don’t have to do anything for me.”
Suddenly, he felt a surge of panic.
He suddenly didn’t want anything from her, because her efforts seemed more precious than anything he could offer.
Paige sat on the sofa, noticing that he didn’t seem angry, and she let out a small sigh of relief. Then, she looked at him in surprise. “Enrico, are you okay? I’m right here with you.”
What’s going on with him? She had already decided to stay, so why did he seem so down these days?
Was he expecting her to write a blood oath to prove it?
Enrico, still squatting in front of her, turned his face to the side and pressed his thin lips to her palm, deeply kissing it as if it were a priceless treasure.
Paige looked at him. What was wrong with him?
Did he just go out to look at the tombstone, or did he meet someone else?
“Paige,” Enrico murmured against her palm, his voice hoarse and tinged with deep emotion, “I, Enrico, have always been a despicable person, selfish and domineering. When I see something I want, I have to hold it tightly in my hand to feel secure. Even if it means destroying it, I won’t let it go.”
“I was like this before, and I will be like this in the future. I won’t change, and I can’t change.”
Enrico looked up at her, his eyes filled with shadows as he spoke words that would normally be chilling, yet his tone was almost pleading, as if asking for understanding.
Having been with Enrico for so long, how could Paige not know about his possessiveness? But why was he suddenly saying these things? Wasn’t this something he used to take pride in?
Back when he wanted her to stay, he had been so ruthless, almost imprisoning her.
Paige looked into his deep-set eyes and suddenly smiled faintly. “Honestly, I used to really hate that about you, but after spending time with you, I think I’ve started to understand.”