Chapter 356 - The Manor

While Hanxi was being hugged by Isabella's father and uncle, Isabella went to study the papers. She looked through each one and turned her attention to the three. "Daddy? The manor in Ireland? Why does it say, transfer of deed to you?"

"Ireland? Could it be?" Vittoria asked. She also came forward to look at the papers. 

Letting go of Hanxi, Stefano said, "Yes. Yes, Vittoria, It's father's Manor… Unless of course, this is another joke! Haha!"

"You sold grandfather's manor? No - no wonder we had not gone there for a long time," Isabella said with a frown on her face. "Why daddy?"

Everyone suddenly saw the heartbreak in Isabella's face that Vittoria held on to her shoulders and said, "And for years, you went through several treatments. We did not have the heart to tell you."

"Well, this had been such an eventful day… but it's getting late. I want to take a rest now," Stefano suddenly announced. Their relatives were caught by surprise but Stefano gave smiles and words appreciation. They did not feel saddened by the early farewell. 

They bid their goodbyes and the only Salvatore and his family stayed behind. Isabella's father suggested that they go to the living room and discuss the truth about the manor. He did not want to involve the others as it was a private matter, which was why he ended the party.

Eleonor, Salvatore's wife, having already known about the manor, lingered with her sons and daughters in the garden while Salvatore followed Stefano inside the house. Matteo also remained in Eleonor's care, knowing they were about to discuss a sensitive topic. 

Stefano asked Hanxi to come with them. Since he gifted the manor, he assumed that Hanxi was fully aware. Hanxi reluctantly followed while his heart continued to flutter at a faster rate. 

As they got settled, Hanxi watched Salvatore, Stefano, and Vittoria from across, showing such delicate expressions. At that point, the mystery was killing him. He asked himself, 'What was the deal with that manor?'

"Bella, my daughter, we offered this manor to Alfred Davies, a very powerful businessman in the UK. We did so in the hopes that he would consider helping us with your rescue," revealed Stefano.

"We had heard about the British government making successful retrieval missions for its wealthy families. We went to the UK to ask for help from the Secretary of State for Defence, but we were denied…We could only assume it was because we were not from the UK. The secretary's assistant, however, took pity on us," explained Stefano. 

"It was me and your father who went and the assistant tipped us that Alfred Davies was the next person to approve any request. We went straight to him, but because he was a busy man, we told his office that we would offer the manor for his time. We heard that Mr. Davies enjoyed collecting homes in Europe, so we opted to try it," Salvatore helped narrate how it all happened. 

"We did not know how or what Mr. Davies' connection to those who did the retrieval operations, but he simply said that he also had a daughter and so he will pass on the request for approval. He accepted the Manor and gave us the bill for the job."

Hanxi let out a heavy sigh, finally understanding how it all went. He was about to excuse himself and rushed to the bathroom, just so he could give Andrea a call.

It was no wonder that Alfred Davies was the one who sent over the documents to the bank. 

The manor originally belonged to Isabella's grandmother. Her grandmother passed away after giving birth to Stefano. After her death, her grandfather made it a point to visit Ireland at least once a year, even bringing Stefano and Salvatore with him. Isabella also had the pleasure of staying in the said home as she was growing up.  It became one of their favorite places to rest,  away from their busy lives. 

When Isabella's grandfather died, he asked Salvatore and Stefano to keep the home as it had so many memories of their mother. 

Aside from its luxurious interiors, the manor has its historical side, built with brick walls; it was a restored home passed on from generation to generation from the side of Isabella's grandmother. It greatly held a sentimental value to the Ricci brothers, Salvatore and Stefano. 

Even if they valued the home and held it dearly in their hearts, they knew it was the best way to catch the attention of Alfred Davies. It was meant to save Isabella's life. Unfortunately, the authorities were just not tenacious enough to find Isabella and come after her kidnapper. They felt they were at a dead end and had resorted to other means. 

After narrating how they lost the manor, Stefano turned to Hanxi and asked, "Is this real, Hanxi? It just seemed too surreal."

"Hanxi, we cannot thank you enough, but it really seems so dreamlike that we finally have it back in our hands," added Salvatore. 

"Yes, Mr. Ricci. It is real," said Hanxi while nodding his head. 

"But, how did you get this from Alfred Davies? Did you buy this from him?" It was Salvatore's turn to ask. 

Looking straight at Stefano and Salvatore, Hanxi said, "Andy, my sister, is the daughter of Alfred Davies only that, after leaving the UK, she took her mother's name and used Li instead of Davies. It was my sister who Alfred was referring to as his daughter."

Isabella's parents and uncle stared blankly at Hanxi. Their faces paled at words that came out of his mouth. Stefano, for one, could not believe his ears. The boy in front of him had connections to Alfred Davies, one of the richest and most powerful men in Europe. 

It was no wonder he casually carried five million dollars with him in the car's trunk. What is five million dollars compared to a Davies' asset? It was simply nothing. Surely, it meant Hanxi's sister was equally wealthy and powerful. 

When Andrea asked her father to arrange a bank account for Hanxi in Italy, Alfred learned that he got together with Isabella Ricci. He could not forget how he came to know about this girl. 

After knowing that Andrea considered Isabella a good friend, Alfred offered to give back the Manor. He received payment from the job, anyway. The manor was only an added bonus. 

Isabella was happy beyond words. Her pursuit of Andrea resulted positively for her. She gained a good friend and met Hanxi. In front of her parents and uncle, she pulled Hanxi down by the arm and kissed his cheek before whispering to his ear," Hanxi, I want to stay in the hotel tonight."