Chapter 327: Not Convinced? Poke Your Own Eyes Then
This was an acknowledgment of his abilities.
Enrico sat there, his tongue pressed against the inside of his cheek, a deep, satisfied smile spreading across his face. “I guess it’s okay… I just did it casually.”
Of course, he hadn’t been casually reviewing documents early in the morning and late at night. Definitely hadn’t been drinking coffee every day to stay awake, nor had he been squeezing in time to practice boxing.
Paige pretended not to hear the boastfulness in his tone and smiled indulgently, “I know you’re amazing, the heir of the Davis family-how could I possibly underestimate you?”
‘Amazing’ was quite the word.
Enrico gazed at her, raising a finger to twist a lock of her hair around it. Testing the waters, he asked, “So, does this mean I can handle some of the matters for Temple in Heaven from now on?”
Upon hearing this, Paige opened her eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight, and replied with a smile, “Most of Temple in Heaven’s affairs are already dealt with. Now we’re just waiting for Kevin’s news.”
“…”
The smile on Enrico’s face vanished.
Sensing his displeasure, Paige leaned back against his arm and said, “But you’ve already helped me a lot. The Gustin Group has shed the conservative attitude it had under Jaden’s management. From top to bottom, the atmosphere is revitalized. The better your group does, the less likely other conglomerates-and the mastermind behind Rachel-will dare to act up. That makes my job easier.”
He had already become her pillar of support.
This statement pleased Enrico. Twirling her hair in his fingers, he asked, “So, does that mean we’re like a pair of swords working in harmony?”
Paige, who had been leaning against his arm, straightened up and sat on the steps, propping her chin in one hand as she looked at his deep-set eyes. “You’re not my sword. You’re my shield.”
Her harbor to rest in.
Beneath the sunlight, she gazed at him with clear, bright eyes, as if he was her entire world.
Enrico’s gaze fell on her soft red lips, and his expression darkened. Slowly, he released her hair and placed his hand on the back of her head, moving in for a kiss.
“Beep-”
A horn sounded from outside, far in the distance.
Paige immediately stood up, looking towards the entrance. Spotting what seemed to be Angie’s figure, she instructed the gate guards to let her in.
The guards complied, allowing Angie to enter.
“…”
Enrico remained seated, staring at his hand that had frozen in midair, his expression darkening.
Failed again.
It had been a whole month. Every time he tried to get closer to her, something would interrupt-either a phone call, a visitor, or Paige getting distracted by something else. Not once had he succeeded.
Not a single kiss initiated!
Frustrated, Enrico stomped hard on the ground. Paige turned to look at him in surprise. “What’s wrong?”
“There was a bug,” Enrico lied smoothly.
“No need to stomp so hard-doesn’t your foot hurt?” Paige glanced at his leg.
“Nope.”
It hurt like hell.
Enrico maintained his composure, pretending to be unfazed.
“Mr. Gustin, Miss,” Angie greeted as she approached, dressed as always in her professional attire-black-framed glasses perched on her nose and a tablet in her arms. “Miss, your phone was off.”
“Oh, right, I turned it off. What’s the matter?” Paige pulled out her phone.
Earlier, Enrico had suggested they visit the graves of his late mother and sister. He’d asked her to turn off her phone as a gesture of sincerity. Thinking nothing urgent would come up, she hadn’t expected Angie to chase her down.
“…”
There really was no escaping interruptions.
Enrico shot a sideways glance at Angie. She stood there, but a shiver ran down her spine as though cold air had rushed past. She stiffened, then quickly regained her composure and said to Paige, “Miss, Mr. Kevin has some urgent news for you.”
Paige’s heart leapt with excitement, and she quickly said, “Come in.”
It must be news about the forces behind everything.
Inside the elegantly decorated hall, two paintings hung on the walls.
The tablet was placed on the coffee table, and once the video call connected, Kevin’s somewhat weary face appeared on the screen. “Paige, I’ve got-”
Kevin’s voice abruptly stopped.
Not because of anything in particular, but because as soon as he lifted his gaze, he saw Enrico and Paige sitting together. While they weren’t being overly affectionate, the natural closeness between them was undeniable.
A hint of darkness flashed through Kevin’s eyes, though it disappeared quickly. He joked, “Alright, you two, I’ve been working my tail off gathering intel and now I’ve got dark circles, but here you are enjoying a romantic moment?”
Paige was about to reply, but Enrico spoke first, his tone lazy, “Jealous? If you are, go ahead and poke your own eyes.”
“…”
Paige glanced at Enrico. If he kept growing at this pace, he’d soon return to his former self-especially that irritating attitude.
She now understood that even if he had to start over, and even if his heart wasn’t as dark as before, he would still grow into the same person.
Trying to smooth things over, she said to Kevin, “I know you’ve been working hard. When we meet again, we’ll treat you to a grand feast.”
Who’s treating Kevin to dinner?
Enrico clearly wasn’t happy about it, but since she said “we,” it soothed him somewhat.
Although he could never quite get close enough to her, she still instinctively considered them a unit.
“Will the main dish be a plate of dog food?” Kevin asked with a tinge of bitterness. “Alright, let’s get to business. Paige, I’ve looked into both the domestic and foreign forces you asked about. I haven’t found anything conclusive on the foreign front yet, but I did uncover something domestically.”
“Let’s hear it.” Paige’s eyes lit up.
“Though I’m not sure if it’s exactly what you’re looking for,” Kevin said, raising an old dossier beside him. “As it turns out, this group is somewhat related to Mr. Gustin.”
“Me?” Enrico frowned.
“It’s your fourth uncle’s branch of the family.”
Kevin flipped through the dossier. “Back in the day, when the Gustin Group was embroiled in a power struggle, it was a brutal affair. In the end, except for your father, most of those involved either died or were forced into exile-it was quite tragic.”
“Go on,” Paige urged.Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
“Your father and his siblings received similar education and were equally capable, but your fourth uncle, Jeremiah Gustin, was especially prominent because he had an exceptionally intelligent wife. With such a sharp woman advising him, Jeremiah naturally outperformed the others.”
Kevin continued, “Your father, under immense pressure, went to the Davis family and asked to marry your mother. She was even more brilliant than your fourth uncle’s wife. After several years of rivalry, she helped your father emerge as the ultimate victor.”
“…”
Paige listened in silence. Enrico’s mother had been deceived so cruelly. All those promises of love had been mere tools in the pursuit of power.
She turned to look at Enrico, who didn’t seem to be taking it well.
She placed her hand on his, curling her fingers around his. Enrico glanced at her, shook his head, and signaled that he was okay.
Seeing this, Kevin continued, “Jeremiah’s defeat was the most devastating of all, and his end was particularly tragic. Your father had arranged for him and his family to be sent to Wind Island.”