The Psychotic Girl’s Revenge

“Paige.”

Enrico walked out of the room, his figure silhouetted by the bright lights behind him. He strode toward her and said in a low voice, “I feel like this place doesn’t seem like somewhere people live regularly.”

Hearing this, Paige’s heart sank even more. “I’ve noticed something is off too.”

Enrico’s expression immediately darkened. At first, he could convince himself he was overthinking, but now that even Paige sensed something wrong…

Paige turned and looked back into the room. Jeremiah and his wife kept their heads down, saying nothing from beginning to end. The entire situation felt increasingly strange.

Suddenly, Paige marched toward the living room.

At that moment, Angie and Nick were outside in the courtyard, directing people to evacuate.

Inside, the couple sat bound and gagged, offering no resistance. Paige walked over briskly, grabbed Stacie’s chin, and forcefully lifted her face, a sharp glint in her eyes.

Stacie, forced to look up, blinked. Despite being middle-aged, she was still attractive, but…

Paige rubbed her thumb hard across Stacie’s face, smearing heavy makeup. She then noticed patches of false hair at the woman’s temples. The entire face was full of contouring and makeup tricks.

Paige had seen Carrie’s makeup skills before, and upon closer inspection, she could spot the problem.

“You’re not Jeremiah and Stacie,” Paige said coldly.

Everything that felt off was now confirmed. She had been tricked.

Paige stood there, her face turning pale as she slowly released her grip on the woman’s chin, her fingers trembling.

Enrico stood by the doorway, watching her with concern. Seeing her growing paler, he walked over, his voice low and steady. “There are three possibilities.”

Paige bit her lip, which had lost all color.

“First possibility: Jeremiah and his wife knew that the muscle-bound man would betray them at Gangnam Hall and give away their location, so they replaced themselves with doubles and fled.”

“Second possibility: Kevin gave you false information on purpose because he has a hidden agenda.”

“And the third possibility,” Enrico paused before continuing, “is your mentor.”

Just a few hours ago, they had shown Earl photos of Jeremiah. Now, a fake couple had let themselves be captured. The situation seemed suspicious.

Paige’s face grew even paler. These possibilities had already crossed her mind.This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

But each possibility had its contradictions. Kevin had known her for years; he would never betray her. If Jeremiah had escaped, why leave doubles behind? As for her mentor… if he wanted to harm her, why wait until now, after she had sought his help years ago?

She looked at the fake couple in front of her, their heads still bowed, not revealing a single emotion.

Paige staggered backward, her body growing colder. She reached out and clutched Enrico’s sleeve.

Enrico glanced down at the hand gripping his sleeve.

She was anxious.

He had seen her handle everything with composure, seen her manipulate events with precision. But this was the first time he’d seen her like this-vulnerable, like a child seeking help.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m here,” Enrico said, holding her cold hand tightly in his. “You’ve said before that outsiders find it hard to settle in River Town, so any forces cultivated here must be external. The same applies to Earl.”

“If it’s him, then he wants you to believe you’ve caught the mastermind so you’ll relax. It gives him time to mobilize people from outside to pin you down in River Town.”

Gripping her icy hand, Enrico’s voice was firm. “If that’s the case, what we need to do now is…”

“Retreat,” Paige completed his sentence, her voice pale.

Her original plan had been to catch them off guard, but now she was the one exposed. To push forward would be unwise. Preserving themselves was the only way to plan for the future.

“We must evacuate everyone immediately. But even after leaving River Town, I fear we won’t avoid a fight.”

Enrico warned that a large-scale retreat would easily draw pursuit. They knew less about the terrain around River Town than the locals did.

To escape, they needed to do it silently.

“Paige, it’s all arranged.”

Angie, Nick, Rey, and Mila walked in, all looking pleased with the successful mission. None of them seemed aware of the looming danger.

Enrico frowned, ready to speak, but a cold finger pressed into his palm.

Paige stood with her head lowered, then looked up, her earlier pallor easing. Calmly, she addressed the group, “Why are you still here?”

Angie looked puzzled. “Miss, we’ve already made arrangements to send the people out. I need to stay by your side.”

“I want to stay too, Paige,” Mila added cheerfully, stepping forward.

Paige shot her a cold glare. “What use do you think you have here? Are you smarter than me, or better at fighting than me?”

Mila froze, stunned by Paige’s sudden rebuke. She had been doing her best.

“These people are important, and you need to stay sharp. I’m giving you one hour. Everyone must secretly evacuate River Town within that time.”

“Everyone?” Nick sounded disappointed. “I thought we’d done such a great job, and we could stick around to enjoy the festival.”

Paige’s sharp gaze silenced him immediately.

The group lowered their heads. “Yes, we’ll organize everyone to leave within the hour.”

“Make sure to be discreet. Leave in small groups. No crowds. Afterward, scatter and return to The Capital,” Paige instructed. The more scattered they were, the less likely they’d be caught.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Angie and Nick grabbed the fake couple from the sofa and led them out.

Once the group had left, only Paige and Enrico remained in the large living room. Her cold hand was still in his.

Paige looked up at him, her smile a little strained. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to stay with me for now. We’ll lie low, give them an hour to get away, and then find a way to leave ourselves.”

As the mastermind, she would be watched closely. As long as she stayed in the city, the enemy wouldn’t act hastily.

By staying behind, she ensured the others had time to escape River Town and the surrounding area.

Enrico was surprised. “You’re not pushing me away this time?”

“You’re Enrico. Even if I let you leave alone, it wouldn’t be a quiet escape.”