Chapter 82: His Illness
Ignoring him, Paige walk away. Her phone vibrated, but she noticed people were staring at her. She descended the stairs and passed through two corridors before finally answering the call.
It was Kevin.
“Paige, you’re truly a genius investor! That billion I dispersed made a killing.”
“How did you manage that? Even with insider information, I couldn’t consistently hit like you.”
“Not difficult,” Paige replied. She handed all the money over to Kevin, but she decided how to invest it.
There was the sound of pages turning on the phone. Kevin was flipping through something. “Still not difficult? I see most of your investments are targeting the Gustin Group’s next steps.”
“Country A follows an elite system where the top of the Pyramid sets the rules of the game. Enrico is at the top of this elite. If you want to make quick money, it’s natural to follow his line of thinking,” Paige said as she walked.
“He told you that?” Kevin asked.
“No,” Paige replied. How could Enrico possibly teach her how to make money?
“You’re really good. Enrico has always been arbitrary in the market, playing with oil prices, shipping prices, and stock prices, rising today and falling tomorrow. How many people have lost everything because they couldn’t guess his thoughts? You can accurately predict his next move every time,” Kevin admired her courage. “You really understand him.”
Paige paused for a moment, slightly distracted. She hadn’t felt it before, but now that it had been said, she realized she had indeed guessed Enrico’s true intentions every time. Did that count as understanding him?
“It’s not that I understand him.”
“What?” Kevin was stunned.
“It’s that I’m smart,” Paige said, word by word.
“Right, of course, Paige, you’re unbeatable!”
“Okay, I’ll send you the next investment projects later. You don’t need to contact me for now. I want to focus on studying,” she concluded.
With that settled, Paige hung up the phone. Next, she intended to enjoy her campus life.
She walked forward with her books, and suddenly a person bumped into her. He quickly said, “Sorry,” and hurried away.
Lowering her head, Paige noticed there was a note in her hand. She opened it and read:
“I know you want to leave Enrico. I also know Enrico has been secretly watching you. I’ll be waiting for you at Central Lake. I can help you leave Enrico.”
Paige’s first reaction to these words was that Enrico was testing her again. She chuckled and crumpled the note, tossing it into a nearby trash can. As she let go, she suddenly snapped back to reality.
Enrico wouldn’t resort to such low-level tactics to test her. So who was this person? Paige didn’t like lingering questions in her mind, so she immediately decided to go to the appointment.
…
Central Lake is located on the far west side of Capital University, offering a picturesque view but generally lacking in visitors, making it a very secluded place.
When Paige arrived, she could see from a distance a vast expanse of lake reflecting the warm sunlight, a group of bodyguards in black suits surrounded around a pavilion in the center. It was impossible to tell who had summoned her.
Looks like a big shot, Paige thought, patting the dagger tucked around her waist before calmly walking forward.
Upon reaching the lakeside, the bodyguards respectfully lowered their heads to her and courteously escorted her into the pavilion.
The pavilion was situated in the center of the lake, with a gentle breeze blowing through, making it refreshingly cool.
Paige walked over and saw a middle-aged man sitting in the center of the pavilion. Despite his middle age, his features remained deeply handsome and commanding. His profile bore some resemblance to Enrico’s.
Paige had seen his photo while researching the Gustin Group. He was Jeremy Gustin, the former CEO of the Gustin Group, whom Enrico had forcibly removed from office at gunpoint-Enrico’s father.
Paige couldn’t help but smirk. She hadn’t expected it would be Jeremy seeking her out. How interesting.
“Please, have a seat,” Jeremy said elegantly, gesturing kindly for her to sit down.
“What can I do for you?” Paige walked over calmly and sat down, placing her book on the stone table in the pavilion-it was a book on criminal law.
“Miss Lautner, you’re exceptionally clever, and I won’t beat around the bush with you,” Jeremy said, looking at her. “I know it was you Enrico brought back to the Gustins for the spa day. I’ve inquired, and it seems you’ve had some disagreements with him recently. He almost killed you, and I wonder what he did to you after you returned. Do you need help?”
It seemed that Jeremy had set his sights on her since the spa day. According to his words, she wasn’t just being watched by Enrico’s people but also by the Gustins, although Jeremy didn’t know what happened between her and Enrico, nor did he know her real name was Paige.
“Mr. Gustin, you seem very concerned about your son,” Paige smiled lightly, skirting around the issue. Hearing this, Jeremy also smiled, lifting a glass of brandy from the delicate bottle nearby and taking a sip.
“Miss Lautner, as I said, I don’t like beating around the bush,” Jeremy looked at her. “I’ll ask you straight: do you want to leave Enrico?”
“Enrico is the CEO of the Gustin Group. He can give me whatever I want. Why would I want to leave him?”
“Miss Lautner, you’re not being forthright,” Jeremy looked at her with cold eyes. “I know very well what kind of person my son is, and from the significant events you’ve been involved in recently, it’s clear you’re not someone who willingly depends on others. How could you possibly want to be dependent on someone else?”
Paige sat there calmly, her face unchanged. “Please, go on.”
“I know you’re wary of me,” Jeremy looked at her. “What I’m here to discuss today is definitely something beneficial to both of us. Let me show my sincerity.”
Paige remained silent, watching him, indicating she was listening.
“Enrico must have never told you about his condition, right?” Jeremy asked.
“His condition?” Paige was indeed taken aback.
Jeremy observed her expression, pausing deliberately before continuing, “It’s a hereditary disease from his mother’s side, Annie Davis. It’s a type of schizophrenia called AS Schizophrenia, unique to the Davis family.”
AS Schizophrenia…
Her mental illness was fake, but it turned out Enrico might actually have a mental condition.
After a few moments of silence, she asked, “What do you mean by a schizophrenia unique to the Davis family?”NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.
“Because there’s no similar case found anywhere in the world,” Jeremy continued, knowing she was interested. “The disease is triggered by extreme stress. Once it manifests, there’s only one symptom: chaotic thinking, like a vampire with a bloodlust for killing.”
Paige thought of her painting, “First Snow Maiden,” and remembered what Enrico had told her.
His sister had fallen ill after being traumatized by people at Rose Estate. She killed the servants who bullied him and then took her own life.
“My wife had a severe breakdown during Enrico’s birth, killed everyone in the room, and was ultimately shot dead by the arriving police,” Jeremy said, continuing his story.
“My daughter, Fawn, Enrico’s sister, was a kind and gentle girl. Unfortunately, when she was 21, she also had an episode, killed all the servants in the estate, and, with her last bit of sanity, committed suicide.”
Paige was silent. This was the real background Enrico couldn’t reveal to outsiders. That explained why he had been so furious when she suggested he see a psychiatrist.
Jeremy smiled as he looked at her. “Miss Lautner, what do you think your chances of escaping alive would be if he had an episode and you were by his side?”
After saying that, Jeremy signaled to a nearby bodyguard, who placed a file in front of Paige. She glanced down and saw a detailed medical description of AS Schizophrenia, proving his words were true.
“I think Enrico is pretty ruthless, whether he’s having an episode or not,” Paige said, looking at the documents calmly.
Jeremy couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s intentional. He once said he wanted to act crazy in advance so that when he actually loses it, no one can tell the difference. That way, he can kill with impunity.”
That was definitely something Enrico would say. Ruthless, vicious, and terrifying.
Paige closed the file and looked up at him. “Mr. Gustin, how do you plan to help me leave Enrico?”
Jeremy looked at her with satisfaction. “Enrico is powerful and has many followers. The only way you can truly be free from him is he dies. Only then can you live.”
Even Paige, usually calm in any situation, widened her eyes in disbelief. “Mr. Gustin, that’s your own son. You’re actually planning to kill your own son?”