Chapter 347: You Must Protect Me
“What are you looking at?”
Enrico glanced at her.
“What exactly have you been doing this past month at the consortium?” Paige couldn’t help but ask.
“Does it even matter?” Enrico shot back, his eyes filled with nothing but frustration.
“…”
Thinking back to the scene just moments ago, Paige fell silent again.
Fine. It really doesn’t matter.
She placed the laptop by the bedroom door, turned up the volume to a reasonable level, then looked at Enrico. “How are you feeling? How much of the alcohol has worn off?”
“Not too bad,” Enrico replied, slouching against the wall, looking utterly dejected.
The sound of heavy breathing between a man and a woman filled the room from the laptop, making Enrico’s “not too bad” sound much worse.
Paige could only pretend not to notice, walking into the bathroom and opening a window, letting the cool breeze blow in.
She gazed outside. The hotel was built against a cliff, which was one of the reasons she had chosen this location.
Even if she made the wrong decision, she always left herself some way out.
After tidying her clothes, she strapped a handgun to her thigh, buttoned up her coat to cover the weapon, and then grabbed a climbing rope from the bathroom cabinet.
Looking at Enrico standing by the door, she said, “Come here, I’ll help you with this.”
“…”
Reluctantly, Enrico walked over and let her put the gear on him. Just as he was about to help her put it on as well, Paige stopped him. “I don’t need it. This height is no problem for me.”
“Then I don’t need it either,” Enrico didn’t want to appear weak in front of her and started undoing his gear.
Paige quickly pressed down on his hands and gazed deeply into his eyes. “Enrico, you’ve been drinking.”
“…”
“Don’t make me worry, okay?”
As she spoke, she tightened her grip on his hand.
Enrico looked down at her hand holding his and, in the end, didn’t remove the gear. He muttered, “When will there ever be a time when you don’t have to do anything, and just let me protect you?”
“Then carry me down.” Paige responded without thinking. She turned and secured the climbing rope in the bathroom, then stretched out her arms, looking at him with a calm smile.
She was decisive when it came to putting her life in his hands.
Seeing her like this, Enrico’s mood improved a little. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. Paige smiled faintly and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The next moment, a rope was secured around her waist.
She looked at him in surprise. Enrico grumbled, “I’ve been drinking.”
He was drunk but not so far gone that he’d lost his mind. He had just dropped her earlier.
“You…”
Seeing that he was thinking straight, Paige hugged him softly. “Alright, let’s go down.”
Outside, the sound of heavy breathing from the laptop continued.
Inside the bathroom, the two sat on the windowsill, the night breeze blowing against their bodies. Facing the sheer cliff, Paige felt Enrico tighten his grip on her hand, and they leaped together.
With a swift motion, Paige tossed the rope, using a metal hook to latch onto a sharp protrusion on the cliff. She and Enrico carefully navigated their way down the jagged terrain.
Perhaps the earlier events had sobered Enrico up, as he didn’t make a single mistake, and they reached the ground smoothly.
Once on solid ground, Paige removed her gear and pulled out two hats, handing one to him and placing one on her own head. She also pulled out face masks. “Let’s go.”
At that moment, the town’s wine festival was in full swing. Even from a distance, they could hear screams and cheers.
After winding through the narrow alleys behind the hotel, Paige led Enrico by the hand, down a stone staircase. A lively tour group was just passing by, discussing something animatedly.
As Paige was about to avoid them, the tour guide answered a phone call. After a brief conversation, the guide turned toward them, gesturing. In an instant, the group surrounded them.
“…”
Enrico’s expression darkened.
“…”
They really were disguised as tourists.
Paige sneered inwardly.
“Mr. Gustin, Miss Paige?” The guide looked at the two of them curiously. When they didn’t speak, he understood immediately. “As expected, Miss Paige is trying to run.”
“Who’s in charge?” Paige asked coldly, glancing at the group. Her slender finger lightly scratched at Enrico’s palm.
She could take them all.
Sensing her gaze, the guide quickly replied, “Miss Paige, we know we’re no match for you, so don’t be hasty. Just take a look at this first.”
The guide pulled out a phone and showed a series of photos. In the images, Carrie, Nick, and Angie were gathered together, taken from a distance-clearly surveillance shots.
“Miss Paige, you’re impressive. You managed to evacuate all your people, and we couldn’t even catch them. This must be the last batch, right? Fortunately, we got here just in time to track them down.” The guide smiled.
“What do you want?” Enrico asked coldly, pulling Paige behind him.
“Nothing much. Mr. Earl would just like to invite you both for a holiday meal.” The guide dropped the pretense, openly stating his intentions.
Looking at the man shielding her, Paige’s lips curled into a smile. She relaxed slightly and said, “Fine. But I need to see your people fully retreat, not following any of mine.”NôvelDrama.Org owns this.
“I’m envious of your subordinates, having such a leader,” the guide remarked, making a phone call and reporting the situation. Soon, he handed the phone to Paige.
On the screen, a video played. Carrie, Nick, and the others were saying their goodbyes under a tree, splitting into several groups and leaving without anyone following them. The camera also stopped tracking.
The video lasted nearly ten minutes-enough time to assure Paige that her team was in the clear.
Ten minutes was enough for them to slip away.
Satisfied, Paige tossed the phone back. “Alright, let’s go. I’d like to see my mentor.”
Since there was no running, it was time to face the truth she sought.
Enrico glanced at her, tightened his grip on her hand, and Paige smiled softly. “You must protect me.”
Her voice was soothing.
Enrico nodded. “Mm.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Paige leaned into him as they walked forward. Her smile slowly faded.
She knew they were walking into a real battle.
Now, Enrico was her only weakness.
She would fight with everything she had to protect him. No one was going to hurt him again.
…
War was not always bloody; sometimes, it was elegant and opulent.
Golden doors swung open to reveal a grand private hall, where a group of men in combat gear lined the walls. Their guns were clearly visible, forming an impenetrable barrier around the room.
Above, a massive chandelier cast a blinding light over the space. Beneath it, a super-sized dining table stretched for several meters, adorned with a row of golden candlesticks.