Chapter 405: Paige, Maybe That Word Is a Bit Too Much
Paige was pulled by Enrico along the wall. As stray bullets flew by, they crouched down. She looked up and saw Nick, Carrie, and the others retreating in an orderly manner. Thankfully, no one was using overly heavy weapons today-Paige didn’t need them, and Denver hadn’t had time to prepare-so the damage was minimized.
After checking on her subordinates, Paige turned her gaze to the man beside her. Enrico held a gun in one hand, the other arm protectively extended in front of her, his expression etched with grim determination. Suddenly, she noticed someone aiming in their direction, raising a gun. Just as she was about to warn him, Enrico calmly fired, taking the person down.
Paige sighed in relief, but before she could fully relax, Enrico was already pulling her back to her feet, guiding her through the chaos of the battle.
The bright overhead lights were almost blinding. His crisp shirt moved slightly with each step, unlike the bodyguards around them, who were in full tactical gear. He, without even a bulletproof vest, shielded her with his own body.
It didn’t seem to matter whether she owned the vast Temple in Heaven or if she had just dealt with Rachel- in his eyes, she was still someone who needed to be taken care of.
“Quietly being a useless person”-only he could say something like that with such confidence.
Paige watched his broad back, running with him through the fray. For a moment, she wasn’t sure where they were headed, but as long as he was with her, she felt inexplicably at ease. With him around, she didn’t need to look anywhere else.
…
Outside the building, at the end of the red carpet, reporters and onlookers had grown tired and were now sitting down, looking bored.
“What’s going on? Not a single bit of news has come out. Are they really keeping things this secretive this year?” someone complained. The whole country was waiting for updates, yet there was nothing.
“I bet it’s because of the presidential election-they’re clashing over it.”
“Exactly! Denver and Enrico were practically at each other’s throats on the red carpet earlier. Who do you think will win? Enrico was powerful, sure, but that was three years ago.”
Just as the conversation died down, a faint “bang” echoed in the distance.
Someone stood up slowly, staring in the direction of the finance summit building, “Was that a gunshot?”
“No way. With so many guards, how could there be shooting?”
People dismissed the idea, but just then, the gunfire grew louder and more frequent. It was as if a door had been thrown open, unleashing all the chaos inside. Gunshots rang out, followed by screams.
The doors of the finance summit building burst open, and someone tumbled down the long steps, their blood blending with the red carpet.
“Murder! There’s been a murder!”
The crowd panicked, fleeing in terror, but the reporters, unwilling to leave empty-handed, hoisted their cameras and hurriedly began filming.
Through their lenses, they captured people rushing out in desperation-guards, bodyguards, and even high-profile figures in disarray.
Suddenly, two figures appeared in one of the cameras’ frames: a tall, imposing man shielding a woman in his arms, running out of the building. In the midst of the chaotic, frantic crowd, they stood out.
The man was strikingly handsome and sharp, while the woman was beautiful and pure. Neither had a trace of panic on their faces. The man’s suit was draped over the woman’s shoulders as she obediently bowed her head, letting him protect her as they escaped together.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if even the gunfire and harsh lighting existed solely to highlight the two of them. The scene was almost unbelievably beautiful.
…
It was already late at night, and the temperature outside the building had dropped significantly.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
“That’s enough for now,” Paige finally stopped, the men’s suit draped over her shoulders billowing in the wind. She looked up at the man before her-Enrico, slightly out of breath, stood with his gun holstered. He reached up to tidy her disheveled hair, despite his own being a mess.
She stared into his deep, serious eyes and couldn’t help but say, “Enrico, when we were running earlier, I thought of something that might sound a little cheesy.”
“What?” Enrico asked, looking at her.
“Enrico, meeting you… it feels like the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said, her eyes gleaming with a hint of emotion.
The people in the slums expected her to achieve something great, the members of Peak Club awaited her leadership, and those at Temple in Heaven looked to her for direction. But when she was with him, she didn’t have to do anything or worry about anything.
Enrico’s hand, still gently fixing her hair, froze for a second. He gazed at her smiling face, eyes slightly reddened, and remained silent for a long time.
After a few moments-
“Paige, maybe you’re using that word a bit too much, don’t you think?” His face showed no trace of being touched, only irritation-thick, unmistakable irritation.
Using “maybe,” seriously?
How disobedient.
Enrico shot her a fierce look, then reached out and roughly tousled her hair even more.
A cold wind blew past, a sharp, needle-like pain stabbing into his head. He frowned and pressed his hand to his temple.
“What’s wrong?” Paige asked, concerned.
Enrico shook his head. “Probably just ran too fast. My head hurts a bit.”
Paige stared at him, only relaxing when she saw him return to normal. She chuckled softly. “Your memory might’ve come back, but your body’s been out of commission for three years. You’re not in the same shape you used to be, so take it easy.”
“Your man’s not that weak,” Enrico snapped, unable to tolerate such words.
“Yes, yes,” Paige quickly agreed. She then added, “Are you cold? You should take your jacket back.”
She started to remove the suit jacket.
“No need,” Enrico said, casting a glance at Jaden, who was walking toward them. His gaze flicked to Jaden’s coat with an obvious intent.
“…”
Jaden, resigned, silently took off his coat and handed it to Enrico. “Boss, don’t catch a cold.”
Without hesitation, Enrico took the coat and put it on, grumbling, “Jaden, you really haven’t grown any taller over the years.”
The coat was clearly too small.
“…”
Jaden, wearing only a bulletproof vest and shirt, shivered in the wind, struggling to maintain a polite expression. At his age, how could he possibly grow any taller?
Paige gave Jaden a sympathetic glance, but then turned to see Nick, Carrie, and the rest of the group approaching, all unharmed, and noticeably more relaxed than usual.
It was a relief Paige hadn’t seen on their faces since the River Town incident. It felt wonderful.
“Paige!” Carrie called out excitedly, lugging a heavy box. “We did it!”
They had succeeded! They had done it! This meant the laws oppressing the slums would now be abolished peacefully, without bloodshed. It had been a monumental task, but they had pulled it off.
“You’ve all worked hard,” Paige said, patting Carrie’s shoulder. As she looked up, she saw Denver and his children being escorted out of the building by guards, all of them injured and defeated, looking pitiful.
“The remaining holdouts, including Denver, have been captured. They’ll be held responsible for tonight’s gunfight,” Jaden reported, standing nearby.