The Psychotic Girl’s Revenge

This was the most difficult situation Rafael had faced since becoming president, without a doubt.

“What are your thoughts?” Jaden gradually calmed down, understanding that Rafael had his own difficulties.

Rafael looked at him, silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice, “Jaden, to be honest with you, she can’t be saved.”

The “she” was obviously referring to Paige.

Upon hearing this, Jaden’s face once again filled with shock and anger. “Then let me be frank with you-if Miss Paige can’t be saved, then the two of us are betraying Mr. Gustin. We don’t need to wait for him to take action.”

He might as well shoot himself right now.

Rafael smiled. “Then tell me, if we save her, will she keep the slum’s secrets buried within her?”

“…”

Jaden froze, unable to answer.

“I have to give an explanation to all the conglomerates and old families. How can I save her otherwise?”

Rafael looked at him. “Can you guarantee that Enrico will control her, that she’ll reveal everything, and then never mention the slums again? That she won’t attempt to turn things around for the slums, won’t join the Public Law Council, won’t gather talent? That she won’t even leave The Capital, and will live out her life quietly at Rose Estate?”

“…”

Jaden was speechless.

How was that any different from killing her?

“If Enrico can guarantee that, then we’ll bring him back, let him reassure the conglomerates and old families, but he’ll also have to hand over some leverage, so that if anything goes wrong, Enrico will be the one to suffer.”

Rafael stood there, his tone filled with bitterness.

He kept his eyes on Jaden, and when Jaden said nothing, he smiled helplessly. “He can’t, can he? I figured as much. Joss has quickly climbed her way into the Public Law Council, becoming a lawmaker and winning people over-she’s a strategist. For someone like her, giving up on speaking for the slums is harder than giving up her life.”

“…”

Jaden fell into deep silence.

“Even if she agrees to live out her life at Rose Estate to save herself, and Enrico vouches for her, what happens if she goes back on her word? Then Enrico is finished.”

Rafael laid out the situation clearly for Jaden. “Enrico might be blinded by his emotions, willing to take that gamble. But are you?”

“…”

Jaden suddenly felt an overwhelming headache.

“Jaden, I’m not letting Enrico come back because I don’t want to harm him. I want to protect the Gustin Group’s assets and his power and status.”

Rafael brought the conversation back to the original point. “Have you considered that if he returns and insists on saving this woman, he’ll be opposing all the conglomerates and old families? The Gustin family’s villa still has Jeremy, waiting like a vulture. Do you really think Enrico can keep everything he has in such a situation?”

Jaden stood there, silent for a long time before saying, “Mr. Gustin has weighed all the options. He…”

“And because he’s weighed them, you’re going to let him act recklessly?” Rafael interrupted. “Jaden, don’t forget how difficult it’s been for him to get where he is. Are you going to stand by and watch him throw everything away for a woman?”

“…”

“Are you going to watch him hand over his position to Jeremy? If Jeremy takes over, what do you think will happen? Enrico won’t just lose his life; even his mother’s and sister’s graves will be dug up!”

“…”

Over the years, Rafael had always been more eloquent than him.

Jaden looked at Rafael, unable to find a single word to say.

Outside, faint noises could be heard, as if someone was shouting in the distance.

Rafael glanced toward the window, rubbing his forehead in frustration. “It’s the people. A large crowd has already gathered in front of the presidential palace, questioning how a slum dweller managed to escape Wind Island, questioning how she killed people and got away with it, and how she even became a lawmaker in the Public Law Council. They’re starting to doubt the government’s competence.”

“…”

“If this investigation continues, do you think I should throw Enrico under the bus to appease the public?”

Rafael said with a bitter smile.

“Miss Paige has never killed anyone.” Jaden looked at him, unable to hold back. “In some ways, she’s probably more law-abiding than you or I.”

The conversation they were having wasn’t from a legal standpoint at all; it was all about balancing various interests.

Rafael looked at him. “Jaden, does it matter whether she’s killed anyone or not?”

“…”

Jaden was at a loss for words.

“She’s from the slums, and she’s infiltrated the Public Law Council with the intent to expose the secrets of the slums. That alone is enough to seal her fate.”

Rafael walked around his desk and placed a hand on Jaden’s shoulder. “Think it over carefully-are you really going to bring Enrico back?”

As he finished speaking, Jaden’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

He took it out, and the screen displayed the word “BOSS” in large letters. His hand trembled, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he reached to answer the call.

Rafael placed his hand over Jaden’s, holding his gaze. “Think it through.”

“…”

Jaden’s face was almost white.

“It’s been less than two years since Enrico regained power. If he falls now, what awaits him won’t be another Rose Estate, but an endless abyss.”

Rafael looked at him and said, “Yes, I’ve thought it through. The various interests at play, my position, Enrico as my brother… You don’t have to worry about all that. You only need to consider one thing: do you save that woman, or do you protect everything Enrico has right now?”

The phone continued to vibrate in Jaden’s hand.

One vibration ended, and another began immediately, showing just how urgent the caller was.

Finally, under Rafael’s gaze, Jaden’s hand holding the phone fell weakly to his side, his breath shallow. “I want to see Miss Paige first.”

“Of course.”

Rafael agreed immediately. “But first, you need to secure control over Enrico’s network in the country. He absolutely can’t come back right now.”

If he returned, the situation would spiral out of their control.

“…” Jaden felt utterly hopeless. He never thought he’d have to make such a decision.

…

In T-country.

In the deathly quiet presidential suite of a hotel, a video of Paige’s speech played repeatedly on a computer, the sound filling every corner of the room.

A few staff members stood to the side, trembling as they frantically called back home, but no one, not even Jaden, was picking up.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

They had been calling for an hour.

No one in the country was answering the phone.

They slowly looked up at the man sitting at the desk.

Enrico sat there, his dark shirt emphasizing his sharp figure and making his chiseled face appear even more expressionless. He wasn’t watching the video on the computer; instead, he was idly playing with a box of matches.

The matchbox flipped back and forth in his long fingers, the matches sliding in and out, over and over.

It seemed as if he was doing something mindless and casual, but everyone in the room dared not make a sound, because they could all feel the coldness in the room-a coldness that chilled them to the bone.