Chapter 215: Do You Know How She Survived on Wind Island for Three Years?”
Enrico sat there, his expression darkening as he heard this. The hand playing with the knife paused, and his sharp gaze fixated on Kevin with a menacing intensity.
“Kevin, you seem to underestimate me. The southern border is insignificant; I, Enrico, do not consider it a threat.”
As he spoke, Enrico hurled the knife from his hand. It flew past Kevin’s ear, embedding itself straight into the pillar behind him.
Outside the pavilion, even the waterfall seemed to carry a sound of impending violence.
“Mr. Gustin, you control the Gustin Group, hold sway over A-Country’s transportation, and even placed the President in office. There’s indeed little in this world you would deem worthy of your attention,” Kevin said, standing tall without a trace of servility.
Despite his disability, Kevin was still the head of the Lautners, and even facing Enrico, he maintained a dignified composure.
Hearing this, Enrico sneered, toying with the intricate knife sheath in his hand as his cold voice echoed, “At least you have some self-awareness. Considering your life was saved by my woman, I’ll let you off this time. But if there’s a next time, I promise, you’ll lose more than just a leg.”
Kevin didn’t back down; instead, he stepped forward, placing the blank postcard on the stone table. “In fact, Mr. Gustin, even if you hadn’t summoned me, I wanted to have a chat with you.”
Enrico glanced down, his eyes landing on the picture on the postcard.
“Mr. Gustin, your time is precious, so I’ll get straight to the point. As you know, the Lautners have always stayed out of the power struggles among A-Country’s conglomerates,” Kevin said, his expression serious. “But if you’re willing, I’m prepared to hand over the Lautners’ intelligence network as a gesture of sincerity.”
Hearing this, Jaden, standing outside the pavilion, couldn’t help but change his expression. This was more than just sincerity; the intelligence network was the Lautners’ trump card. It could uncover anyone’s secrets if given enough time. Offering it up was essentially a sign of submission to the Gustin Group, potentially giving Mr. Gustin control over the southern border.
Enrico listened, his expression unchanged, his smile still mocking. “Oh?”
He didn’t even ask what Kevin wanted in return, merely leaving him hanging with that single word.
Kevin’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t retreat. He pressed on, “I only have one small request: Please grant Paige her freedom and allow her to return to the border with me.”
The atmosphere turned icy.
Enrico suddenly stood from the pavilion, grabbed Kevin, and slammed him against the pillar. He held the knife to Kevin’s throat, his eyes filled with a murderous intent, his voice low and chilling like the clouds of a brewing storm.
“She is my woman. What does that have to do with you? Do you think you have the right to dictate whether she stays or goes?”
Enrico’s voice was dripping with danger, his tone unbearably cold.
Kevin leaned against the pillar, his body stiff.
The rumors were true: Enrico was indeed a ruthless man, quick to violence at the slightest provocation, leaving no room for dissenting voices.
The thin blade pressed against Kevin’s throat, and he felt a sharp pain as blood trickled down the edge.
Kevin looked at the man who had instantly turned violent, knowing he couldn’t use pleasantries anymore. He lowered his voice and said, “Mr. Gustin, do you really see Paige as your woman, or just a caged canary?”
“Do you want to die?” Enrico’s expression darkened further, his teeth clenched, his grip tightening on Kevin’s throat.
Kevin was nearly suffocated, fully aware that provoking Enrico was a terrible idea, but he had no choice.
“Paige is still young. She believes that because you risked your life to return to the country for her, she owes you everything. But Mr. Gustin, we’re both men. Is this truly affection, or just selfishness? We both know the truth, don’t we?”
“You think you understand?”
Enrico laughed, his smile cold as ice. “You understand what?”
“I understand that Mr. Gustin, you don’t know Paige at all. You just want a canary that can’t escape your grasp. You’re only interested in control,” Kevin said, enunciating every word clearly.
“You understand nothing!”
Enrico cursed, his hand tightening its grip.
Kevin could feel the sting as the blade cut into his flesh. If Enrico had a gun in his hand, he would have shot him by now.
“Is Mr. Gustin getting angry? Did I hit a nerve? I assume you don’t know much about Paige’s past, let alone how she survived three years on Wind Island, do you?” Kevin continued.
“…”
Jaden, standing outside the pavilion, couldn’t help but sweat nervously.
This Kevin, with his refined appearance, truly dared to challenge Mr. Gustin, seemingly unconcerned about provoking a storm at the southern border.
Enrico, uninterested in wasting words, suddenly raised the knife, intending to stab Kevin in the shoulder. Just as the blade was about to strike, Kevin blurted out, “Paige never had a single peaceful day on Wind Island!”
He almost shouted it out.
“…”
Enrico’s hand froze, the knife hovering in the air. His handsome face was tense, and his bloodshot eyes glared at Kevin.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.
Kevin’s breath hitched as he saw the knife pause. He knew he had made the right gamble and continued, “When Paige first arrived on Wind Island, she was just an 18-year-old girl. She was thrown into a group of mentally ill people, beaten, bitten, and nearly raped several times. In the beginning, she didn’t even dare to sleep, didn’t know how to find food. She was so hungry she ate grass and leaves, and when things got worse, she swallowed dirt mixed with seawater.”
“…”
Enrico was completely frozen, a flash of red crossing his eyes. He gripped the knife tightly, the muscles in his arm bulging under his shirt.
“…”
Jaden, listening from outside, turned pale.
He had always known that life in the slums was inhumane, but knowing and hearing the details were two different things. He had no idea that people in the slums would eat… dirt when starving.
And yet, he had allowed someone who had suffered for three years on Wind Island to enter Gangnam Hall.
“Later, with the help of Arjun and others, Paige learned to survive in the slums. But even in such a barren place, there were still conflicts. The disputes on Wind Island were nothing like those among the conglomerates, but even a little food could drive people to madness.”
Kevin, standing there with blood trickling from his neck, continued, “Paige saw how human lives were treated like grass. It was then that she decided to change the slums. She led the way into the deep mountains to find new food sources, fighting off wild animals, even a python, on her own. She ate poisonous plants, turning purple and nearly dying, but she never gave up.”
“Keep talking,” Enrico growled through gritted teeth.
“She shared the food she found with everyone, saving many of the old, weak, and sick. When someone wanted to commit suicide, she stayed by their side every day until they gave up on the idea.”