On the way back to the estate, Paige casually bought two boxes of cherries from a roadside vendor. As soon as she arrived at the estate, she went straight into the warehouse next to the hot spring pavilion.
She pulled out Annie’s diary and flipped through it, scanning quickly for the right time corresponding to the letters. She kept turning pages, but even after going through the entire diary, the words “AS schizophrenia gene” never appeared, let alone a cure.
Annie’s diary was filled with personal matters-nothing about the AS schizophrenia gene or any business affairs. It was only about her husband, her daughter, and later on, the little things about her pregnancy with Enrico. It detailed everything from what she ate and drank, but nothing about the AS schizophrenia gene.
Unwilling to give up, Paige started going through other books in the bookshelf, opening one after another, hoping to find more letters. But after combing through the entire bookshelf, she found nothing.
There was nothing…
Paige left the warehouse feeling dazed. She sat down in the study Enrico had set up for her. In front of her was a gray peachwood desk. She could reach for a jar of mints with her hand, and if she raised her eyes, she’d see a photo of Enrico. In the picture, he was tall and relaxed, exuding an air of mischief.
They say mischief-makers live the longest! Why does someone like him have to live under the shadow of the AS schizophrenia gene?
She had done so much, but in the end, it seemed to have been for nothing.
Sitting there, Paige stared blankly at everything on the desk. She kicked off her shoes, pulled her legs up onto the chair, curled up tightly, and wrapped her arms around herself, staring blankly at the scene before her.
The letters echoed in her mind.
*Medicine Curse Sect… stolen learning…*
Suddenly, Paige’s eyes flew wide open. The Folsom family had slowly gained momentum around River Town, and Jasper, though appearing reclusive, had never truly let down his guard. How could someone steal his books back then without him noticing?
Realizing this, Paige quickly picked up her phone and dialed a number. It was the number Jasper had called her from during the funeral. She wasn’t sure if he still used it.
Sure enough, the number was no longer in service.
“Damn,” Paige muttered, tossing her phone aside.
Two minutes later, her phone vibrated. It was a video call from Jasper.
Paige immediately answered, propping her phone against the mint jar. The screen soon displayed an image from the other side.
The camera was placed far away, showing a large area. Jasper, dressed in casual clothes, leaned back in a chair against a green wall. His deep-set wrinkles framed a pair of eyes that radiated kindness as they looked at her through the screen. “Paige, you’ve finally called me.”
The old man seemed full of life, showing no signs of defeat from his failed plan.
Paige sat at the desk, staring at him. It was hard to call him “teacher” with the same respect she once had.
She looked at him coldly and said, “It seems the failure of the grand finance summit didn’t affect you at all.”
She had destroyed his plan to provoke chaos among the financial powers, yet he was still gazing at her so kindly.
“There were some impacts,” Jasper smiled slowly, “but when you’ve worked at something for a long time, it no longer feels so urgent. In the end, I will still get what I want.”
“Because of Enrico, right?” Paige asked directly.
At her words, Jasper’s eyes flashed with a glint of understanding.
“You told me that the River Town incident was Emery’s doing. At first, I didn’t believe it, but now I do.” Paige met the old man’s gaze with a chill in her eyes. “You never had to rush to kill us because you’ve known all along that Enrico won’t live much longer, right?”
Jasper looked at her in surprise. “How do you know that?”
Hearing that Jasper didn’t deny it, Paige felt a chill run through her heart.
So, the letters were true after all. The Medicine Curse Sect was never a path to salvation for the AS schizophrenia gene.
She had her confirmation.
She didn’t answer his question and instead continued, “From the very beginning, you knew I studied under the Medicine Curse Sect for Enrico. You knew that no matter how hard I worked, it wouldn’t matter. I could never save him.”
“…”
Jasper slowly sat up from his chair, his gaze now serious.
“So Enrico was never a real threat in your eyes. Even though you failed at the finance summit, you didn’t feel too defeated. You knew Enrico would die soon.” Paige continued, her words piercing like ice. “Once he dies, the alliance between the Gustin Group and Temple in Heaven will collapse by half, and I will be too broken by Enrico’s death to control both forces. Nothing will stop your grand plan.”
“Paige, you look pale. Are you upset?” Jasper asked, his tone and expression full of concern, like a caring teacher.
Paige let out a self-mocking laugh. “It seems I’m always falling into your traps. Am I just a clown for your entertainment?”
All this time she had worked so hard, believing she could help Enrico, while someone else had known all along that her efforts would fail.
Seeing her like this, Jasper frowned and after a long pause, said, “When you came to me as a student, I was both impressed by your talent and curious about what you might accomplish. When you developed a cure within just six months, you astonished me. After that, I truly considered you my disciple.”
“…”
“Paige, I’ll say it again: come to me. You have no family, and Enrico won’t last much longer. You’re all alone-what’s the point of fighting anymore?” Jasper’s gaze deepened. “Come to me. Even if you don’t help me, just step away from it all.”
Enrico would be gone soon. What was she holding on for?
Paige didn’t know what she was striving for either.
She sat there, her face pale. She reached into the mint jar, slowly unwrapping a candy.
“Teacher, I’m stubborn. I only eat mint candy, and I only want Enrico.” She said while unwrapping the mint. “So no matter what happens, before I die, I will see the slums rebuilt and ensure that Country A doesn’t fall into chaos because of me. That has always been my goal. As for what happens after I die, well, I won’t be around to see it. Maybe the Folsom family will still win.”
But by then, she might not be alive to see it.
Hearing this, Jasper’s expression changed, his eyes widening. “What are you saying? What do you mean ‘before you die’? Are you planning to follow Enrico in death?”
Was she out of her mind?
Was she talking about dying just because of a man?
Paige turned to look out the window, sunlight bathing her pale face, making her look even more fragile.
At this point, she didn’t know how she should feel about Jasper. Respect? Hatred?
“I don’t know either. We’ll see what happens.” Paige replied calmly. She glanced at the screen one last time and then reached out to end the call.
In his garden in Country D, Jasper stared at the dark screen and jumped to his feet in frustration. “Paige?”