Chapter 229: He Teaches Her to Drive
Enrico explained to her, “The car will explode, and everything will turn to ashes. The fact that the syndicates will have people watching will make them believe I really died.”
Paige nodded, understanding that only a genuine death performance in front of these syndicates would convince them.
“I’ll arrange the ashes separately,” Enrico continued, his voice stern. “What you need to do now is start practicing driving. You must precisely position the car above the underground space and escape at the moment the fire ignites. Any mistake, and you’ll end up dead in that fire.”
Paige looked at him with some surprise. “Aren’t you afraid I might make a mistake?”This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
She couldn’t believe he had such high expectations for a caged bird.
Enrico glanced down at her, “Are you looking for a compliment? Yes, you haven’t been driving for long, but your learning ability is the strongest I’ve ever seen. This level of difficulty should be nothing for you. Is that good enough?”
Paige tilted her head to look at him, noticing that his tone was back to normal, without the emotional state from dinner. She felt more at ease.
She smiled, stretching her limbs a bit where she stood. “It’s rare for you to appreciate me so much. I’ll make sure to do well.”
Enrico gave her a near-cryptic look. “Did you think I never appreciated you?”
“It’s not that you didn’t appreciate me, but you’ve always been critical,” Paige replied with a smile. She then observed the surroundings and walked down the slope.
Enrico stood on the high ground, watching her back. What a foolish woman, he thought. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate her; he was just afraid she’d fly too far. But this time, he was going to personally send her off to grow her wings.
Paige reached the roadside, where a red sports car was parked-the only fully AI-customized smart car in the country.
As she approached, the headlights lit up.
Paige realized that this car would be the only casualty in this performance.
She got into the car and fastened her seatbelt. The system automatically activated, and Algo, the AI, appeared on the screen, bouncing around playfully. “Master, Algo has been waiting for you for so long!”
It sounded like a child.
This was her first car, and Enrico had taught her to drive in it. Now, she was going to send it into the flames.
Paige placed her hands on the steering wheel, feeling a pang of indescribable sadness. Algo seemed to sense her gloom and asked in its cartoonish voice, “Master, why aren’t you talking? Should Algo tell you a joke?”
Just then, the passenger door opened, and Enrico got in.
Algo recognized his face and, upon identifying the important figure, immediately drooped its head in fear, weakly saying, “Good evening, Mr. Gustin.”
“Why did you get in the car?” Paige asked, puzzled.
“I taught you how to drive, so I’m going to teach you until the end,” Enrico said, pulling on his seatbelt.
“But you’re still injured,” she reminded him, realizing she kept forgetting he had two broken ribs.
“Drive,” Enrico ordered, not allowing any room for argument.
Paige had no choice but to start the car. The headlights illuminated the dark road ahead. She smoothly shifted gears, released the clutch, and pressed the accelerator, making the sports car slowly move forward.
Three minutes later, Enrico, resting his face on his hand, looked at her steady driving and said coldly, “Do you believe that right now, even an old lady out for a night jog would be faster than you?”
She was supposed to be rehearsing a panicked escape, but at this pace?
Paige felt somewhat embarrassed by his comment and said, “If you get out, I promise I can drive faster.”
“I’m not going to die. Now drive,” Enrico snapped.
Paige continued to drive slowly.
“Algo, accelerate!” Enrico commanded.
Algo, not daring to disobey him, immediately made the car speed up, recklessly barreling forward.
Both of them were jolted by the sudden acceleration, and Paige quickly stabilized the steering wheel, frowning. “How does it even have this feature? Algo, I’m your master.”
“Uh…” Algo whimpered pitifully.
“Okay, leave the speed to me,” Paige conceded, unable to resist this version of Enrico. She gripped the steering wheel tightly and slammed her foot on the accelerator.
The car shot forward, speeding along the winding road like a flame.
The night was pitch-black and eerily silent, with only the sound of the roaring engine breaking the stillness.
The headlights burned brightly, casting dazzling light.
Shadows of trees passed by, while the distant mountain walls reflected the cold light of the moon.
Paige handled the steering wheel expertly, occasionally hearing Enrico’s slightly breathless instructions. She absorbed his guidance quickly, shifting gears rapidly, and when it came to the sharp turns, the sports car drifted with such force that the tires screeched against the pavement.
Enrico’s chest was painfully constricted by the seatbelt, and his face turned pale, breathing heavily.
Paige instinctively wanted to hit the brakes, but Enrico barked, “Keep the accelerator floored!”
Paige obeyed, focusing fiercely on the road ahead, holding their lives tightly in her hands.
Round after round, lap after lap.
Eventually, Enrico’s guidance was no longer needed.
He pressed a hand to his chest, glancing sideways at the woman next to him.
Paige sat there, her eyes fixed calmly on the road ahead. Her profile was delicate, almost like a student’s, yet the steering wheel spun under her control with astonishing speed.
One small mistake could send them crashing into a tree, a slope, resulting in a deadly wreck.
For a moment, he even felt a morbid desire for her to make a mistake. That way, they could die together.
But she quickly honed her skills and developed a fierce confidence, mastering the precision needed to handle the car. During a sharp turn, the car nearly spun in place, emitting clouds of white smoke, yet the passengers remained steady.
This was Paige’s true level.
She had survived the hell of the slums; she knew how to survive better than anyone.
Even without him, she would still thrive and not be bullied.
The term “caged bird” was just his delusion.
Enrico stared at her, the pain in his chest throbbing violently.
As dawn approached, Paige had finally honed her escape-driving technique. She parked the car by the roadside and turned to Enrico, who was clutching his chest, his face pale.
“Enrico!” Paige gasped, quickly unscrewing a bottle of water and handing it to him.
Enrico’s lips were somewhat colorless. He took the bottle and drank a sip, but his hand trembled uncontrollably.
His head was starting to hurt again.
But he didn’t even dare to press his head, pretending it was just his injuries acting up.
“Are you alright?” Paige asked, her heart pounding with worry. “Did I drive poorly?”
How could he be like this?
She had felt much more confident by the end. Was it because the passenger seat experienced more turbulence?
Enrico gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure the severe headache.