Louis's gaze shifted to Paige after Xena’s revelation.
He couldn't help but ask, disbelief lacing his words, "You got married?"
Paige rolled her eyes at Louis, "Is that any of your business?"
The Sackler family had schemed against her with no mercy five years ago, and now here he was, inquiring about her marital status.
Isn't it absurd?
Louis abruptly took Paige's hand with a rush of emotion, bellowing, "You just got out, whom did you marry? Who?"
Without hesitation, Paige wrenched her hand free from Louis's grasp.
With fury erupting in her voice, she turned to Louis and spat, "Who I marry is none of your business, Louis. I could pick any random guy off the street, even a homeless person, and he’d be a better man than you'll ever be!"
Five years ago, she had learned of Louis' scheme with the Sackler family against her. Any sentimentality from their shared childhood had long since evaporated from her heart.
Louis felt a buzz in his head at her words. Was she saying any man of the street was better than him?
At that moment, Xena twisted the knife further, "It's not just any man, I heard he's disabled. Oh, and sister, you’ll have to take care of him, right? Tsk, I wonder if a person with a prison record can even get a job. Five million dollars would've been enough for a lifetime, a pity you burned it."
Paige, far from being meek, clenched her fists so tight that she might lash out at Xena's face any second.
But what Louis fixated on was the fact that Paige had married a disabled man.
"You chose to marry someone disabled?" he said to Paige incredulously.
"Disabled, so what?" Paige shot back, anger heating her words. "He's my husband, Louis. You have no right to speak about him that way in front of me."
Turning to Xena, Paige continued, "Why do you think I married right after getting out of prison? Have you forgotten it was your family's demand?"
Hearing this, Xena quickly clarified to avoid Louis misconstruing anything, "It was Grandma's idea, not mine. Why link it to me?"
But Louis understood; it was the Sackler family who had forced Paige into marriage.
Indeed, the Sacklers had recently been discussing marriage alliances with his mother, undoubtedly to prevent Paige from stirring trouble after her release by getting her hitched swiftly, eliminating any chances for Louis.
It was like a bad dream; Paige was married before Louis could even process it.
While Louis was still grappling with the revelation, Paige's Swiss Army knife was unsheathed and sailed through the air, landing with a thud into the sofa mere inches from Xena.
Paige's patience had clearly reached its limit. "Don’t forget, you lost tonight’s game!"
With that final word, she spun on her heel and exited the scene, utterly disinterested in watching these spoiled brats’ club-hopping antics.
As Paige departed, Louis hustled after her. Everyone in the room was well aware that Xena was infatuated with Louis, and that their families were on the verge of a betrothal.
Xena couldn't just turn a blind eye. She dashed forward, grabbing Louis's sleeve, "Louis, don't you forget, we're in the same boat here. The deficit at Hawke Corporation can only be wiped clean if we collaborate and clinch the new project of Universe Group."
After delivering her ultimatum, Xena's gaze fastened onto Louis with a venomous intensity.
But Louis, eyes tracing Paige's retreating figure, shook off Xena’s grasp with a decisive movement, "We owe her too much," he tossed over his shoulder before taking off after Paige.
Paige was on the curb trying to hail a cab when Louis pulled up in his car right in front of her.
"I've got to explain what happened five years ago," he urged her, "And about your marriage, you've already sacrificed enough, there's no need to keep doing so. Divorce him now. I'll handle your mother's situation with the Sacklers myself."
Louis laid it all out, but Paige showed no intention of getting into the car. Frustrated, he got out and opened the passenger door for her. Paige didn't even glance in his direction and stepped into a taxi when it pulled up.
Panicked, Louis reached out and caught Paige's arm. "I know where your mother is."
He knew Paige well enough to understand that aside from matters regarding her mother, she wouldn't want to utter a single extra word to him.
Indeed, his words acted like a charm, causing Paige to slowly turn and look at him.
She remained silent, offering a chance for Louis to speak up.
"Let's talk somewhere else," he suggested, pulling the car door open wider.
Paige gave Louis a frigid look and finally spoke. "Louis, do you think, like the Sacklers, that I, Paige, am particularly naive and easy to push around?"
Louis was momentarily lost for words at Paige's blunt confrontation.
"I never intended to bully you; in fact, I believe I'm the only one in the world who truly understands you. And you're the only one who gets me. We share similar backgrounds, and shared joyful days growing up together in a remote mountain village before returning to the bustle of Northwind. Our fates are intertwined. I never planned to leave you behind, not five years ago, and certainly not now."
Louis wanted to take the conversation elsewhere, but even at that moment, he struggled to keep his emotions in check, right there on the side of a bustling Northwind street, regardless of his now lofty status.
Despite pouring his heart out, Louis was met only with Paige's indifferent smile.
"Isn’t that funny, Louis? You didn't hesitate to throw me in jail five years ago."
Louis said, "the Sacklers wanted to preserve their reputation; I had no choice but to let you take the fall. It was just jail time; at least it saved your life!"
At his words, Paige let out an unmistakable laugh, "You, the heir to the Carnegies, could have easily protected me. But you chose the most foolish path. What gives you the right to speak so righteously now?"
Frustrated, Louis punched the car door, his helplessness on full display, "Five years ago, I was just getting back into the Carnegie fold myself. Even now, my uncle is still plotting to seize control..."
Paige was impatient, cutting him off mid-sentence with a cold question. "Louis, if hearing your grievances is the condition for you to reveal where my mother is, then fine. Continue."
She said no more, but her words hit Louis like a cold shower. It was a transaction, her listening to his woes in exchange for the sanatorium's address. Once the deal was done, they would owe each other nothing.
Louis felt a pang in his heart. The decisive, cool-headed Paige, dealing with matters so efficiently, was nothing like the girl he'd known in his youth.
Paige stared at Louis, who remained silent...
Meanwhile, Paige hadn't even said goodbye to Raymond before she left. However, before she left, she did order takeout for him.
When the delivery knocked, Raymond realized Paige was gone. He immediately contacted Charles, who quickly reviewed various security feeds and located Paige at the Nightshade Bar.
Hearing she’d gone to a nightclub nearly sent Raymond over the edge. The familiar scent of home-cooked meals was absent from the now empty house, replaced by the cheap aroma of takeout, thrown directly into the trash by Raymond.
That woman had the nerve to feed him that?
Sleeping in separate rooms after getting married, and now she's left him alone just so she could hit the bars?
With a single command, Raymond was set to storm the nightclub and haul her back.
Despite his indignation, Raymond let Charles drive them in an unassuming-looking car.
As the car halted at a red light amidst the evening shadows, by the glare of a nearby street lamp, a man and woman were seen clinging to each other in a tight embrace.
Raymond's gaze swept over the scene, and he froze in shock.
At that very moment, Charles exclaimed in surprise, “Sir… Isn’t that the young master Louis's car? And... that couple hugging each other, they sort of resemble Mrs. Carnegie and young master Louis!”
Raymond was at a loss for words.