Georgia clung to Kayden, her tears flowing freely as she sobbed into his chest. She didn’t hold back, letting the emotions she’d been bottling up pour out in waves.
At that moment, she felt like a child again, vulnerable and scared, and Kayden realized he’d never seen her like this before. To him, Georgia had always been the strong one-the independent woman who never let anything break her. But now, here she was, showing him the side she hid from the world.
It was only in Kayden’s arms that she allowed herself to crumble. With him, she felt safe enough to be weak. Everyone else saw her strength, but only Kayden knew the truth: beneath it all, she was just as fragile as anyone else. All that toughness? Just armour she wore to protect herself.
They held each other tightly, like two people who had narrowly escaped something far worse.
Kayden could feel her pain, and he gently stroked her back, his voice soft and steady. “It’s okay now. It’s over. You’re safe.”
She nestled closer into him, her voice barely a whisper. “Thank you, Kayden.”
Her words of gratitude cut through him, filling him with guilt. He lowered his head, his voice thick with regret. “I’m sorry. I promised I’d protect you, but I wasn’t there. I let this happen. If I’d been with you, none of this would’ve happened.”
Even Kayden had his moments of tenderness-a side of him no one else got to see.
If his enemies saw him now, they wouldn’t believe it. Hell, even his closest allies would be shocked. After fighting so many battles, his heart had grown cold and distant.
But Georgia-her quiet strength over the past few years-had softened him in ways he hadn’t expected. And this softness? It was something only she could bring out in him.
Georgia shook her head, her voice trembling with guilt. “No, it’s not your fault. It’s mine. If I hadn’t agreed to meet Tony, none of this would’ve happened. I wasn’t careful.”
“Tony?” Kayden’s voice dropped, his expression darkening. His jaw clenched, and a flicker of anger flashed in his eyes. “I should’ve killed him when I had the chance.”
Georgia looked up at him, startled. He wasn’t just angry-he was serious. She could see it in his eyes. He meant every word. And the thought of Kayden going after Tony sent a wave of fear through her.
“Kayden, no,” she said, her voice shaky. “It wasn’t all his fault. He wasn’t the one who kidnapped me.”
She paused, unsure whether to tell him the full truth. If Kayden knew Tony had drugged her and tried to rape her, she wasn’t sure what he would do. And as much as Tony deserved to pay for what he’d done, she couldn’t let Kayden get himself into trouble because of it. Tony wasn’t worth it.
Kayden’s eyes narrowed, his expression growing colder by the second. “It doesn’t matter. He still has to pay. Anyone who tries to hurt you doesn’t get to walk away. I made a promise to protect you, and I won’t let anyone get away with this.”
His words were filled with a quiet, deadly resolve, and Georgia couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear. She had never seen him like this before. His voice was calm, but his eyes were full of something darker, something dangerous.
“Kayden… how did you even find me?” she asked, her voice trembling. “There were so many of them. They killed one of the men who came to help me. Did you… did you see him? He didn’t make it.”
Her tears began to fall again as she remembered the man who had sacrificed his life trying to protect her.
Kayden hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He couldn’t tell her the truth-that he had taken down all those men by himself. She wouldn’t believe it. And even if she did, she might look at him differently, with fear instead of trust.
Before he could say anything, the door creaked open. Scarlett walked in, her mood completely different from the tension in the room.
“Georgia, Sheldon’s here to see you,” she announced a satisfied smile on her face. “He even brought you some deer antler tonic and bird’s nest. Only the best for you.”
She threw a glance at Kayden, her expression smug as if to say see how well-connected we are.
Sheldon appeared in the doorway, concern etched on his face. The moment his eyes landed on Georgia, he asked, “Georgia, how are you holding up?”
Before she could answer, Kayden’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out, saw the caller ID, and frowned slightly-it was Greedy Wolf.
He answered, keeping his voice low. On the other end, Greedy Wolf’s voice crackled through. “Defender, we’ve got confirmation. The people behind the kidnapping? It’s the Ford family. They’ve been feeling the heat from Georgia’s business expanding so fast. First, they tried to mess with her finances and threw in some threats. But none of it worked, thanks to the precautions you put in place. So, they went for something more drastic-hence the kidnapping.”
Kayden’s jaw tightened. He muttered under his breath, “The Ford family…”
Greedy Wolf didn’t miss a beat. “Let me handle it. I’ll take them out, once and for all. They won’t know what hit them.”
“No,” Kayden cut in, his tone firm and final. “I’ll take care of this myself.” He hung up, his eyes narrowing as he thought about what had to be done. He wasn’t going to let this slide.
As he stood there, lost in thought, a commotion in the hallway snapped him back to reality.
Curious, Kayden made his way toward the noise where a small crowd had gathered outside a hospital room.
He pushed through the people and saw a girl kneeling in front of a doctor, her voice shaky and pleading. “Please, doctor, I’m begging you. My mom needs the surgery. I’ll get the money, I swear-I just need a little more time.”
She was clutching the doctor’s coat, tears streaming down her face. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, her clothes worn and faded-jeans that had been washed too many times, a white T-shirt that had lost its shape.
The doctor, a man in his mid-thirties with glasses, stood there, arms crossed, looking down at her with a detached expression. He clearly wasn’t moved.
“Look,” he said, his voice cold and matter-of-fact, “I can’t help you. Hospital policy is clear. No money, no surgery. Instead of wasting your time begging me, maybe you should focus on finding the funds.”
His words were like a slap in the face. He turned to leave, clearly done with the conversation, his indifference cutting through the girl’s desperation. To him, this was just another day. He’d seen it all before, and he wasn’t going to bend the rules.
“Marcel, please!” she cried, grabbing his sleeve as he tried to walk away. “I’ve done everything I can. I’ve borrowed money from everyone I know, but there’s no way I can come up with three hundred thousand dollars in just three days. Please, isn’t there anything you can do?”