Hearing this, Kendall seemed to suddenly remember and said, “Right, the Adams Group!”
As soon as her company was mentioned, Georgia Adams felt a thump in her chest, and her gaze immediately locked onto Kendall’s face. He looked down at the audience and asked, “Who’s the person in charge of Adams Group?”
Without missing a beat, Georgia Adams stood up and said, “That would be me, Mr. Lindsey.”
Her heart raced with a mix of excitement and nervousness, as if she’d just won a golden ticket.
The crowd turned their attention to her, and in that instant, the buzz of chatter dropped to whispers, and faces fell with a mix of envy and resignation.
“Did the Adams family get some blessing or something? First all those contracts, now they’re catching the attention of the Saint Dragon Business Association? They’ve gone from a small-time operation to top-tier just like that. Who are they connected to?”
“Didn’t you see how respectful Beckett Robinson was towards her? It’s gotta be because of the Atkinson family.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s incredible, isn’t it? Looks like I seriously underestimated the Adams Group.”
…
Kendall’s gaze lingered on Georgia Adams, and Beckett Robinson chimed in, “Yes, Mr. Lindsey, this is Georgia Adams, CEO of the Adams Group. A truly remarkable and capable businesswoman.”
Kendall nodded thoughtfully and said, “Indeed, a woman of exceptional ability. Taking a near-bankrupt company to where it is today is practically a legend in the finance world. Adams Group’s achievements have even reached our headquarters, where everyone’s impressed.”
These words were enough to crush the last remaining hopes of the other attendees. If even Kendall praised the Adams family like this, then everyone knew where that investment money was headed.
Feeling grateful, Georgia said, “Thank you, Mr. Lindsey!”
But Kendall raised his hand, stopping her. “Don’t thank me just yet. I’m not finished talking.”
“Before we get into any investments, there’s something I want to ask you,” he said, his gaze sharpening.
The rush of excitement Georgia had felt faded. She had handled her share of investors before, so she just nodded and said, “Of course, Mr. Lindsey. Ask away.”
Without hesitation, Kendall asked, “What do you think is the key to your company’s success?”
Georgia’s mind went blank for a moment. The truth was that the Adams family had always been an underdog in the industry, with no real advantages. Things only started turning around after they partnered with the Atkinson family.
And that connection was thanks to her husband, Kayden Scott.
The truth, she thought. Just give him the truth.
She was about to respond when Beckett Robinson jumped in. “Mr. Lindsey, what you might not know is that Ms. Adams runs her business with outstanding values. When we at the Atkinson Group decided to invest in them, it was precisely because of the strong values and Ms. Adams’s capabilities.”
Kendall shot him an irritated look and said, “If I didn’t ask you to speak, you’d better sit down and listen. I don’t appreciate interruptions.”
Beckett’s face froze in a forced smile, and he swallowed hard, feeling the sting of embarrassment. For the first time in his career, he found himself humiliated like this. But this was the Saint Dragon Business Association, and he had no choice but to respond meekly, “I’m sorry, Mr. Lindsey.”
Ignoring him, Kendall turned to Georgia and asked, “Ms. Adams, you were about to answer?”
Georgia took a steadying breath and replied, “Actually, I owe it all to my husband.”
Her voice carried a touch of pride, maybe even a hint of boasting, but it was the truth. Without Kayden Scott, none of this would’ve been possible.
“Oh?” Kendall’s eyes narrowed. “And what exactly does that mean?”
Georgia bit her lip and said, “Truthfully, the Adams family wouldn’t be where we are today without him. All these partnerships were his doing. Without him, we’d likely have gone under by now.”
Kendall gave a small, approving nod. “Honesty! I like that about you. Unlike certain people who feel the need to spin tall tales.”
It was a clear dig at Beckett Robinson, whose face turned ashen.
Kendall continued, ignoring Beckett’s mortified expression. “So, your husband must be quite influential, then? I mean, if he can get the Atkinson family to partner with you, he must hold some serious rank, right?”
Georgia blinked and gave a small nod. “Maybe he does.”
“Care to tell us what exactly he does?” Kendall pressed.
Georgia’s eyes flickered as she replied, “He’s the Commander of Seclela. A field commander.”
The crowd gasped in shock. Many of them had heard Georgia Adams was married to a man who was rumored to be mentally unstable. And now she was saying that same man was a high-ranking commander?
One by one, people began to murmur.
“See! I knew it! The Adams Group’s sudden rise was too good to be true; there had to be someone powerful behind them!”
“Yeah, no wonder they got in with the Atkinson Group. No wonder Sunny Group went under. This explains everything. Her husband is the Commander of Seclela!”
“I remember when Christopher Adams forced his granddaughter to marry some ‘idiot.’ Turns out the guy’s a legend!”
…
Amid the murmurs, Kendall nodded thoughtfully. “Well, that explains it. I knew there had to be something more to Adams Group’s meteoric rise.”
“But let me ask you something else,” he added, leaning forward. “Do you know what his actual title is? Has he ever told you he’s a commander, someone they call the ‘Defender of the South’?”
It seemed Kendall already knew the answer and was only asking to confirm it. Georgia nodded and said, “Yes, he told me he’s the Defender of the South.”
“Bang!”
Before Georgia could finish, Kendall slammed his hand onto the table, his face contorting in rage. He barked, “What an absolute load of nonsense!”