Sure, Georgia Adams was terrified of death-who wouldn’t be? She hadn’t even experienced the sweetest joys of life or given herself fully to Kayden Scott. The thought of losing everything, of never seeing Kayden Scott’s face again, sent a tear rolling down her cheek. She silently prayed for a miracle, for Kayden Scott to descend like a god from the heavens and save her.
“Prepare to die, Lady of Seclela,” sneered the woman in red, her voice dripping with mockery as a sinister smile played on her lips. She raised her foot, and from her boot, drew a gleaming dagger.
“Stop!”
The commanding voice echoed through the tense air just as the red-clad woman was about to strike. Her hand froze mid-motion. All eyes snapped toward the source of the voice, their gazes locking on none other than Beckett Robinson-the Atkinson Group’s Hiphia branch head, freshly humiliated by Kendall Lindsey.
Beckett Robinson had spoken at last, unable to hold back any longer.
Beckett wasn’t easy to foool; he was a shrewd and pragmatic businessman who always knew when to act and when to hold back. Watching someone bully Georgia Adams stirred his anger, but the odds were stacked against him. Speaking up would risk his life, so he’d kept his silence-until now.
This was self-preservation.
But while staying quiet, he had been thinking, analyzing. Was stepping forward worth it? This wasn’t just any confrontation; one wrong move, and he could end up dead.
Now, though, he had no choice. Any further hesitation, and Georgia Adams would be dead. And if she died, his own survival was out of the question.
As a loyal subordinate of the Defender, Beckett Robinson knew he’d willingly die to protect her. It would be a death worthy of respect and remembrance. With his mind made up, he took the risk.
Striding over to Georgia, Beckett pulled her behind him, shielding her with his own body. His voice was steady, almost reverent. “My Lady, don’t worry. As long as I, Beckett Robinson, am here, no one will lay a finger on you.”
The red-clad woman paused, her eyes narrowing before she barked harshly, “And who the hell do you think you are? Get lost while you still can!”
Beckett met her glare with a cold smirk and replied confidently, “I am Beckett Robinson, a subordinate of Firefist, one of the Zodiac Generals!”
The mere mention of that name sent a jolt through the young man pretending to be Kayden Scott.
Another person who knew Kayden Scott?
The young man scrutinized Beckett Robinson, his surprise evident. A subordinate of Firefist? Was there really a follower of Firefist in Hiphia? He knew Beckett Robinson’s reputation as a mere businessman-a local Atkinson Group manager, nothing more.
Was this man, so unremarkable in his eyes, truly Firefist’s subordinate?
Businesspeople like Beckett were typically cowards who clung to life above all else. Yet here Beckett was, boldly stepping forward. Could it be that even Firefist’s followers possessed such courage? Was their charisma so infectious it emboldened even ordinary men to defy death itself?
The young man’s heart skipped a beat, his confidence faltering ever so slightly.
Beckett’s voice rang out again, brimming with indignation. “As long as I’m here, no one will harm my Lady! If anyone wants to lay a hand on her, they’ll have to go through me first.”
“Are you insane? Do you have a death wish?” Kendall Lindsey spat, his trembling finger pointing accusingly at Beckett.
“Mr. Lindsey! Esteemed guests!” Beckett began, addressing the powerful figures of Hiphia. “Let me tell you something you might not know. The head of the Atkinson family-Fletcher Atkinson himself-is none other than Firefist, one of the Zodiac Generals of Defender! I, Beckett Robinson, have had the honor of meeting the Defender personally. These impostors standing before us are liars. This guy is not the real Defender of the South. They’re playing you for fools!”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
“What? The head of the Atkinson family is Firefist? That explains so much!”
“No wonder the Atkinson Group crushed the Henderson family so quickly-it all makes sense now!”
“So… who do we believe?”
“Let’s stay neutral for now. No one knows what might happen next.”
The murmurs grew, though no one dared to speak too loudly, not with the young man’s menacing presence still looming.
Kendall Lindsey’s face darkened at Beckett’s claims. He couldn’t have been wrong about the Defender. His hesitation was brief, but Beckett seized the moment to sneer.
“Kendall Lindsey, the great head of the Saint Dragon Business Association, blind as a bat when it matters most. All this time, we held you in such high regard, only to discover you’re nothing but a joke!”
“You… YOU!” Kendall spluttered, his face flushing with rage.
Beckett ignored him entirely, turning back to the crowd. “Unlike some people, I, Beckett Robinson, don’t fall for lies. In Hiphia, no one fools me! I know the truth because I work directly for the Atkinson Group. The reason the Atkinson family collaborates with the Adams Group isn’t because of flattery or bribes-it’s because of the Defender’s orders. And that so-called ‘fool’ who’s been mocked for three years? He’s none other than Seclela’s War God-the true Defender of the South!”
With his hand raised high, Beckett declared, “Today, I swear on my honor-if a single word I’ve said is false, may I meet an untimely end!”
Georgia Adams stood behind him, overwhelmed by a warmth she hadn’t felt in years. Beckett Robinson, so aloof and untouchable on ordinary days, had stepped forward at the critical moment.
“Thank you, Mr. Robinson,” she whispered, heartfelt and sincere.
Beckett smiled gently. “Serving you, my Lady, is my greatest honor.”