For Kayden, two interesting events took place today.
The first was Mrs. Rocco’s bold proposition to make him her kept man. She was daring, ambitious, and unafraid to take risks. Kayden didn’t dislike Mrs. Rocco-in fact, he admired her decisiveness. However, there was no way he would agree to be “kept” by her.
The second event involved Emma. She was, in Kayden’s opinion, utterly foolish. She thought of him as nothing more than a useless layabout sponging off her family. But none of this really mattered to Kayden. He wouldn’t stoop to argue with Emma, nor would he concern himself with John Baker’s wife either.
That afternoon, Kayden received a phone call from John Baker. John invited him over for dinner.
Kayden didn’t decline. He agreed, knowing he had something important to discuss with John Baker. Yesterday, during their brief meeting, Kayden noticed some serious health issues with John. If left untreated, these could potentially develop into cancer. Though Kayden had the ability to treat cancer, he believed in prevention whenever possible.
When Kayden arrived at John Baker’s house, the table was already set with an abundant feast. The spread included chicken, duck, fish, seafood, and numerous other dishes-clearly prepared with great care for his visit.
“Mr. Baker! May, Emma,” Kayden greeted each of them in turn.
Emma and May were both engrossed in their phones, their faces dark with anger. It was obvious they were upset about something.
“Kayden, you’re here! Come, sit down!” John Baker, ever the gracious host, gestured warmly to the sofa. He looked every bit the kind and welcoming father figure.
Kayden had barely taken his seat when May set her phone down, glared at him angrily, and snapped, “Kayden, what exactly did you do this morning?”
A chill ran through Kayden’s mind. He didn’t want to respond to May’s aggressive questioning. After years on the battlefield, no one had ever dared to speak to him in such a tone. But with John Baker sitting there, Kayden forced a strained smile and replied, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Not sure what I mean?” May’s voice rose in anger. “Emma told me everything! She tried to do you a favor by finding you a job, but why did you have to offend Ryder? Do you have any idea what the consequences of offending Ryder are? You could ruin Emma’s future! Do you even care?”
Kayden froze for a moment-it was about that incident!
Clearly, Emma had already informed her parents about what had happened earlier, and now May was ready to hold him accountable.
Before Kayden could respond, John Baker sighed and said, “That’s right, Kayden. Here in Western Frontier, it’s best to avoid making enemies whenever possible. The Steele family may not be the most powerful family around, but they’re still quite influential. With our resources, we’re in no position to provoke them. I know you have a strong backbone, but there are things worth doing and things that aren’t. Emma’s future may be a small matter, but crossing the Steele family is a big one.”
Looking at John Baker, Kayden suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for this middle-aged man. Once, John had walked through life with pride, standing tall by his father’s side and basking in the glory of those days. But now, he had been reduced to this-a man forced to bow his head to life’s hardships.
This man had sacrificed his pride to survive.
“Mr. Baker, you don’t need to worry. This matter won’t affect your family. If the Steele family dares to trouble you, I won’t hesitate to destroy them entirely. As for what May said earlier-I was protecting Emma. Of course, Emma doesn’t need my protection, but that was beyond my control.”
May’s face darkened at Kayden’s words. She snapped, “Stop making excuses! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Let me tell you, our Emma will never fall for someone like you. Just give up already!”
Kayden was speechless. Emma? Seriously? She was utterly mediocre compared to the women he had known. Any one of them could outshine Emma effortlessly. Why did they insist on believing he had feelings for her?
Fine. Whatever.
Kayden chose not to explain further and remained silent.
Seeing Kayden’s lack of response, John Baker interjected, “Alright, it seems Kayden understands his mistake.”
“Mr. Baker, why don’t we eat? The food looks ready,” Kayden suggested. He was ready to leave this family behind and stop engaging with them altogether. But when he thought of John Baker, he decided to stay for the meal. Once this dinner was over, he would leave them a gift and step out of their lives. Kayden wasn’t fit to associate with them-it would only bring them unnecessary trouble, especially if Hellblazer started targeting him.
“Eat? What are you in such a rush for?” May snapped irritably. “This meal isn’t for you-it’s for Ryder! When Ryder arrives, you need to apologize to him. Tell him you were out of your mind when you said what you did. I’m begging you-don’t ruin my daughter’s future. Make it clear that you have no connection to her!”
Kayden froze again. So this meal wasn’t even for him-it was for Ryder. His purpose here was simple: to apologize to Ryder.
“Exactly, Kayden. May’s words may be harsh, but they’re true. The Steele family is not to be trifled with. When you see Ryder, apologize. As for Emma’s future, that’s secondary-don’t listen to May’s nonsense,” John Baker added.
John’s intentions were straightforward: he just wanted Kayden to apologize to Ryder and avoid provoking the Steele family. Now that Kayden had left the Scott family, he was like a child without a safety net. John didn’t want to see Kayden become a target for Ryder’s wrath.
John Baker had little strength left to fight. His only option was to host a dinner, invite Ryder, and have Kayden apologize through his daughter. This was all the power John Baker had left.
Hearing her parents’ words, Emma raised her head, shot Kayden a glare, and let out a cold scoff.
As their conversation ended, a knock came at the door.
“Ryder’s here!” Emma exclaimed excitedly as she ran to open the door.
Standing outside was Ryder, holding several gift boxes. He smiled warmly and said, “Mr. Baker, Mrs. Baker, it’s a pleasure to meet you! This is my first visit to your home, so I brought a small gift. I hope you’ll accept it.”
With that, Ryder raised the boxes in his hands, his grin widening.
May’s face lit up with joy. She quickly got up and said, “Oh, you didn’t have to bring anything! Your visit is more than enough, Mr. Steele!”