Wood Faulkner smiled faintly and said, “No, I’m not. I’m Mr. Scott’s subordinate-willingly so.”
Sophie blinked in confusion. “Subordinate?” she asked, puzzled.
“Yes, a subordinate,” Wood replied. “A long, long time ago, I became one of Mr. Scott’s people. He’s the person I admire most in this world!”
Kayden didn’t let the conversation continue. He turned to Sophie and asked, “What happened to you? Why did your sister have to come all the way to Inassea to find me? I remember you have my number. Why didn’t you call me?”
Sophie gasped in surprise. “You’re saying Priya went to Inassea to find you?”
Clearly, this was news to her. It wasn’t Sophie’s idea for Priya to go to Kayden.
Realizing what must have happened, Sophie let out an exasperated sigh and muttered to herself, “That brat must have read my diary. She’s so annoying!”
Sophie had a habit of keeping a diary. It must have been during the time she was locked away, isolated from the outside world, that Priya got into her diary.
The thought of Priya reading her most private and sentimental entries made Sophie feel a wave of embarrassment unlike anything she’d ever experienced.
Kayden ignored her muttering and pressed on. “What happened?”
He cared only about what had happened to Sophie and why she’d been forced into marrying that fool from the Alfredson family. His priority now was to solve her problems.
Swallowing hard, Sophie began to recount everything. As the story unfolded, her face grew darker with sorrow.
This was the darkest chapter of her life, the one that had changed everything. She had gone from being the cherished daughter of the Walsh family to an orphan ruled by others-a pitiful, powerless girl.
“So the one sitting at the head of your family now is the man who came to Inassea looking for you?” Kayden asked coldly.
Sophie nodded. “Yes. It’s Uncle Gavin.”
“It seems Gavin colluded with outsiders to kill your grandfather and your parents, then took the position for himself. Ruthless,” Kayden analyzed calmly.
Sophie nodded again. “Uncle Gavin has always been like that. But no one thought he’d actually dare to kill Grandpa!”
“Alright then,” Kayden said sharply. “Can you move? Let’s go.”
Sophie was startled. “Go? Go where?”
“To your family. We’ll seek justice for your grandfather, your parents, and you. I’ll make the Walsh family kneel and tremble before you!” His voice was crisp, firm, and resolute.
Sophie quickly shook her head. “No, no! Kayden, this is my problem. You don’t need to get involved. I’m already grateful that you came all the way to the Western Frontier to see me. That’s enough for me.”
Kayden looked her straight in the eyes and said with determination, “We’re friends. When you’re in trouble, I’ll help. A man who kills his father and his own brother for power-what difference does it make if he’s alive or dead?”
Sophie shook her head vigorously. “No, Kayden, you don’t understand! To the people of the Western Frontier, our Walsh family may seem like a second-rate power, not very strong. But we have the Azure Cloud Resort.”
At the mention of Azure Cloud Resort, Kayden didn’t react, but Wood Faulkner’s face changed.
“You mean the Azure Cloud Resort? The mysterious organization that sells intelligence?”
Sophie nodded emphatically. “Yes, the Azure Cloud Resort that trades information.”
Kayden glanced at Wood Faulkner, who immediately explained, “Mr. Scott, I’ve heard of this Azure Cloud Resort before, back when I was with the Henderson family. They rely on selling intelligence to survive. They’re not particularly powerful, but they’re very mysterious. They can obtain information that ordinary people cannot. Many seek them out to buy secrets.”
Buying secrets-this was something new to Kayden. While such mysterious organizations existed in ancient times, it was surprising to him that they still existed today.
“Yes,” Sophie continued. “Our family used to rely on selling intelligence. On the surface, we ran legitimate businesses to maintain appearances, but in reality, we sold secrets. I remember seeing people pay high prices to buy information from my family when I was little.
“I never knew what kind of secrets they were, but they seemed very valuable. My grandfather never showed his face publicly. He always had others act on his behalf.”
After hearing Sophie’s explanation, Wood Faulkner turned to Kayden and asked, “Mr. Scott, what’s the plan now?”
“The same. We’ll go and demand justice,” Kayden said casually.
His attitude was clear: anyone who hurt Sophie would not be spared, no matter who they were.
Sophie gasped. “We’re still going?”
She had assumed Kayden would back down after hearing about the Azure Cloud Resort. But to her surprise, he seemed completely unfazed. Even when Wood Faulkner spoke, Kayden’s expression hadn’t changed.
“Of course,” Kayden said lightly. “Why not? If your Uncle Gavin can be the head of the Walsh family and control the Azure Cloud Resort, I believe you can do it too. Let’s go. We’re leaving now.”
Sophie was stunned. Before she could protest, Kayden grabbed her by the wrist and led her out the door.
She knew Kayden was strong, but she hadn’t realized just how strong. He was unafraid to challenge her entire family.
Before, she had doubted his ability to stand up to the Walsh family. That’s why she had begged for mercy when Gavin came for her.
But after Kayden had rescued her from the Alfredson family without showing them any respect, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity about him.
“Can I know what you do?” Sophie asked as he dragged her along.
“Nothing much,” Kayden replied. “I’m just here to help you.”
—
At the Azure Cloud Resort, the Walsh family’s estate, Gavin sat in a chair with a satisfied smile on his face. He looked pleased.
Behind him stood a young man with one arm, dressed in black and holding a long sword. His face was expressionless, the very image of a top-tier fighter.
Sitting across from Gavin was a middle-aged man in a suit. He grinned as he said, “Master Gavin, congratulations! This alliance with the Alfredson family is a masterstroke. Not only can we absorb talent, but we’ll also gain significant benefits. It’s a win-win situation. After losing so many followers last time, this will replenish our ranks with higher-quality and more capable individuals.”
This man was Oliver Prescott, the Walsh family’s commander.
Gavin chuckled. “Well, I had to act quickly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have married Sophie off to the Alfredson family.”