Chapter 11: Look Up in Awe and Worship!

No sooner had the words left her mouth than she saw Kayden lift Leah's foot. With a sickening crack, Kayden rotated Leah's foot a full 360 degrees in his hands. The foot, already too injured to walk on, was now twisted so violently that tears instantly sprang to Leah's eyes, accompanied by a scream that could wake the dead.

"Kayden!" Georgia cried, her face contorted with concern as she rushed to the sofa. She shoved Kayden aside and, examining the foot, demanded furiously, "What on earth are you doing?"

Before she could finish, Kayden rose from the sofa, cutting her off with resolution. "She can walk now. The swelling will be gone by tomorrow."

"Oh, and I have some errands to run. Dinner's ready - help yourselves." With that, Kayden strode out the door without a backward glance.

Leah, whose foot had been in agony moments before, suddenly propped herself up on the sofa. She stared at Kayden's retreating form in utter disbelief. Once the door clicked shut, she turned to Georgia with wide eyes. "Georgia, what's gotten into him? Did he fall and have something wrong in his brain?"

Realizing her slip-up - he was already a dimwit, after all - she quickly added, "I mean, did he fall and recover his memory or something?"

Georgia nodded slightly. "It seems so. He's been like this ever since we left the hospital."

"More importantly, how's your foot feeling?" Georgia asked, concern evident in her voice.

Leah let out a small "oh," but her heart was racing. If Kayden had regained his memories, wouldn't that mean all the things she'd done to him might come to light? What if he used that information to blackmail her? The thought made Leah's hair stand on end.

She needed to talk to Kayden - and soon.

With this in mind, she gingerly placed her foot on the ground and took a couple of tentative steps. To her amazement, her foot no longer hurt. Apart from some swelling and a slight tingling sensation, the pain had completely vanished.

A sprained ankle typically takes at least two weeks to stop hurting, yet Kayden had fixed it with a single twist.

"How is it?" Georgia asked cautiously, still supporting Leah.

Leah's face lit up with excitement. "It doesn't hurt anymore, Georgia! It really doesn't hurt! That idiot is incredible!"

Georgia shot Leah a withering look. "How many times do I have to tell you? He's your brother-in-law! He may be simple-minded, but his identity's a fact you can't change."

Leah stuck out her tongue and retorted, "I couldn't care less if that dummy is my brother-in-law or not. But you, Georgia - you're always so nice to him."

Soon after, the two sat down at the dining table, which was set with several ordinary-looking dishes. After just one bite, Leah exclaimed dramatically, "Wow, this is amazing! Georgia, where did you order this from?"

Georgia took a bite herself and found it just as delicious as the macaroni she'd had that morning. It was the kind of food you couldn't stop eating once you started. Without a doubt, Kayden had prepared this. Who knew he could cook so well?

After a moment of silence, Georgia said, "Kayden made it."

"Kayden?" Leah's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She shook her head in disbelief. "No way. He must have bought it from somewhere. He probably found a great restaurant and brought the food home."

Georgia didn't bother to explain further, choosing instead to continue eating in silence.

Meanwhile, at the Atkinson Group...

Fletcher sat in his office, poring over a stack of contracts with a furrowed brow, looking deeply troubled. Across from him stood a man adopting a servile posture. This was Beckett, the head of the Atkinson Group's Hiphia branch - a man of considerable influence.

"Mr. Atkinson, I've done everything as you instructed. What would you like me to do next?" Beckett asked cautiously.

Fletcher's frown eased as he nodded thoughtfully. "You've done well."

Beckett smiled and said, "It's my duty, sir. But there's one thing I don't quite understand."

Fletcher nodded, signaling Beckett to continue. Beckett asked, "I just don't get it. The Adams family is barely a second-tier family in Hiphia. They have neither wealth nor influence. With so many powerful families to choose from, why focus on them? It doesn't make sense to me."

In fact, this was something that puzzled many of Hiphia's wealthy merchants and prominent families.

Fletcher's expression darkened slightly. "I don't care what the Adams family is like. I just need to get this contract to Georgia. No one but her is to sign it."

"And remember, there are some things you shouldn't question. Just do your job."

Fletcher's words carried such weight that Beckett couldn't even meet his gaze.

"Yes, sir!" Beckett bowed deeply, acutely aware of his own insignificance in Fletcher's presence. After all, he was facing the head of the most powerful family in the Southwest, a man of unparalleled status and prestige.

In the Southwest, Fletcher's word was law. His family's business empire stretched across half of Seclela. In the political world, he was a veteran of the war zone, holding a position so lofty that no one dared question his actions.

Who wouldn't feel small in the presence of such a man? Who wouldn't hope to curry favor with someone like him? For Beckett, even being a manager in Fletcher's company was the crowning achievement of his life.

It was clear that with Fletcher's support, the Adams family was destined for greatness.

"That'll be all. You may go," Fletcher said with a low voice.

Beckett nodded and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, Fletcher suddenly remembered something. "Oh, one more thing."

Beckett immediately stopped, waiting for Fletcher to continue.

"When you see Miss Adams, be respectful. Address her as 'Madam.' She's the wife of the person I respect most in this world. If there's a repeat of what happened at the company entrance last time, I won't be so lenient."

The rebuke made Beckett nod frantically. "Yes, yes, I understand. It won't happen again."

As he left the office, Beckett muttered to himself, "The wife of the person Mr. Atkinson respects most..."

Just moments ago, when Fletcher spoke, Beckett had caught a glimmer of reverence in his eyes. Clearly, this person meant a great deal to Fletcher. For someone to command such respect from Fletcher himself, Beckett could only look up in awe and worship!