âYou donât get to call the shots here!â Bennett sneered.
âZaydenâs already signed Arianaâs fate to me.
Sheâs mine now, and everything she has belongs to me.
I decide when this game ends.
â
He paused, his menacing demeanor softening a tad.
âBut hey, since youâve made the journey to Conata, I guess I can show a bit of hospitality.
How about this? Hand over Ariana, and you are free to go.
â
Holden couldnât help but chuckle.
âYou think I journeyed all this way here just to hand her over to you? Iâm here to make sure Ariana gets back to Eleymond safe and sound.
Sheâs my wife.
Have you ever heard of a husband who tosses his wife to another man? Not happening! Every husband will protect his wife at all costs.
â
After saying that, Holdenâs face darkened.
He didnât care about confronting Bennett.
If it meant getting Ariana out of here, he was even willing to die.
âToo bad for you.
My crew would toss their wives to me without a second thought if I told them to,â Bennett retorted.
âThat just proves your people are spineless.
You are, too.
Why else would you need to snatch someone elseâs woman?â Holden countered.
The tension thickened, with neither man willing to back down.
Bennett, already simmering with fury, bristled at Holdenâs words.
His gaze turned lethal.
âYou really think youâll waltz out of here unscathed? I donât give a damn about your power in Eleymond.
This is Conata, and I doubt you can defeat me here.
Otherwise, Zayden wouldnât need to cooperate with me.
â
âI know I canât.
â Holden grinned faintly.
âThatâs why Iâm not going anywhere!â
At that moment, the car behind him roared to life.
Seizing the opportunity, the driver sped off with Ariana still unconscious inside.
Simultaneously, Holden took out his gun, aiming it at Bennettâs forehead, blocking his path.
âIf you dare to send your men after the car, Iâll shoot you.
â
Bennettâs heart sank like a stone as he watched Arianaâs car vanish into the distance, his face turning dark with rage.
He glared at Holden.
âHolden, just remember whoâs calling the shots around here! You think letting her go means sheâs free? Without my permission, no one is allowed to leave here! Sheâll still be stuck in this estate!â
Holden replied with a slight smirk, visibly more at ease now that Ariana was safe.
âI know that,â he said, his voice dripping with confidence.
âI acknowledge that this is your territory.
Otherwise, I wouldnât have chosen today to make my move.
â
As he spoke, Holden edged closer to Bennett, gun in hand.
Despite multiple guns pointed at him, Holden showed no fear.
He was confident about his speed, ready to shoot Bennett before anyone could shoot him.
âDonât worry, Iâm not here to harm you.
I donât intend to meet my end in this place,â Holden explained calmly.
âSo, what do you want?â Bennett asked warily, unable to decipher Holdenâs intentions.
âHow about striking a deal?â Holden saw Bennett take the bait and changed his approach.
âYouâve been eyeing Eleymond for your arms business, havenât you? What if I told you I could help you with that?â
âIs that all?â Bennett scoffed, unimpressed.
âZayden mentioned something similar.
No wonder you two are family, spouting the same nonsense! But let me make it clear; Eleymond isnât my top priority.
Donât think you can use that as leverage.
â
Holden chuckled.
âWhy pretend to be tough? If it truly didnât matter, why would you host such a grand banquet today to impress Fraser?â
Stung by the truth, Bennett said sarcastically, âLooks like youâre well- informedâ¦â
He stopped mid-sentence when he suddenly realized that Holden was dressed exactly like Fraser had been earlier.
That was when it hit Bennett.
âWere you impersonating Fraser earlier?â he asked.
Before Holden could reply, Bennett continued, âThat explains it.
No wonder you strolled into the estate without any trouble.
It seems I indeed overlooked something this time.
â
âYour greed left a gap for me to exploit,â Holden admitted openly, seizing the moment.
âI canât control everything in Conata, but being a political figure in Eleymond opens doors.
You see, I wasnât just bluffing.
If you agree to my terms, youâll get what you desireââ