"Well, I suppose this is where the fun and games end. Now, I'm going to treat you like I would an enemy." Darius' expression turned contemptuous as he sat down again, crossing one leg over the other, looking arrogant.Gareth took a deep breath as his blood boiled. He stalked toward Darius and growled, "If that's what you think, I'll show you how important a bodyguard is!"Edward frowned at this and stepped forward to shield Darius with his body. He put his hands behind his back as he scowled and snarled, "I may not have heard you mention the name of your master, but your comrade was forthcoming enough to tell us. If you're gonna try to harm Mr. Reid because your master told you to, I'll have you know that I don't have the best temper. I can't guarantee that you'll get off easy if you go ahead with this, and I can't guarantee that I won't take this out on your master later. When that happens, you won't be a satisfactory bodyguard—no one will be able to vouch for your loyalty toward you

He leaned against the desk, crossed one leg over the other, and looked at Edward. Edward shut the door behind him as he entered; he had a stack of papers in one hand. He looked calm, but Darius knew him better than that. Underneath that calm exterior was an agitated heart. Darius raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "You don't seem to be doing too well, which is weird. I've known you for a while now, but this is my first time seeing you like this."Edward smiled bitterly and nodded. "You got me there, sir. The answers those bodyguards gave are almost identical; it's as if they'd already discussed this beforehand. One thing to note is that they've all mentioned Robert Reid's name. My guess is that he may have spoken to them one-on-one, but none of them have ever caught him with someone else."His gaze was resolute as he looked Darius in the eye. "That's why I think Robert must be in cahoots with them. At the very least, he must've agreed to work for a few of these guys."Darius put h

"However, you've really let me down." Edward shook his head, looking upset. "After hearing your conversation earlier, I can't help thinking that I'd be making a huge mistake by letting any of you leave this place alive!" The bodyguards were stunned. They gaped at Edward in disbelief, not knowing how to react to this turn of events.Edward merely shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Now, now. I was just joking. There are cars waiting for you outside, so you can go ahead and leave. As Mr. Reid said earlier, wait for us to call you. If you're the right fit for the job, we'll let you know so you can come back here and take up your post. Of course, if any of you try to pull anything funny, you can wait for death to come knocking on your door. As for the remainder that is neither good nor bad, it's unfortunate that you won't be able to continue staying here to protect Mr. Reid's safety. I could arrange for you to be hired as security guards elsewhere, but you may feel insulted by this despite t

"Anyway, I trust your final judgment," said Darius. He glanced at Edward, then continued, "I know you and how kind you really are. Chances are I won't find the people whose lives you want to end to be good samaritans, so you don't need to be too bothered by my opinion when you're dealing with these matters. If I were to be against anything you're about to do, I would've made myself clear. I wouldn't confuse you with an ambiguous attitude."Edward's eyes turned red at this, and he gave Darius a sharp salute. "Understood, sir." He was touched but didn't make it obvious from his tone. "This matter with the bodyguards is pretty much taken care of at this point, but I think I'll still need to report this to Bruce. I've actually been hesitant to do this because I feel that since Bruce has already given those bodyguards to you, they belong to you. No matter how they end up, it's a decision that you have the liberty to make. Still, Bruce is the highest authority when it comes to dealing with

"On the contrary, I think you're here to end my life. Still, the fact that you've said so much to me proves that I'm wrong—you're not here to kill me, which means Darius needs something from me. That's why he hasn't given the order to kill me … yet. Of course, there's also the possibility of being genuinely kind and wanting to give me another chance," Winston said.Edward raised an eyebrow and scoffed, shaking his head as he said, "I've always thought you were smart; I even considered you a rival of equal standing. Now, I see that I was too naive. You don't deserve to be my equal!" His tone was matter-of-fact. It was as if he were only stating the truth.This got on Winston's nerves. He ignored the pain and shot to his feet as he stared at Edward in disbelief. Though he didn't say a word, Edward could tell what he was thinking—Edward wasn't there to end his life or force him to side with Darius. There was nothing Edward wanted for him, or rather, they could easily get whatever they wa