The Protector

Chapter 7

“You wish!”

Zoey would rather die than agree to such a condition.

“Fine. Just you wait!”

Derrick grinned insidiously before turning to leave.

Noticing Zoey’s pale complexion, Levi grasped her hand and asked, “Zoey, what happened? Who’s that guy just now?”

Zoey shook her head. “It’s nothing!”

However, she knew Derrick wouldn’t let this rest, so she was perturbed along the way.

Halfway through, a large group of people suddenly surrounded the four of them.

These people were members of the security team, each pointing at them with a gun.

Zoey was scared out of her wits. Her face drained of all colors as she gripped Levi’s hand tightly.

Likewise, Aaron and Caitlyn were paralyzed in terror, as they knew that it was Derrick’s revenge.

The leader of the group, decked out in combat suits, looked at them with cold and merciless eyes under the protective goggles. “Mr. Johns, is this the criminal that you were speaking of?”

“Yes, Mr. Lewis!” Derrick replied. “This guy’s fresh out of prison today. How is he qualified to attend such a banquet? I suspect he has something up his sleeve! If anything crops up on this occasion, can you afford to bear this responsibility, Mr. Lewis?”

“What? Is this for real?”

Ethan Lewis, the deputy team leader of the security team, was responsible for the safety inside. He wasn’t aware of how they had come in.

Derrick flashed a complacent smile at Zoey, then said to Ethan, “No matter what’s the situation, Mr. Lewis, I suggest we arrest him first! We need to get rid of any possible risks!”

“Right! How could he attend this banquet right after he was released from prison? Check their invitations first!” Ethan said coldly.

Zoey and her parents were dumbfounded.

What invitation cards! There were no invitation cards at all!

“Hand over the invitations!” Derrick spoke in an overbearing manner.

“We don’t have them,” Levi replied placidly.

“Haha. Did you hear that, Mr. Lewis? They have no invitations at all! Something is definitely fishy here!” Derrick was elated to hear that they came without any invitation.

“Men, arrest them!” Ethan gave his orders.

At that point, Zoey was already freaking out.

Mom, dad, and I will definitely be fine even if we’re arrested. But Levi will certainly be subjected to Derrick’s manipulation and get sent to jail again.

“Wait! We came in through the security checkpoint. What makes you think we don’t have the right to be here?” Zoey said indignantly.

“That’s impossible!” Derrick sneered. “An invitation is compulsory to enter this place! Even the host of today’s banquet, the God of War, needs an invitation! Something is not right if there’s no invitation!”

“Yes, that’s a first for me as well,” Ethan said with certainty, knowing that everyone, including the tycoons, came with invitations today. “Take them away!”

Aaron and Caitlyn squeezed their eyes shut in horror.

Zoey, too, was terribly frightened.

“Accept your fate, Zoey!” Derrick chortled. “This is the consequence of rejecting me!”

“Whoever told you that one must need an invitation to get in?” Levi’s voice sounded abruptly.

Everyone halted and stared at him with surprise.

Just then, Zoey tugged on Levi’s sleeves, signaling him to stop talking, while Aaron and his wife looked even more horrified by Levi’s retort.

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Levi merely patted her shoulders. “Trust me again, will you?”

“Okay.” Zoey nodded.

After that, Levi’s gaze landed on Ethan. “Call your supervisor and ask him this—can Levi Garrison come in without an invitation?”

“Hahaha… Is he retarded? Who does he think he is?”

Derrick and his companions laughed so hard that their stomach hurt.

But Ethan was angered by Levi’s words, so he did as he was asked. “Okay, I shall ask the team leader if he knows you.”

Standing beside them, Derrick laughed heartily and was happy to see Levi make a fool of himself.

By then, many people had gathered around at the commotion, causing Zoey and her parents to lower their heads in embarrassment.

This is an embarrassment!

Ethan consulted Clement Phillips, the security team leader, through his headset.

When the voice came through the headset, his complexion turned for the worst. His eyes were filled with fear and trepidation as he looked at Levi.

“I-I… I got it, S-Sir…” Ethan stammered as he struggled to make out his words.

Derrick, who was unaware of the situation, looked at Ethan with anticipation. “How is it? Mr. Lewis?”

Slap!

The answer he got in return was an unexpected hard slap on the cheek that sent him flying seven to eight meters away. His mouth was full of blood, and he even lost a few teeth.

“Mr. Lewis, w-why?”

Derrick’s eyes widened as he stuttered.

Ethan stepped forward and threw another punch, causing blood to spurt from Derrick’s wounds.

“Why? You abused your power and deliberately made things difficult for Ms. Lopez! They may not have an invitation, but they are our honored guests who came in through proper means! But you! You had disrupted the order and dampened the mood of the banquet! Men, arrest him and lock him up for a few days!” Ethan ordered.

The two security guards next to him stepped forward and grabbed Derrick, dragging him away as if he were a lifeless corpse.

“Mr. Garrison, Ms. Lopez, a thousand apologies for the trouble!”

Ethan dared not stay there any longer as he led his men and hurried off.

The unexpected twist made Zoey and her parents dumbfounded.

What just happened?

Didn’t they come to arrest us?

Why was Derrick arrested instead?

What’s going on? This happened right after he reported his name.

The three of them gazed at Levi, with Zoey eyeing him doubtfully.

“Aren’t you going to explain what’s going on?” Zoey started.

“It’s simple! We may not have an invitation, but we came in legally, so we’re safe. And what Derrick did just now has disrupted the order of the banquet. You guys saw the horde of busybodies just now, no? That’s a bad impression right there. If the God of War learned about what transpired just now, forget about Derrick, even Jesse Nielsen himself can’t bear this responsibility.”

“I get it now,” Aaron responded immediately. “It’s fine as long as we prove that we came in legally!”

Caitlyn nodded. “Yeah, that should be it.”

Though Zoey felt that something was amiss, there seemed to be no loopholes in his explanation. To her, it sounded perfectly logical and reasonable.

Yet, the moment Levi turned his head, his eyes flickered.

He had heard what Derrick said just now. Instead of locking him up for a few days, he was determined to let Derrick rot in prison.

The dinner banquet was simple, but the people who attended were so great a personage that Zoey and her parents dared not make a sound once they were seated.

“Mom, Dad, why are you guys so tense? Walk around. Wouldn’t it be nice to make friends and meet new people?” Levi smiled.

Aaron and Caitlyn exchanged glances. But in the end, they decided to stay rooted to their spot.

Zoey tilted her head, giving Levi a once-over. “Aren’t you afraid?”

Levi’s outward tranquility gave Zoey and her parents an illusion that he was accustomed to such an occasion.

“Why should I be?” Levi said.

Zoey pondered. He must be accustomed to it from facing vile and vicious people in prison.

Thus, she stopped asking.

In the meantime, there were more and more people arriving at the banquet.

Escorted by big crowds in front and behind, Jesse and a few other North Hampton big shots had arrived as well.

“Hmm? Aaron, I’ve noticed that everyone came with gifts. Even Nielsen’s secretary is carrying a gift box of some kind. I think it’s just us who came empty-handed,” Caitlyn observed.

The rest of the family caught a glimpse, and it was indeed so.

Everyone else brought gifts except for their family.

It was obvious as they were sitting at the corner, unmoving while the others had gathered together, waiting to present their gifts.

“It’s because we didn’t understand the rules. I wasn’t aware of it,” Aaron said as his head drooped.

“Yeah. But Dad, Samuel, and the others had thought about it,” Caitlyn said. “Did you see the gifts in their hands just now?”

Zoey sighed. “It’s all my fault. I wasn’t sure if we could get in.”

Aaron nodded. “Should I arrange for someone to send some gifts now? There’s still time.”

Levi quickly refused. “Mom, Dad, just relax. Perhaps the God of War doesn’t like gifts.”

“No, this is the least we should do,” Zoey said.

However, Levi let out a light chuckle. “I think the God of War will appreciate those who came empty- handed. Do you believe me?”

“I don’t.” Zoey shook her head.