71

Lexton had been playing in the world he had built for so long.

The man was raised with a high level of awareness of his surroundings, as well as a suspicious eye for anyone who even glanced in his direction.

Accustomed to analyzing the movements of enemies, Lexton had already noticed that there was a pair of eyes on the bench in the corner watching him and Aurora relentlessly.

The man in the black T-shirt and jeans sat in an uncomfortable position, occasionally putting his hands in and out of the pockets of the jacket he was wearing.

A communication device was attached to his left ear, and Lexton had already deduced that the man was on a communication line.

It wasn't hard for Lexton to realize that someone was watching them in a fairly close radius, especially since the man's movements were very suspicious.

Just a few minutes after Lexton and Aurora arrived at their seats, the man came and took a seat not far away.

From his seat, the man, who was also wearing a baseball cap, could access the entire side of the table occupied by the Alpha and Aurora.

Sitting alone, the man ordered a glass of orange juice without any food. While pretending to read a magazine provided by the restaurant, the man who was about thirty years old kept stealing glances at the same table.

The table occupied by a couple, Lexton Alfacht and Aurora Vernon--who had recently started dating.

Aurora had just asked if Lexton would mind telling her about Gama, when Lexton had repeatedly set foot down there with the corner of his eye watching.

"I promise I'll tell you everything," Lexton said quietly. "But can you wait and not rush things, Aurora?"

Right after the man said his answer, Aurora began to flash a faint smile.

The tapping of Lexton's fingers on the table was clearly audible, as the Alpha now leaned forward to reach Aurora's face.

"Alright, I'll wait," she agreed.

Narrowing the distance between them, Lexton smiled before he whispered softly.

"Look down the next time I tell you to look down, Aurora," the man whispered.

Aurora looked confused at first, when now she could only respond with a frown.

She wondered silently, but it didn't seem like the right time to ask for an explanation.

"Look down?"

Lexton blinked his eyes twice, as if to let her know that this was a confidential conversation.

"Just follow your lover's orders," Lexton said again. Carving a broad smile on his face, the man rubbed Aurora's cheek with a gentle gesture.

Already standing up now to bow towards Aurora, one of Lexton's hands had moved without Aurora noticing.

Ducking his head lower, Lexton's tail of an eye caught sight of the suspicious man now fingering something under his jacket.

'Such a petty player,' Lexton sneered to himself.

Whoever sent that man must be trying to dig his own grave. Because an amateur like that man, it was very easy to end his history.

Aurora felt a sharp increase in heart rate, even though the surface of Lexton's skin on her cheek successfully delivered the warmth that was now spreading.

Just a split second. A split second that was truly decisive.

"Now, darling!"

Just as the man pointed the muzzle of his gun at Aurora, Lexton's one hand was already moving faster to fire a single bullet from the gun he had.

Not wanting to waste any time, Lexton's bullet successfully hit the man's right thigh.

The gun he was just about to pull the trigger on slipped from his grasp, followed by the man in the hat collapsing with a growl of pain.

Instantly, the chaos was unavoidable, as the restaurant's patrons and staff began to scurry away.

The sound coming from Lexton's gun was minimal, but the shooting of someone there had created a panicked atmosphere.

A split second later, one of Lexton's men burst into the restaurant with a shrill cry. His eyeballs widened to perfection.

"Alpha, get down!"

He stopped in his tracks as he found the suspicious man clutching his bleeding thigh, with Lexton now standing right in front of Aurora.

Being a fortress, the Alpha really wasn't messing around when he said that he would protect Aurora no matter what.

Aurora was trembling, with an expression of panic and shock that was not made up. Because everything happened so fast, perhaps even faster than a single breath.

"Take her!" ordered Lexton sternly, turning to his men with a very sharp look in his eyes.

Two of the man's arms embraced Aurora from the front, hiding his lover's tiny body behind his back.

Oliv, John, and another fighter arrived a few twelve seconds later at the spot, looking equally panicked.

Oliv moved quickly to Lexton, as John and another fighter helped the other fighter who was now holding the suspicious man's hands together.

"Are you okay, sir?" asked Oliv quickly, observing and scanning the condition of their leader.

Lexton nodded faintly, but his gaze was still fixed on the man who had nearly injured Aurora.

John led the man to come with them, talking to the hotel and restaurant security guards that they would handle this on their own.

Instead of refusing, the security guards were happy to go along with John's request. Because it spared them from having to investigate.

The gunshot wound to his thigh hobbled the man's path, and John had already pocketed the weapon that the man in the hat was going to use to wound Aurora.

The corners of Lexton and Oliv's eyes watched, until their fighter disappeared behind the door.

Once the atmosphere was calm enough, Lexton hurriedly turned around to check on Aurora.

"Are you okay, Aurora?"

The woman blinked, seemingly coming to terms with the shocking incident just now.

Her breathing was still labored, but now she nodded her head slowly.

"I'm fine," she replied, trying to be soothing. "What about you?"

Lexton rubbed her cheek, letting out a sigh of relief that his girlfriend was completely unharmed. Ignoring Oliv around them, he now seemed to take two steps back.

"Thank goodness you're not hurt," Lexton said. "If something had happened to you, I might not have been able to continue living."

Aurora tried to pull the corners of her lips together to curve a smile, only to find that Oliv now chose to keep his head down.

The man chose not to observe how Lexton and Aurora interacted, because it was all considered their privacy.

Turning around to face Oliv, Lexton gritted his teeth unconsciously. The man's hand was already back in Aurora's, as if he didn't want to put her in danger for even a second.

"What happened, Oliver?" Lexton's voice sounded firm, much different from how he had just spoken to Aurora. "How do you explain the situation now?!"

Oliv raised his head slowly, returning the gaze that Lexton aimed at him. There was obvious disappointment in those eyes.

"I apologize, sir," Oliv whispered. The man adjusted his hair, enjoying how frustration was now taking over his consciousness. "There was nothing suspicious, until--"

"Explain it to me later," Lexton cut in suddenly. "Now we have to go back, and arrange a flight back to the mansion this afternoon."

Aurora was still unable to get the words out, choosing to clamp her lips tightly together. Everything that had happened earlier had taken her by surprise, and it seemed like Lexton had things to take care of after this.

Oliv gave a nod, moving away from Lexton's presence then.

After the man's departure, the Alpha turned back to Aurora with a faint smile.

"Calm down, Aurora," he whispered. "The longer you're with me, the more you'll get used to things like this."

Their eyeballs were deeply locked, though Aurora was still radiating a hint of worry from them. But Lexton tightened their handshake, as if to say that Aurora would be safe with him.

"They may turn on me, or seek trouble with the organization I lead," Lexton continued. "But I won't let them hurt you, not even by a fingernail."