Chapter 16 It's Okay to Lie A Bit

Beckett's words left Georgia completely dazed. Honor? How could this possibly be an honor? The Adams family was second-tier at best in Hiphia—barely worth tens of millions in assets. Meanwhile, the Atkinson Group’s local investments alone exceeded five billion. The disparity was staggering.

“Ma'am, if everything looks good, please sign here,” Beckett said, gesturing toward the signature line with his pen.

Georgia swallowed hard, her fingers trembling as she flipped through the contract one last time. “Mr. Robinson, are you sure this is the right contract?”

Beckett frowned slightly, as if considering her question deeply. “Is there an issue, Miss Adams? If you see something that needs changing, feel free to adjust it.”

“N-No! There’s nothing wrong!” Georgia stammered, her voice high-pitched and nervous. She quickly grabbed the pen and scrawled her name on the line before she could second-guess herself.

When she finally stepped out of the Atkinson Group building, the world felt unreal. She stood on the sidewalk, staring at the bustling street in stunned silence. She had just signed a contract—with the Atkinson Group. And the terms? All of them tilted in her favor. It felt too good to be true.

Georgia sat on a bench outside the building for nearly an hour, trying to calm the storm of disbelief swirling in her chest. Finally, she gathered herself and began the walk home. Little did she know, the entire Adams family was waiting for her, their collective nerves stretched taut with anticipation.

As she approached the front door, it swung open, and Elizabeth hurried out, a gaggle of family members trailing behind her like ducklings.

“Georgia!” Elizabeth called, her voice sharp with impatience. “How did it go? Did you sign the contract?”

Georgia paused, suddenly aware of all the eyes boring into her. Before she could answer, Emmalynn, Jamie’s mother, cut in with a smirk.

“Come on, Mom. Do you even have to ask?” Emmalynn said with exaggerated pity. “Look at her face. Obviously, she didn’t sign it. If she had, she’d be skipping home, not dragging her feet like this.”

Jamie snorted. “Exactly. I told you it wasn’t going to happen. Sealing a contract with the Atkinson Group isn’t some walk in the park.”

The murmurs of discontent rippled through the group.

“So, we waited around all day for nothing?”

“What a waste of time!”

“Honestly, why did we even bother?”

Elizabeth frowned, the disappointment evident in the deep lines of her face. “Georgia, just tell us. Did you sign it or not?” she asked, her tone stiff but hopeful.

Scarlett, Georgia’s mother, stepped forward, her face tight with worry. “Sweetheart, please. Did you manage to sign it?”

The voices around her swirled, but Georgia had had enough. She took a deep breath, reached into her bag, and pulled out the contract. “Here,” she said, holding it out. Her voice was calm but firm. “I signed it.”

For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then Elizabeth snatched the contract from Georgia’s hands, her eyes wide as she scanned the title: Material Supply Agreement of the Atkinson Group.

“Bring me my glasses!” she barked, and one of the housemaids scrambled to fetch them.

Once her glasses were perched on her nose, Elizabeth read through the contract slowly, deliberately, her lips moving as she absorbed every word. She read it once. Then again. And then, for good measure, a third time.

Finally, she set the contract down, her hands trembling. She clasped her hands together and tilted her face toward the heavens. “Oh, my Lord,” she exclaimed, her voice thick with emotion. “God is watching over the Adams family. Truly, we are blessed!”

Without warning, she turned and grabbed Georgia’s hands, squeezing them tightly. “Georgia, my dear child, you’ve done us proud. You’re the most capable person in this family!”

She turned to Scarlett, her face glowing with approval. “Scarlett, you have a remarkable daughter. A truly remarkable daughter.”

Scarlett’s chest puffed with pride as she basked in the praise that had so long eluded her. “This is all thanks to everyone’s support of Georgia,” she said, her voice dripping with faux humility. “I always knew she’d make us proud one day. Sometimes, having a daughter really is better than having a son.” She glanced pointedly at Emmalynn, a smug smile curling her lips.

Emmalynn’s forced smile barely concealed the bitterness simmering beneath the surface. Jamie, meanwhile, glared daggers at Georgia, his fists clenching at his sides. From his perspective, the contract should have been his victory.

The tense moment was interrupted by a voice from outside. “Congratulations, Elizabeth! Congratulations indeed!”

The family turned to see Tony Scott striding in, his suit impeccably tailored, his hair styled to perfection. He looked every bit the picture of success.

“And who might this be?” Elizabeth asked, her sharp gaze flicking over him.

Scarlett stepped forward, practically glowing. “Mom, this is Mr. Scott. He’s the one who brought all those gifts for Georgia a few days ago. His father is Bobby Scott, chairman of the Southwest Brewery. Tony and Georgia met in high school. He joined the army after graduation but recently retired. He’s been quite… dedicated to Georgia ever since.”

Elizabeth’ eyes widened in shock. “You mean those gifts were from him?” she asked, pointing at Tony with a trembling finger.

Tony stepped forward smoothly, taking Elizabeth’ hand with a charming smile. “Yes, Ma'am. I’ve been in love with Georgia since high school. Even when I was in the army, she was always in my thoughts. I couldn’t bear to see her married off to… well… someone unworthy of her. So I decided to take my chance.”

Elizabeth’ expression softened into a delighted smile. “Oh my! I had no idea. And you’re the heir to the Scott family? What a fine young man you are—so accomplished at such a young age!”

Tony gave a modest laugh. “Not at all, Ma'am. I’m just a deputy commander now. In another year or two, I may be promoted to chief commander.” In truth, Tony was only a deputy captain, but the Adams family didn’t know that. They swallowed his words without question, their admiration for him growing with each passing second.

As the family fawned over Tony, someone in the crowd piped up, “Well, it’s obvious now how Georgia managed to sign that contract. Mr. Scott must’ve used his connections to help her, right?”

Tony froze, caught off guard. Connections? He didn’t even know who ran the Atkinson Group. For a split second, he considered denying it but saw the expectant looks on their faces. He straightened and cleared his throat.

“I didn’t want Georgia to know,” he said, feigning reluctance, “but yes. I asked the head of the Atkinson Group to help her out. He and I go way back—we served together in the army. He’s always been like a mentor to me.”

The room erupted in gasps of admiration.

“You’re friends with the head of the Atkinson Group?” someone asked, their voice tinged with awe.

Tony smiled, playing the part. “Yes, we’re quite close. He owes me a few favors, so this was an easy ask.”