Since confirming that the Banks Family had nothing to do with his parents’ death, Abraham had never considered taking anyone’s life from the Banks Family.
Abraham had let Zayne off, and the mere thought of taking Fitz’s life never crossed his mind. Instead, he had arranged for people to secretly protect him, all for the sake of Deana and Zara.
The pilgrimage to the Temple was not like Kevin’s bicycle ride to Aurous Hill.
Kevin had a bicycle, and the route was the most economically developed in China. In that area, as long as one didn’t blindly pedal on the highway, there was little danger to life.
However, Fitz’s pilgrimage was different. As he journeyed westward, the environment became more hostile. Abraham could face danger at any turn, and if he were not careful, he could lose his life.
If Abraham didn’t protect Fitz, and he died on the way, what could he say to Deana and Zara?
Abraham couldn’t risk their trust and love.
Fitz understood all too well that Abraham never did him any favors out of the goodness of his heart. No, it was all because of the sake of Fitz’s mother and sister. But despite this, Fitz couldn’t help but feel grateful towards Abraham for pulling him out of his shallow and frivolous ways.
So he spoke to Abraham with great reverence, “Mr. Wade, I want to express my gratitude for showing me a new path, even if your intentions weren’t entirely pure.”
Abraham regarded Fitz with a casual air and remarked, “Looks like you’ve come to your senses, my prodigal son. If you’re done with your soul-searching journey, we can call it quits.”
Fitz and Deana exchanged astonished looks at Abraham’s unexpected response.
Fitz was convinced that he must have misheard Abraham. There was no way that Abraham would let him off the hook so easily. After all, Fitz had only completed a mere third of the journey, and that was the easiest part. The remaining two-thirds were notorious for being treacherous and filled with grueling challenges.
As they climbed higher in altitude, the path ahead would become increasingly daunting. If they stopped now, they could avoid at least 80% of the hardships. Abraham’s offer wasn’t entirely genuine, however.
Abraham was testing Fitz to see if he had truly left his old ways behind. If Fitz had genuinely turned over a new leaf and was willing to forsake his past, then Abraham would expect him to continue the pilgrimage. But if Fitz was still clinging onto his former life, then he would undoubtedly take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to quit.
Abraham’s test served a greater purpose, it would determine whether or not Fitz was worthy of joining the decision-making ranks of the Banks Family in the future.
Although Zara was currently the head of the Banks Family, it was impossible for her to oversee every aspect of the vast empire on her own. Zara’s role was more akin to that of a chairperson, with ultimate decision-making and veto power. But beneath her, there were many core executives who helped her run the entire industry.
In a company as vast as the Banks Family, there were multiple executive directors, an executive president, and each entity under the group required a dedicated management team.
The amount of power at stake was immense, and it was crucial to have trustworthy individuals at the helm to ensure smooth and effective management. Failure in this regard could spell disaster for the entire organization.
Currently, Zara was facing a shortage of trustworthy individuals to rely on. Her father had been placed under house arrest by the Elms family, leaving him unable to interfere in the affairs of the Banks Family.
The Old Master Banks was nowhere to be found, having gone off to Madagascar. And even Deana, Zara’s former ally, had undergone a messy divorce with Zayne and was now unable to have any ties with the Banks Group. That was why Abraham held out hope that Fitz could turn over a new leaf and return to the Banks Family to serve under Zara.
It was this very notion that prompted Abraham to put Fitz to the ultimate test.
