"Greet? What are you that requires me to greet you?" I asked, staring directly into Daxon Johnson's eyes.
His face flushed crimson. "I'm Lieutenant Daxon Johnson of the Eldoria Battle Zone, Special Operations Division. You should show proper respect."
I noticed the Sterling family members watching with bated breath, hungry for drama even as their patriarch lay dead upstairs. The contrast between their behavior and the solemnity the occasion deserved only deepened my disgust.
"Respect is earned, not demanded," I replied calmly. "And it's certainly not determined by fancy titles."
Daxon stepped closer, using his height to try to intimidate me. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to? My commander could destroy your pathetic existence with a single word."
Seraphina moved between us. "Cousin, I wouldn't if I were you. Liam isn't who he used to be."
