Chapter 3: Can't Be Bothered

Words : 1677 Updated : Apr 24th, 2025

As soon as these words were spoken, Ray and his crew froze, instinctively turning towards the voice. Keaton walked toward them. Ray gave him a once-over. Seeing Keaton's plain clothes and the absence of designer brands, disdain crossed his face. With a sneer, he arrogantly said, "Kid, do you even know who I am? Do you think you can meddle? Take a good look at yourself—do you even think you're qualified?" Hearing this, Keaton's expression turned cold, his voice indifferent, "I'll give you a chance. Release her immediately, kneel down and apologize, and I might let this slide." Alicia was shocked by his words, while Ray laughed it off, not even angry. "Kid, did you get kicked in the head by a mule on your way out?" Ray mocked, "Do you really think I would kneel and apologize? With just a word, I could send you to the afterworld!" As a member of the Warth family, Ray was used to others kneeling to him, not the other way around. Alicia, regaining her composure, urged quickly, "You should leave now." Clearly, she didn't want Keaton to get caught up in her troubles, given the Warth family's recent rise in power—few in Yanos City could stand against them. But to Keaton, the Warth family was nothing more than a joke. "Since you don't cherish the opportunity..." Keaton said, quickly stepping up to Ray and landing a hard slap on his face. The force sent Ray flying far away, landing in a heap on the ground. "You..." Ray endured the searing pain on his cheek, spitting blood as he glared. "Kid! How dare you lay a hand on me!" At this point, Ray snapped orders at his bodyguards. "What are you standing around for? Get him! Beat him to a pulp! If anything happens, I'll take responsibility." On command, two burly men lunged at Keaton, but before they reached him, they were sent crashing into the Bentley, crushing the hood and falling unconscious with blood spurting from their mouths with a flick of his fingers. Witnessing this, Alicia stood stunned, unable to utter a word. Ray was even more terrified, trembling as his voice shook. "Don't come any closer..." But Keaton had no intention of letting him off easy. Grabbing Ray by the throat, he dragged him toward Alicia. "Ugh... ugh..." Ray's face turned crimson, veins bulging, as he struggled futilely. "Kneel and apologize!" Keaton demanded, tossing Ray in front of Alicia like a rag doll. Gasping for air, Ray felt as if he'd returned from the brink of death. "Ms. Scurr, I-I'm sorry..." Ray dropped to his knees, apologizing repeatedly, "I swear I'll never do it again!" "Remember your words. Take your men and get lost!" Keaton said with a cold edge. "Yes. Okay," Ray agreed hastily, scrambling to wake his unconscious bodyguards before driving off in a panic. "Thank you," Alicia said sincerely, turning to Keaton. "No need to thank me, Ms. Scurr." Keaton dismissed it with a smile. "By the way, when are you free to go to the civil affairs bureau with me to get our marriage certificate?" Alicia was momentarily taken aback, then frowned. "Are you Keaton Lyson?" Keaton nodded. "Where's the token?" Alicia's frown deepened. Although she appreciated his help, he still didn't meet her standards for a partner. When Keaton produced half a jade pendant, Alicia took a deep breath, her voice devoid of emotion. "Mr. Lyson, while I appreciate your help and can give you money for that, I must confess that I resent the old generation's arrangements, so I won't agree to the marriage." Switching her tone, Alicia added, "Look, you seem to be from a modest background. I'll give you another million to annul the engagement. How does that sound?" Realizing Alicia wanted to break off the engagement, Keaton's heart skipped a beat. He had no interest in being a live-in son-in-law, and getting two million for free was a deal he couldn't pass up. "Alright, you can't go back on your word!" Keaton said sincerely. Such a straightforward response left Alicia bewildered, making her suspect that he never intended to marry her and was only after the money. With this thought, Alicia's impression of Keaton soured slightly. "Let's go and meet my grandfather and bring up the annulment yourself. I'll transfer the money afterward." Soon, Keaton found himself in Alicia's red Ferrari, heading directly to the Scurr Manor. In less than an hour, the Scurr Manor came into view. Alicia reminded him once more, getting out of the car. "Remember to bring up the annulment first so Grandpa can't persuade us otherwise." Suddenly, a phone rang. Alicia answered, her expression turning anxious at whatever was said. "Okay! I'm right outside. I'll come in immediately." She hung up and looked at Keaton. "My grandfather's illness has flared up. Once he's better, we can discuss the engagement." With that, Alicia led the way into the Scurr Manor, with Keaton following closely behind. They walked through the mansion grounds into a spacious room that could easily fit a dozen people. An elderly man, Gabriel Scurr, lay on a mahogany bed, his body twitching. Beside him stood Brody Scurr and Tina Welch, his son and daughter-in-law. An elderly man with white hair and a beard, dressed in a lab coat, stood nearby, ready to administer acupuncture to Gabriel. As soon as she entered, Alicia quickly asked Brody, "Dad, how's Grandpa?" "Don't worry, Dr. Rory is here. With him on the case, your grandfather will be fine," Brody reassured her, then noticed Keaton. "Who is he, Alicia?" Alicia introduced him, "Dad, he's the fiancé Grandpa arranged for me." "Him?" Brody gave Keaton a once-over, disappointment evident in his eyes. Judging by his appearance, Keaton didn't seem to hail from a prestigious family, and without any background, he wasn't fit for his daughter. Keaton, however, was too focused on Rory's acupuncture technique to care about Brody's opinion. As Rory raised a silver needle, preparing to pierce Gabriel's skin, Keaton suddenly interjected, "Your acupuncture method will kill the old man on the spot!"

Chapter 3: Can't Be Bothered

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