Chapter 11: Sisters

"Give it to me… okay?" Just one line, dripping with temptation. Coming from a breathtaking beauty like Amara Lyson, it was the kind of request no man could easily refuse. Before Uriah Greaves could answer, Amara grew even bolder. She reached up and began undoing his clothes, her soft body pressing tight against his. Both of their heartbeats sped up. The air turned hazy, intimate, and fever-hot. In no time, most of Uriah's shirt had been opened. Amara gathered her courage and leaned in to kiss him. Dry tinder met raging fire, ready to ignite at the slightest spark. But right as the two of them started to lose control, a clear, bright voice rang out from downstairs. "Sis! I'm coming home to live here! From now on, I'll stay with you every day!" "Sis, where are you?" "Huh? Why are there men's shoes here?" That sweet voice drew closer and closer. Amara's face drained of color. "It's my sister, Dahlia Lyson. She… she picked this exact moment to come back!" Her cheeks burned crimson, panic written all over her. Yet in her eyes, there was also reluctance and stubborn frustration. Just a little more. She would have had Uriah. She would have finally fulfilled the wish she'd carried for years. That stupid, cursed little sister. Why did she have to come back right then? "Sis! Why aren't you in your room?" "Why is the light on upstairs?" Footsteps climbed steadily closer. Amara's breath turned ragged. If her sister caught them like this, how was she supposed to explain it? She moved fast, pulling herself together and fixing her clothes. "Sis, I'm coming in!" Dahlia pushed the door open. A girl stepped into view, dressed in a daring outfit. She was dazzlingly pretty, delicate as a porcelain doll, youthful and vibrant in a way that made the room feel brighter. "Sis!" The moment Dahlia saw Amara, she threw herself into her arms and whined sweetly, "Did you miss me?" Then she froze. Only then did she notice there was a man in the room. Her sister had brought a man home. And it was just the two of them, alone together. Dahlia's pupils widened, disbelief splashed across her face. Her sister was one of the Four Beauties of Riverhold. Suitors could have lined up from Tiananmen all the way to the Arc de Triomphe, yet she'd always kept herself spotless, never once linked to any man in gossip. Dahlia had even started to wonder if her sister's preferences ran in a different direction. But this… Amara knew her sister's temperament. Afraid Dahlia would provoke Uriah, she hurriedly said, "Dahlia, go back to your room first. I'll explain in a bit." "No!" Dahlia let go and shamelessly sized Uriah up from head to toe. Her voice turned sharp. "Tell me. What are you to my sister?" "Friends," Uriah replied. "Just friends, or boyfriend and girlfriend?" "For the moment, just friends." "Really?" Dahlia didn't buy it. She lifted her chin, chest out. "My sister keeps her distance from every man. She'd never bring a guy home for no reason. So talk. Who are you? What's your background? I need to see if you're even worthy of her!" "Dahlia Lyson, go back to your room," Amara said, her voice low. "I won't!" Dahlia's eyes narrowed, then she jolted as if something clicked. "Wait… I remember you! You're the man in the photo in my sister's room!" "I looked into you. You're Adeline Scurr's husband next door. So why are you in my house? You trying to cheat and make my sister your mistress?" Her anger flared, her tone dropping into a cold warning. "Get out. You're not welcome here!" She couldn't let her sister's reputation be stained. Amara was priceless, a beauty beyond compare. How could she get tangled up with a married man? If word got out, the consequences would be unthinkable. Besides, she'd promised that young master she would keep an eye on her sister. Only the First Young Master of Riverhold deserved Amara. As for this Uriah… who did he think he was? Dahlia couldn't understand it. Why was her sister so hung up on a man like him? "Dahlia," Amara said, forcing a steady breath, "Uriah already divorced Adeline Scurr. From today on, he's living here." "Divorced?" Dahlia swallowed, then her anger only sharpened. "Sis, that makes it even worse! You can't let him live here. A stray with nowhere to go, and you're taking him in? What if he does something disgusting? What then?" "Dahlia Lyson. Apologize." Frost settled over Amara's face. For the first time, real fury rose in her eyes. She'd always spoiled the sister she depended on, trying to make up for everything Dahlia had lacked growing up. Even when Dahlia became more rebellious, Amara rarely scolded her. But this time was different. After waiting so many years, she could finally draw close to Uriah openly. She wouldn't let anyone ruin it. "Why should I apologize? I won't!" Dahlia's voice shook with indignation. "Sis, so many men chase you. Every one of them is better than this divorced guy! I seriously don't know what you see in him!" "Uriah! You must've used some dirty trick to confuse my sister, didn't you? Adeline Scurr kicked you out, so you latched onto my sister instead! What are you really after?" "You think you can be with my sister? Keep dreaming. Look in a mirror. What about you is worthy of her? A toad trying to eat swan meat!" Smack! Before Uriah could say a word, Amara slapped Dahlia across the face. "Sis… you hit me?" Dahlia's eyes reddened instantly. Tears shimmered and trembled, disbelief twisting her expression. "You never hit me before. And now you hit me for some man with a shady background?" "Apologize," Amara ordered, offering no explanation. "I won't!" "W-Wah…" Dahlia shot Uriah a venomous glare, wiped her tears, and ran up to the third floor, to her own room. "I'll go somewhere else," Uriah said flatly. "Uriah, don't go!" Amara grabbed him as he turned, her face pleading. "Dahlia just misunderstood you. I'll talk to her properly in a bit." Uriah shook his head. "Forget it." He didn't want to damage the bond between the sisters. "Uriah… I'm begging you." Amara stepped in front of him, blocking his way. She knew that if she let him walk out that door, the distance between them would open up again. That was the one thing she couldn't accept. The chance she'd waited ten years for had finally appeared. No matter what, she had to seize it. Uriah hesitated. "I know you're thinking of me, but… give me a chance, okay?" Her voice softened into something almost humble. "If you stay here, you can look after Cici better. If anyone bullies her and she starts crying, you'll know right away. And if you need to handle anything later, it'll be easier with me nearby. Just… let me repay you, even a little." She was terrified he would leave her like this. Uriah met her eyes, those sincere, moving eyes, and in the end he nodded. "Yes!" Amara flung herself into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The heat between them climbed again. It was a shame. After Dahlia's interruption, the timing and mood had been ruined. After a long while, Amara pouted before reluctantly letting him go. She smiled and said, "Get some rest early, Uriah. And remember, my room is the first door on the left on the third floor. It'll always be open for you." Amara's affection for him had always been blazing and straightforward. She smiled brightly. Over the years, she'd obsessed over keeping herself in shape, refining her aura, even deliberately learning certain things from Adeline Scurr. She'd been waiting for a moment like this. She believed her charm would win Uriah sooner or later. That night, she felt hope for her life and future again. After Amara left, Uriah reined in his emotions and returned to cultivation. Ten years ago, when he withdrew from the martial world, he had already been an S-rank expert. Ten years later, he had stepped into the legendary Transcendence. Yet his realm had not shifted for six full years. For a time, Uriah had believed Transcendence was the absolute peak of human martial arts. Until… this moment. Deep in his pupils, wisps of black flame surfaced. Ture Energy overflowed from his body, and a mysterious current of qi circulated endlessly through his organs. "I finally passed the last gate of enlightenment…" Uriah chuckled. He hadn't expected that divorcing Adeline Scurr would bring his state of mind to completion. "Far from the martial world… high within the halls of power…" He murmured the words, weighing the road ahead. Third floor. Amara gently pushed open Dahlia's door. She could still faintly hear her sister's sobbing. "Dahlia, are you still mad at me?" Amara asked softly. "Sis, I just don't get it! Why do you insist on letting Uriah live here? It'll affect you. I think that Uriah has bad intentions!" "And if he's really that great, would Adeline Scurr have divorced him? Adeline already tested him and found he's no good. Why are you so set on him?" "And you even hit me…" Dahlia felt wronged to the bone. Tears pattered down, one after another. "Silly girl. Stop crying." Amara stroked Dahlia's head and said, "Back then, if Uriah hadn't saved me, I'd probably be taking clients in a brothel. Without him, there wouldn't be any of what I have today." "He saved you? Why didn't you ever tell me before?" Dahlia asked, confused. Amara didn't continue. Uriah's identity was sensitive. If it got exposed, it could bring trouble they didn't need. "Dahlia, trust me. When has my judgment ever been wrong? Once you spend more time with Uriah, you'll understand. He's an incredibly charming man, more charming than anyone you've ever met." "No way…" Dahlia curled her lip. "He looks completely ordinary to me. I don't care. Sis, you deserve better. I won't allow you to be with Uriah! Even if he saved you, you don't have to repay him with your body!" "And you know how much the First Young Master of Riverhold likes you. If you married him, we'd be firmly established in Riverhold. No one would dare bully us again." Amara laughed. "I'd like to repay him with my body, but he doesn't want it. All right, enough. We won't talk about that for the moment. Uriah is staying here for now, and you're not allowed to make things difficult for him, okay?" "But he's a man. What if he gets ideas about me?" Dahlia muttered. "Sis, you can't judge people by their faces." "He won't." "But what if?" "There is no what if." Dahlia puffed her cheeks, but she knew she couldn't change Amara's mind. "Fine. But if I prove Uriah is a beast in human skin, you have to kick him out of the villa!" After Amara left, Dahlia still couldn't swallow her anger. She couldn't stand the thought of a man living downstairs. She hesitated over whether to tell the First Young Master of Riverhold, but after a moment's thought, she shook her head. "I'll drive Uriah out myself. I'll pretend this never happened." Her eyes turned, and a plan formed quickly. She decided to step into the trap herself and seduce Uriah. Dahlia had absolute confidence in her looks. If she teased him just a little, he would take the bait and reveal his disgusting true colors. Then she could change her sister's mind. She would never let Uriah have the chance to lay a hand on Amara. The next morning. Dahlia deliberately wore a sexy silk slip nightgown with thin straps, her figure on full display, and swayed past Uriah. Unfortunately, Uriah didn't spare her a second glance. "Hmph. Uriah, I'm letting you stay here, but I'm watching you. Don't you dare get any bad ideas about my sister, or about me, or I won't let you off!" She waved a fist in front of him, her tone threatening. "I know a lot of big shots. I can call any one of them and they'll beat you until you cry. I'm not as easy to fool as my sister. Watch yourself!" Uriah kept his head down and ate breakfast, too lazy to respond. "Uriah, do I look pretty today? I'm going with you to register the divorce. I can't let Adeline Scurr outshine me!" Amara wore a sky-blue floral maxi dress, stunningly beautiful. "Sis, you're way too gorgeous!" Dahlia exclaimed. Uriah glanced over with quiet appreciation. He truly hadn't expected that the girl he'd saved on a whim back then would transform into someone so captivating. "Keep staring and I'll gouge your eyes out!" Dahlia snapped. Then curiosity flickered across her face. "Hey. Why did you and Adeline Scurr divorce?"