Chapter 12: Official Divorce! Only Hate, No Love!

"We just didn't work out. Better to part on good terms." "So you got dumped, huh?" Dahlia Lyson laughed. "Adeline Scurr is a Cold Beauty CEO, and she's tied with my sister as one of the Four Beauties of Riverhold. It's normal if she looks down on you. Honestly, I'm impressed she managed to stay with you for ten years before divorcing you. That's practically loyal." "Dahlia. Eat," Amara Lyson snapped, shooting her a warning glare. "I'm not wrong," Dahlia pressed on, chin tipped up. "This society cares about matching backgrounds. If the class gap is too big, you're doomed sooner or later. Uriah Greaves, the world's real." "Dahlia Lyson. Say one more word and you can move out." "Fine, fine. I'll stop." Dahlia flicked a glance at Uriah, already plotting how she'd install the cameras while her sister was away, and how she'd seduce him afterward. Just thinking about it made her pulse race. Before long, Uriah and Amara left the villa. The moment they stepped out, they spotted Alvin Yale waiting outside Scurr Villa as if he'd been posted there for ages. Alvin wore a crisp suit that day, hair slicked to a glossy shine, his whole face lit with smug satisfaction. Soon, Adeline stepped out in a black bodycon skirt. She was breathtaking as ever, icy and untouchable. Tap, tap, tap. Quinn Scurr hurried after her, still trying for one last plea. "Sis, think about it again. After ten years of marriage, you really don't feel anything at all? Ask your heart. If you regret it later, it'll be too late. You still have a chance to fix this!" Alvin's expression darkened. He jogged forward, eager to cut in. "Adeline, you're beautiful." Adeline turned, and her gaze met Uriah and Amara walking toward her. "Do you have your IDs and all the paperwork?" she asked coldly. "I brought everything," Uriah replied. Adeline looked him over. "Good. At least you kept your last shred of dignity. I thought you'd beg me not to divorce you." "You're imagining things." Her brows knit. "Let's go. This mistake of a marriage should end." The four of them arrived at the Registry Office in no time. "Go in," Adeline said. "Okay." Uriah and Adeline didn't spare each other so much as a glance. Outside the Registry Office, Alvin finally got a rare chance to be alone with Amara. He put on a gentleman's smile. "President Lyson, Adeline doesn't have Uriah in her heart anymore. Pretending to be with him is meaningless. She won't care." Amara glanced at him sidelong and let out a soft, amused laugh. "Is that so?" "Of course." Alvin's tone turned even more assured. "Her heart is full of me. If you want to make her jealous, you should pick the right person." He gave her a pointed look, hoping this dangerously sexy woman would understand exactly what he meant. Before he fully secured Adeline, he had no intention of officially getting with Amara. But a little ambiguity? That could be kept warm. If things went smoothly, they could even start a Secret Relationship first. It wasn't like he'd never juggled two women at once. He was a Time Management Master. Amara sneered inwardly. She'd clawed her way through a cold society to get where she was. How could she not see what kind of filth Alvin was? What she couldn't understand was how Adeline had ever fallen for him. Was the power of a first love really that deadly? Because to her, this man was nothing but a pile of crap. Amara let her thoughts spin, teasing him with half-lidded eyes. "So, Young Master Yale, you're saying I should be with you, if I want to provoke Sister Adeline?" Alvin's heart thudded hard. One look from Amara nearly made him lose control. "Exactly!" he said, chest swelling with pride. "Then, Young Master Yale… would you be with me?" "Th-that…" Alvin forced a sigh, acting conflicted. "President Lyson, you're putting me in a difficult position." "If it's difficult, forget it." "President Lyson, let's at least exchange contact info first." He leaned in, voice lowered. "But Adeline can't know. I'll think of a way to ease the tension between you two." He looked genuinely anxious, terrified of letting his prey slip away. "Sure," Amara said smoothly. She added him. Maybe later she could use Alvin to keep tabs on Adeline. She wasn't about to let Adeline have any chance of reconciling with Uriah. Alvin was ecstatic, already fantasizing about holding one woman in each arm. "President Lyson, you should still stay away from Uriah," he urged. "Better yet, kick him out of your place immediately. He's not a good person, or Adeline wouldn't be so determined to divorce him." The thought of Uriah living in Amara's villa made Alvin's anger flare. That should have been his privilege. "I'll think about it," Amara said, then changed the subject. "Young Master Yale, how far have you and Sister Adeline gotten?" At that, Alvin clenched his fist, resentment flashing across his face. So far, he hadn't even held Adeline's hand. She kept him at arm's length, close enough to tempt, far enough to deny. He couldn't push the relationship forward at all. If he couldn't take Adeline down, then maybe he should take Amara first. Amara looked a lot more open, after all. With that thought, Alvin's manners grew even more polished. "We're still in the development stage. But once Adeline and Uriah completely cut ties, I think we'll be able to officially confirm our relationship." "I see." Amara sighed, putting on a look of regret. "Then I'll wish you success soon." Alvin wanted to press closer, but the moment he caught Uriah and Adeline coming out of the corner of his eye, he immediately stepped back and put a respectful distance between himself and Amara. Then he jogged to Adeline, nervous. "Was it successful?" Adeline nodded. "After a month-long Divorce Cooling-Off Period, we can come back and pick up the divorce certificate." Alvin finally exhaled. "Good. That Divorce Cooling-Off Period is way too long." "One month won't make a difference." "True, but you still have to watch out for certain people." Alvin shot Uriah a warning look and barked, "Uriah Greaves, don't you dare run during this last month. I'll be watching you." Uriah couldn't be bothered to respond. He stared toward the horizon, memories of Adeline flashing through his mind in rapid fragments. Then those images shattered. Everything he'd ever felt for her crumbled into dust, leaving not even a trace of longing behind. "Uriah, wait." Adeline called after him. She hadn't expected that from the moment they met that morning to the moment they registered the divorce, he wouldn't say anything extra to her at all. He hadn't even looked at her on his own. It was as if she were nothing but air. "What is it?" Uriah asked without turning back. Adeline drew a deep breath, forcing down her irritation. She pulled a check from her purse, already filled out for ten million, and held it out to him. "You didn't want five million, so what about ten? That should satisfy your appetite, right? This is the last bit of dignity I'm giving you for Cici's sake. Take it, then leave Riverhold. It's enough for you to find someone else and live out your life." Uriah turned his head and looked at her directly. Under that steady gaze, Adeline felt oddly uncomfortable. She looked away. "Uriah, stop being childish. In front of ten million, your pride and dignity are nothing. Face reality. I'm not humiliating you. Even after the divorce, I still want you to live well, not go back to that life where you licked blood off a blade's edge." Uriah didn't answer. He only felt the woman in front of him had become a stranger. Once, when he looked at Adeline, he'd believed she was the girl he would protect for the rest of his life, even if it cost him his own. But at that moment, he wanted to slap himself. How had he been so blind? How had he ever fallen for a woman this worthless? Back then, he'd been trapped in what he'd mistaken for love, unable to see her clearly. He saw her clearly at last. Uriah laughed. "What are you laughing at?" Adeline snapped. "Nothing." Uriah's voice stayed flat. "From today on, you and I have nothing to do with each other. Only hate, no love." He glanced at the check without taking it. "As for the ten million, keep it. But when the Scurr family goes bankrupt and you have nowhere left to go, I'll give you ten million. Consider it the last bit of sentiment for what you did today." Adeline's face tightened with anger. "Uriah! Why are you so stubborn? Do you really think you can fight me for Child Custody? Do you really think you can surpass my assets in a year? Wake up. Stop confusing fantasy with reality!" "Adeline, why are you even talking to him?" Alvin cut in, voice sharp. "That ten million would be better spent feeding a dog than giving it to him. If he gets that money, he'll fight you even harder for Child Custody!" "I know!" Alvin's eyes lit up as if he'd solved a puzzle. "Adeline, I finally understand why Uriah insists on fighting you for Cici." Adeline frowned. "Why?" "Because he wants to use Cici to keep demanding huge child support payments from you." Alvin spoke with righteous fury. "Think about it. If Cici really ends up with Uriah, she becomes his Golden Key. He'll use Cici to threaten you. He's disgusting. I've never seen someone so shameless!" His indignation ran so hot it looked like veins might burst from his forehead. Adeline froze, then her expression shifted as she accepted his logic. "So that's it." Her voice turned glacial. "Uriah, to you, Cici is just a bargaining chip, isn't she? And Cici cried all night for you. You don't deserve to be her father." "Believe whatever you want," Uriah said. "But remember this. If Cici suffers even a single grievance this year, if anyone in the Scurr family dares bully her, I'll wipe your family out. Don't say I didn't warn you." He brushed past Adeline. Another word to a stupid woman like her was a waste of time. He had too much to do. He had no interest in trading insults with her. If not for the fact that Adeline was Cici's mother, he wouldn't have bothered restraining the violence in his blood at all. "Uriah! Stop right there!" Adeline was completely provoked. Her voice dropped, heavy with menace. "Since you insist on fighting me for Child Custody, and since you're so arrogant you claim you can surpass my assets in a year, then let's sign another agreement." "What agreement?" Uriah asked. "One year from today. If your assets surpass mine, Cici goes to you." Adeline's eyes burned. "And I, Adeline Scurr, will admit everything was my fault. I'll kneel and beg your forgiveness." Her jaw tightened. "But if your assets don't surpass mine, then I want you… to never see Cici again for the rest of your life." She lifted her chin, voice like ice. "Cici doesn't need a father like you."