Chapter 6: Divorced and Cold: Adeline Scurr Explodes in Anger!

Adeline Scurr fixed Uriah Greaves with a accusing stare. Alvin Yale's eyes lit up. He leaned in and said, "Uriah, you and Adeline already signed the divorce agreement. You should keep your distance. She's not going to change her mind, and she's definitely not going to get jealous just because you're with some other woman. Whatever scheme you're running, it's doomed to fail. All you're doing is making yourself look like a clown." "Let's go in," Uriah said. He truly did not want to waste another word. "Sure!" Amara Lyson answered, her smile bright and effortless. The moment they stepped into the bar, Amara's striking beauty drew waves of attention. She booked a booth, ordered a few high-proof cocktails, and slid into the seat right beside Uriah. She had her own little agenda. If Uriah got drunk tonight, if the heat rose and the sparks caught, maybe something would happen between them. She did not mind giving herself to him. Not even a little. If anything, she had been waiting for him all these years. On that rainy night when Uriah saved her, his shadow had branded itself into her heart. After that, no other man had ever fit. "Uriah," she asked softly, "what are you planning to do next? If you need it, I can transfer all the shares of my company to you." Her voice was earnest. She tipped back her glass and drained the liquor in one swallow, red lips gleaming under the lights. You only lived once. When the moment came, you drank it dry. Today, she was genuinely happy. "You don't need to do that," Uriah said. "You don't owe me anything." He took a small sip. He was not the type to drink heavily. What sat in his chest was more like a dull emptiness. It did not last. That emptiness loosened into relief, quiet and complete. Uriah did not notice it himself, but as his mood shifted, the wall that had been holding back his cultivation finally began to give. A flicker of sadness crossed Amara's eyes. "Uriah… do you still have feelings for Adeline?" she asked carefully. "With your ability, if you wanted to win her back, it wouldn't be hard. If you need… I can help." "I've only ever truly fallen for someone once in my life," Uriah said. His voice stayed calm, but the words landed like a verdict. "That feeling has run out. What I had with Adeline Scurr is over. Completely." Amara's gaze burned. "And if Adeline Scurr regrets it later? If she begs to come back to you?" "A good horse doesn't go back to old grass," Uriah said. "There's no going back for us." He paused, eyes darkening. "And…" he added quietly, "I'll destroy everything she has." Amara's expression sharpened with fierce certainty. "Then I'll help you, hard. I've always known it was you holding up Adeline Scurr's business empire from the shadows. Without you, with her little tricks and that limited ability, she never would've gotten where she is." She leaned closer, voice low and viciously satisfied. "Without you, it won't take long before everyone watches her throw a banquet, and then the whole building collapses." Across the room, Adeline Scurr and Alvin Yale had also taken a booth, sitting with a deliberate person's distance between them. Alvin ordered strong liquor, ready to pour out the longing he had carried for years. Yet he quickly realized Adeline's eyes kept drifting to Uriah, refusing to leave him. He called her name several times before she finally snapped back, her expression sour. Anyone with eyes could tell she was jealous. But what the hell? Hadn't Adeline Scurr divorced Uriah for him? Alvin forced a smile. "Adeline, come on. Let's toast. To you finally escaping misery. And to us, after all these years, finding our way back to each other. Fate brought us together, and in the end, we didn't miss each other." Adeline's face barely moved. She lowered her voice. "My time with Uriah wasn't misery. We just weren't right for each other. It was a peaceful breakup." Alvin, … His face twitched. He kept the smile glued on. "You're right. Cheers." "I'm not drinking," Adeline said. "I still have to drive later." "Just call a driver," Alvin urged. "It's a rare day to be this happy. Double good news. Even if we don't drink ourselves under the table, we should at least have a few and enjoy it." Adeline hesitated, then nodded. She did not understand what was wrong with her either. By all logic, divorcing Uriah and bringing her first love back into her life should have made her happy. Yet watching Uriah and Amara laughing together, their closeness almost intimate, left a bitter taste she could not swallow. She was sure she did not have feelings for Uriah. So why did it feel like this? Was it really that thing people said, that you only cherish something after you lose it? Impossible. Adeline let out a soft scoff. Even if she did not choose Alvin in the end, she would never get back together with Uriah. That marriage had already reached its end. She did not love Uriah's constant care, his endless indulgence. What she loved was a man who could command the world, a man surrounded by power and prestige. Uriah, a relic tossed aside by the times, an old-school jianghu man, was exactly the kind of person she despised most. "Hey, gorgeous. Can I get your contact info?" A yellow hair man in ripped jeans swaggered over, eyes glued to Adeline, his tone light and sleazy. Adeline's brows lifted. Before she could respond, Alvin, who had been waiting for a chance to show off, sprang to his feet. Without a word, he swung his hand. Smack! Caught off guard, yellow hair took the slap full on. His cheek flared with burning pain. Alvin stood there with his chin raised, pointing at the guy's nose as he snarled, "Where'd you crawl out from, trash? Get lost!" He felt ridiculously cool, like he'd just detonated a bomb of charm. How many girls would be swooning over this? Maybe he could play the hero tonight and make Adeline willingly offer herself to him. His possessiveness had already hit its peak. At the same time, Alvin kept a gentleman's smile on his face and deliberately glanced toward Amara. He wanted her to see it clearly. He was leagues above Uriah. "You dare hit me?" yellow hair growled. Veins bulged across his face as he glared at Alvin with a vicious, almost murderous stare. The look made Alvin's spine go cold. He took a few involuntary steps back, then forced himself to steady. He barked, "So what if I did? Do you even know who you offended? I'm with the Yale Group, and this beautiful lady is the CEO of the Splendor Group!" He lifted his chin higher, pride swelling. "Slapping you was me doing you a favor!" "Alvin! That's enough," Adeline warned, shaking her head. She did not want trouble. "Yale Group? Splendor Group?" yellow hair man sneered. "Good. Very good. Just you wait." He threw them a venomous look and hurried off. "That's it? He's leaving already?" Alvin scoffed. "Figures. People like that only learn when they get hit." He softened his voice, turning back to Adeline. "Adeline, don't worry. As long as I'm here, I'll protect you. I won't let anyone bully you." Adeline gave a small nod, but the corner of her eye kept sliding toward Uriah. From the moment yellow hair approached, she had been secretly watching Uriah's reaction. What disappointed her was that Uriah stayed completely indifferent. He did not even glance their way. That coldness stirred a sudden, inexplicable fury in her chest. The second they divorced, he became this heartless? So she really had misjudged him back then. Adeline's gaze turned gentler when it returned to Alvin. "Alvin, maybe we should leave first. That guy didn't look like he'd let it go. You just got back to Riverhold. You're not familiar with the local forces yet." Alvin shook his head. "Adeline, don't worry. With me here, nothing will happen. I just got back, and I have so much I want to tell you." "But Uriah said before… the people behind this bar aren't simple…" "Uriah again!" Alvin snapped. "Adeline, you and Uriah are divorced. He's just a small-time punk. What does he know? With our status, do we really need to care about some nobody?"