Chapter 9: I Won't Allow It! You Can't Live With Amara Lyson!

A single word-"Buster"-froze everyone in place. Buster? Who the hell was that supposed to be? Had this kid lost his mind? Only yellow hair, who had followed Third Laureate Looske for over a decade, went pale. Ever since Third Laureate Looske had carved out his foothold in Riverhold's Underworld, nobody had dared utter those two syllables in front of him. Third Laureate Looske came from the countryside. Back then, parents often gave their children a "cheap" nickname, the kind meant to keep them alive and easy to raise. Buster meant exactly that. Easy to keep. Fewer illnesses. Fewer disasters. As far as yellow hair knew, Third Laureate Looske had once wiped out an entire family because someone had called him Buster. It was practically his reverse scale. The moment yellow hair saw his boss's face darken, he snatched up a liquor bottle and swung it at Uriah Greaves's forehead. "You're courting death!" The bottle never landed. Uriah moved first. He lifted his left leg and drove a single kick into yellow hair, sending him flying. Bang! Yellow hair's nearly six-foot frame traced an arc through the air before slamming into the floor. His scream tore through the bar. In an instant, Third Laureate Looske's men bared their teeth and closed in, layer after layer, surrounding Uriah and Amara Lyson. Killing intent rolled over them like storm clouds pressing down on a city. Nobody had expected anyone to throw hands in Nightless Bar, right in front of Third Laureate Looske, and against his right-hand man of all people. Wasn't that the same as suicide? Several patrons instinctively backed away, afraid blood would splash onto them. "Haha! Uriah Greaves is dead for sure this time!" Watching from the side, Alvin Yale couldn't help clapping. He was certain that with Third Laureate Looske's temperament, Uriah would be killed. Even if Uriah somehow lived, he would be skinned alive. The thought tasted like revenge. "How could he still be this impulsive?" Adeline Scurr's expression shifted sharply. She cursed under her breath and started forward, intending to pull Uriah out of it. No matter what, there was still a sliver of feeling between them. "Adeline, what are you doing?" Alvin grabbed her arm. "Third Laureate Looske is furious. If you go over there, he might not even spare you. People from the Underworld will do anything. If something happens, they'll just drag out some lackey to take the fall." "But he's still Cici's father," Adeline said, her voice tight. "I can't just stand by and watch him die." "Adeline, listen to me. He brought this on himself. If he doesn't suffer a huge loss this time, he'll do it again." "But-" "No 'but.' If you go over there, you'll only make Third Laureate Looske angrier. This is his turf. It's better to avoid trouble." Adeline hesitated, then stopped. Maybe he did need to pay a price. Otherwise, Uriah would keep thinking he could do anything. He had never truly seen himself clearly. The air grew sharper, more volatile. At the brink of violence, Uriah ignored the thugs pressing in and stared straight into Third Laureate Looske's deep, icy eyes. "Buster," he said evenly. "You sure you want to fight me?" "Hold it!" Just as the men were about to pounce, Third Laureate Looske's pupils contracted and he barked the order. "Boss, let me butcher this punk tonight!" yellow hair staggered upright, wiped the blood from his mouth, and glared with reddened eyes. Third Laureate Looske blocked him. "Stand down!" yellow hair jolted. He saw something on his boss's face he almost never saw: weight, and caution. Third Laureate Looske was a true suit-wearing brute. In the past, in a situation like this, he would have crippled someone without blinking. As his confidant, yellow hair knew him well. He lowered his voice. "Boss… is this guy someone important?" He forced himself calmer, remembering the power in that kick. "Boss, he's not simple. He held back just then. My insides are still churning. It hurts like hell." Third Laureate Looske said nothing. He only stared at Uriah, as if trying to bore through him. That silhouette gradually overlapped with another from ten years ago. A figure he could only look up to. "You're… Young Master Uriah?" Ten years earlier, Riverhold's Underworld had birthed a legend. A young man who stood shoulder to shoulder with infamous bosses, known as Young Master Fan. His strength was monstrous. He had risen unstoppable, stepping over the corpses of big names to claim his place. "Buster," Uriah said, his tone quiet and cold, "it's been ten years. You're not that ragged scholar who got chased all over the streets anymore. You've gotten pretty impressive." "I wouldn't dare!" Third Laureate Looske blurted. The moment he confirmed Uriah's identity, he immediately waved his men back. The viciousness drained from his face, leaving only respect. "Uriah, I truly didn't know it was you. Otherwise, even if you gave me a hundred times the guts of a bear, I still wouldn't dare disrespect you!" yellow hair and the others stood there, stunned. They had never seen their boss so humble, so careful. Third Laureate Looske was already a B-rank Master. If he went all out, he could even trade blows with an A-rank Master. More importantly, he was proud to the bone. He had never bowed his head, not even to people with greater power and stronger backing. "Let's go," Uriah said to Amara. He had no interest in reminiscing with Third Laureate Looske. "Uriah!" Third Laureate Looske tried. "I've got a few bottles of good stuff. Want me to drink a few with you?" Uriah shook his head. "Another day." He hadn't decided his next steps yet, and he had no intention of getting too entangled with Underworld figures like Third Laureate Looske. He had spent ten years and paid an enormous price just to barely step out of that world. If he went back in, getting out again would be far harder. "Then… shall I see you off?" Third Laureate Looske asked. "Fine." Uriah didn't refuse. He and Amara had both been drinking. Don't drink and drive. A clash that should have exploded simply… dissolved, for no apparent reason. A lot of people were disappointed. "Third Laureate Looske isn't as domineering and ruthless as the rumors say, huh? He looked pretty easy to talk to." "That's because you've never seen him truly angry. He's a complete lunatic. But that Uriah Greaves… who is he, to make Third Laureate Looske act that low?" "Who cares? Come on, drink!" Nightless Bar roared back to life. Alvin, however, clenched his fists, staring at how close Third Laureate Looske and Uriah seemed. His teeth ground together. He couldn't understand why Third Laureate Looske had let Uriah go. Where was that viciousness from earlier, the kind he'd shown Alvin? Compared like this, didn't it make Alvin look like a clown? "Birds of a feather," he spat. "Adeline, Uriah Greaves must've known Third Laureate Looske for a long time. They're targeting me together!" Adeline frowned. What she hated most was Uriah having ties with people from the Underworld. Back then, Uriah had promised her he would cut cleanly with his past, but it looked like she had been fooled. "These people will end up behind bars sooner or later," Alvin said through gritted teeth. "Once I establish myself in Riverhold, I'll rip them out by the roots!" Adeline rubbed her temple. "I'm tired. I'll take you back to the hotel. Rest early." "Adeline… will you stay with me tonight?" Alvin asked as they left Nightless Bar, anger still stuck in his chest. He refused to give up. He wanted to take Adeline tonight. "Alvin, give me some time." Adeline kept a three-foot distance. Seeing her low mood, Alvin hurried to say, "I understand. No matter what, I'll wait. Fate will bring the right people together." "Thank you." "I'll take you home first," Alvin said. "Then I'll grab a cab back to the hotel. If I don't see you get inside safely, I won't feel at ease." "Alright." Adeline also wanted to spend more time with him. She wanted sparks to rekindle with her first love. Yet for some reason, seeing Alvin again didn't make her feel that old fluttering rush. She told herself it was only a matter of time. Under Riverhold's night sky, traffic flowed. The city glittered with flowers and neon. "Uriah, President Lyson, we're here," Third Laureate Looske said. "Thanks, Boss Looske," Amara replied with a bright smile. "Tomorrow I'll send someone to Nightless Bar to pick up the car." Soon, Third Laureate Looske said goodbye and headed back to Nightless Bar. Right then, headlights swept in. Adeline and Alvin arrived. Adeline's villa sat right next to Amara's at Lakeside Villa. The moment they stepped out, the four of them ran into each other head-on. "Uriah Greaves! You again!" Alvin snapped, storming forward. "What are you doing at Lakeside Villa? You and Adeline already signed the divorce agreement! Don't tell me you're going to shamelessly cling to this place!" Adeline's face stayed blank as she added, "Uriah, I won't let you sleep at home tonight. Find a hotel. If you don't have money, I can give you some." A light, pleasant laugh rang out. Amara wrapped her arms around Uriah from behind and stared straight at Adeline. "Sister Adeline, you've got it wrong. Brother Uriah isn't going back to your villa. He's going to mine." She kept going, sweet as poison. "I begged for ages before Uriah finally agreed to stay at my place." She licked her red lips, clinging to him, looking blissfully happy. Every word landed like a slap. "What did you say?" Even with all her composure, Adeline couldn't keep her expression from cracking. Her voice rose without her meaning it to. She had just signed the divorce agreement with Uriah, and in the next breath he was moving into her rival's villa. What was this supposed to be? "Sister Adeline, you didn't hear clearly?" Amara lifted her chin, smug. "Then I'll say it again. Starting tonight, Uriah is living with me. You won't mind, right?" Adeline bit her lip. "Uriah. Is that true?" "It is." "I won't allow it! You can't live with Amara Lyson!" Adeline blurted, almost on instinct. The man she had thrown away had no right to move in with her mortal enemy. "Tsk. Sister Adeline, you're really being unreasonable," Amara said, stepping closer, enunciating each word. "Don't forget, you and Uriah already agreed to divorce. If that's the case, where he lives is his business. What right do you have to forbid it?" The night was intoxicating. Amara was all allure. Adeline was breathtakingly beautiful. Their gazes collided like blades. Neither yielded. In the end, Adeline looked away first. She didn't want to argue with Amara. She only turned to Uriah, voice tight. "Uriah, did you hear what I said? I won't allow you to live with Amara Lyson…" She couldn't stand the thought of Amara gloating. To ruin Amara's plan, Adeline hesitated again and again before forcing out, "If you really have nowhere to go… you can come back to the villa for one night." "No!" Alvin panicked. "Adeline, you finally got Uriah Greaves out. How can you invite the wolf back in?" "What if he refuses to leave after this? Don't fall for it!" His face was dark with anger. He didn't even have the right to step into the villa. How could he let Uriah take over again? In Alvin's mind, everything Adeline had was already his. He couldn't let Uriah touch any of it. And if old feelings flared up between them, what would that make him? Adeline ignored Alvin and said in a low, firm voice, "Come back for one night. Tomorrow I'll find you an apartment. You don't need to keep trying to provoke me. It's childish." She fixed her eyes on Uriah, leaving no room for refusal. Amara fell silent. At a time like this, she knew the choice had to be Uriah's. Uriah's voice stayed flat. "From the moment I walked out of that villa, I was never going back." He looked at Adeline. "And where I live has nothing to do with you."