-Chapter 14-
Sylvia suddenly spoke up, startling Lucas.
What was this woman trying to do?
Whether he liked it or not, her shout gave them away completely. They could no longer stay hidden and had no choice but to walk out.
The moment David saw Lucas, a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
Him again?
Zavier, however, seemed to have a "villain respects villain" moment. He immediately grinned. "Young Master Grey, long time no see! I heard you're engaged. Congratulations."
Lucas forced a smile. "Thanks, thanks."
[Villains respecting villains is fine, but you're a bit too brainless. Since we both have cursed fates, it's probably best to keep some distance.]
But while Lucas thought this way, Zavier clearly didn't.
He walked over and threw an arm around Lucas's shoulders like they were old buddies. "I feel such a connection with you. Let's drink later, but first I need to deal with this loser!"
The two of them, aside from fawning over different women, were basically the same. Both were used to make David look good.
No wonder they "connected."
Still, Lucas had to stay in character. He laughed. "Does this loser even need serious handling? Just call a few guys to break his legs and toss him in a trash heap. Let the stray dogs have lunch."
Zavier clapped. "Great idea, no wonder you're you!"
Then he turned to Sylvia. "Beauty, I appreciate the offer, but there's no need to trouble you with this kind of trash. That would just be letting him off easy."
He then looked at Chairman Rivers. "Chairman Rivers, my bodyguards were useless and got taken out by this punk. Mind if I borrow some of yours?"
Chairman Rivers narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Sure."
[Here we go! Oh man!]
Lucas panicked, suddenly remembering what happened next in the story.
[Chairman Rivers's bodyguards aren't going after David. They're going to take down Zavier!]
He didn't want to get dragged into it, so he tried to push Zavier away.
But Zavier, acting like they were best friends, clung to him and wouldn't let go.
As they struggled, Chairman Rivers clapped his hands. Three professional bodyguards stepped forward.
"Take them down!" he ordered.
Zavier still looked like he was enjoying the show.
That changed the moment the bodyguards started walking directly toward him, not David.
"Chairman Rivers, what's going on?" he asked, stunned.
Chairman Rivers gave a cold laugh. "He's a distinguished guest of the Rivers family. What do you think is going on?"
"Distinguished guest?"
Hearing that, Zavier was completely stunned.
No way.
How could some guy like David become a guest of the Rivers family?
He couldn't believe it, but had no time to think. The bodyguards were already reaching for him.
David let out a quiet breath.
Finally.
This time, everything was going according to plan.
Lucas tried to dodge to stay out of trouble, but Zavier, being sneaky, kept hiding behind him. The bodyguards grew annoyed and finally aimed for Lucas too.
Seeing this, David smirked.
He had disliked Lucas for a while now, but didn't think Lucas was even worth touching himself.
Now he could just watch someone else handle him.
As the bodyguards' hands reached for Lucas, who hesitated between fighting back or taking the hit, a sharp voice rang out behind them.
"Stop right there!"
The next moment, the bodyguards were struck and thrown backward.
Sylvia strode forward and stood protectively in front of Lucas, glaring at Zavier.
"We came out to help you, and you used Lucas as a human shield?"
Zavier looked nervous and shook his head. "I didn't mean to. I just moved instinctively. Mr. Grey, I swear I'm not that low."
Lucas gave a helpless smile. "I know."
It was natural for people to dodge danger, so that part made sense.
But claiming he didn't use Lucas as a shield at all? That was nonsense.
Still, Lucas didn't press the issue.
As a villain, Zavier's fate would be miserable later. Might as well be nice to him now.
He hadn't expected Sylvia to step up and defend him, even risking offending Chairman Rivers.
She was more loyal than he thought.
As he reflected on this, Sylvia turned to Chairman Rivers. "Even if this guy is a guest of your Rivers family, you shouldn't act without knowing the full story. Brown is still the young master of the Brown family. Isn't this a bit of an abuse of power?"
Chairman Rivers furrowed his brow and was about to speak when Sylvia cut in again.
"This guy broke Brown's leg earlier. Brown coming to settle the score makes perfect sense. If you ask me, you should stay out of this. Let us younger folks handle it ourselves."
Then she put one hand on her hip and crooked her finger at David.
"I like Brown, and I can't watch him get bullied. Hey, Fox, think you can take me on? If you win, do what you want with Brown. If you lose, you have to leave him alone."
She stepped forward not because she really cared about Zavier, but because she wanted to test the strength of the legendary Northern God of War.
After all, her master hated the Northern Region with a passion.
Lucas's eyes lit up.
[Here it is. The plot is finally catching up, even if it's a bit off from the novel. David and Sylvia are finally going to fight. The love-hate story begins now.]
[I remember it well. In their first fight, Sylvia underestimated David and only used half her power. Fox, being cautious, used seventy percent of his strength and not only defeated her but also teased her.]
[She acted mad on the outside, but inside she was flustered and sweet. From then on, every time she saw David, she'd fight with him just to get his attention.]
Classic.
Their storyline was always the most fun.
When Lucas read the novel, this was his favorite part.
At least they had some real tension.
Unlike the other heroines, who instantly fell head over heels for David and practically threw themselves at him.
So boring.
Just as Lucas was caught up in his thoughts, a sharp pain struck his toe.
He looked up to find Yelena standing beside him. At some point, she had silently approached and stepped on his foot.
With a bright smile that gave nothing away, she said, "Oops, sorry! I stepped on you. Did that hurt?"
"No, no, I'm fine."
Lucas forced himself to ignore the pain and turned to watch Sylvia. He was genuinely curious about how the battle between two top experts from the novel would unfold. He was expecting an earth-shattering spectacle.
Beside him, Yelena let out a soft snort in her heart.
She couldn't believe he called her boring.
And that remark about her throwing herself at David?
What a joke.
Maybe that was how she was written in the novel, but the real Yelena was a woman with her own sense of self, and she would never throw herself at anyone.
Still, as she watched Lucas staring at Sylvia without even glancing her way, a sour feeling rose in her chest.
After all, she was one of the top four beauties of Su City.
And he was treating her like she was invisible?
So, she deliberately tilted her body and leaned into Lucas.
He instinctively caught her. "Are you alright?"
Yelena softly shook her head. Her voice was gentle and weak. "I suddenly feel a little dizzy. Might be low blood sugar. Lucas, could you help support me?"
"Of course."
Lucas had no idea what she was up to. Acting purely out of instinct to help someone frail, he offered his arm without hesitation.
But when Yelena leaned in fully and pressed herself against his chest, his heart started pounding.
[Uh... isn't she a little too close? A little too pressed in? Isn't she worried the male lead might get jealous?]
From a distance, Sylvia rolled her eyes.
Taking advantage of her absence to cozy up to Lucas?
Yelena really had no shame.
If that's how she wanted to play it, then it was time to end this quickly. Otherwise, that fool Lucas might actually fall for Yelena's subtle tricks.
Especially since she had heard his inner voice.
Compared to Rose, he clearly preferred Yelena.
With that in mind, she launched her attack with full power.
David, cautious as ever, responded with seventy percent of his strength. He figured it was more than enough to deal with a prideful woman who looked down on him.
But from the first exchange, he sensed something was wrong.
Either this woman's power exceeded his own, or she was going all in.
He was struggling to keep up.
Chairman Rivers, watching nearby, was shocked as well.
He hadn't expected the youngest daughter of the Morgan family to be this strong. She was forcing his savior into retreat.
As the final strike landed, Sylvia didn't hold back. Catching David with his guard down, she kicked him straight in the groin.
Direct hit.
"Hiss...!"
Both Lucas and Zavier winced.
It was the kind of pain only men could truly understand.
Agonizing.
David's face turned red, then pale. He froze in place, standing awkwardly and unable to move.
Sylvia smirked, her chin tilted up in triumph.
"Looks like I win. So much for the God of War of the North."
David's expression suddenly changed. "How do you know... You've been investigating me?"
Seeing his startled reaction, Sylvia looked even more smug.
Forget the shyness.
Forget the teasing.
Forget sacrificing herself and her strength for him.
She had ambitions. She wanted the title of God of War for herself. Why should she give him the opportunity?
She gave a crooked grin and replied, "So what if I investigated you? Did you really think you were hiding it well? David, the world doesn't revolve around you."
With that, she flicked her long hair and walked over to Lucas. "Lucas, what are you standing around for? Hurry and give Chairman Rivers the gift you prepared."
"Huh?"
Lucas hadn't expected her to bring that up now. He looked at her, then glanced at Chairman Rivers.
To his surprise, Chairman Rivers looked thoughtful but not displeased. Lucas braced himself and stepped forward.
"Chairman Rivers, back at the auction, I saw you were interested in this three-hundred-year-old wild ginseng. But you stopped bidding after a while, so I ended up buying it. The Grey family has been blessed by your support over the years, and we wouldn't be where we are without you. Please accept this ginseng. I hope our two families can continue working closely together."
He didn't expect the ginseng to change the Grey family's fate, but he hoped it would make Chairman Rivers go easier on them in the future.
Chairman Rivers stared at the ginseng, visibly surprised.
It was true that the Grey and Rivers families had worked together for years, though recently they had drifted apart. That was mostly because the Grey family had grown stronger and no longer relied on the Rivers family as much.
That had left a bit of bitterness in Chairman Rivers's heart.
But now, seeing this younger member of the Grey family act with such respect, he felt that the Grey family had a promising future.
He smiled. "Young Master Grey, I appreciate the gesture. But this ginseng is too valuable. I can't accept it."
"Chairman Rivers, please don't be so polite. You've done far more for the Grey family than the value of this ginseng. This is just a token of my appreciation. It's not about the price." As he spoke, Lucas firmly pushed the velvet box containing the ginseng into Chairman Rivers's hands.
Chairman Rivers was delighted, though he kept up appearances. "Ah, well... In that case, I'll graciously accept."
Truthfully, he needed this ginseng.
His boss had poor health and a renowned traditional doctor had prescribed this very ginseng as the key ingredient.
He had given up on it earlier because the auction price had been outrageously high. He'd planned to look elsewhere, but now, here it was in his hands.
His opinion of the Grey family improved dramatically.
"Well then, enough of this. Fox, since you lost to Miss Morgan, I won't press the matter with Young Master Brown. You youngsters should handle your own disputes. I'm just an old man—I'll step aside."
With a chuckle, he tapped his cane and walked away with his hands behind his back.
Only the young people remained, along with some curious bystanders nearby.
Sylvia looped her arm through Lucas's. "I'd say today went pretty well. Don't you owe me a thank-you?"
Lucas smiled. "I really do owe you one today."
"Then take me out to eat."
"Sure. No problem."
Honestly, he wouldn't just take her out—he'd cook for her if she wanted.
Thanks to her, the Grey family dodged a major crisis, and he could finally breathe easier.
Just then, Zavier walked over. "Hey, hey, don't leave me out. Mr. Grey, we just met but it feels like fate. You and Miss Morgan saved my life today. I have to treat you two to a meal. Miss Miller, why don't you join us too?"
-End of Chapter 14-