Chapter 1506: Chapter 1506

Inside one of the suite hotel rooms, the crash of breaking glass echoed off the walls, followed by the dull thud of something heavy hitting the floor. A vase lay shattered near the window, red wine spreading like blood across the carpet. The curtains swayed from the gust of an earlier throw, their folds catching the dim light of the chandelier that flickered overhead.

Amid the chaos, Lucia’s ragged breathing filled the silence between bursts of destruction. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her hair, once sleek and radiant, now clung to her face, its copper-red strands glinting in uneven shadows. The taste of fury and humiliation lingered in her mouth like metal.

It was lucky the whole wings had already been booked beforehand, so her rampage didn’t bother the other guests...except one. A moment later, there was a knock, two short, deliberate taps that seemed almost mocking.

It took several seconds before the door creaked open.

Lucia’s face appeared pale and taut with anger. Her mascara had smudged beneath her eyes; she looked both fierce and fragile, like a flame caught in a storm.

"What do you want?" she snapped, her voice hoarse.

Timothy, as always, he was wearing a hoodie and a headphones clung around his neck, he leaned against the doorframe, appearing bored and annoyed. "Can you not be so loud?" he said. "I’m trying to play a game here, and your tantrum’s killing my mood."

Lucia’s eyes narrowed. "Then go somewhere else."

She moved to slam the door shut, but his hand shot out, catching it easily, his strength at odds with his lazy demeanor. The door stopped with a dull thud.

Timothy arched a brow and pushed his way inside. "What’s wrong with you?" he asked, voice dripping with a kind of mocking curiosity. "Didn’t you go to cozy up to that painter? What happened?"

Lucia didn’t answer. She grabbed the only wine glass that was still intact, poured herself a drink, and took a big gulp.

Timothy’s eyes swept across the wrecked room, the overturned chair, the splintered bottle, the shattered vase. He understood immediately. His mouth curled into a sneer.

"Let me guess," he drawled. "You got rejected." Chapters fırst released on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⟡𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵

Lucia froze, every muscle in her body tightening. Her fingers twitched near the table, brushing the stem of another wine glass. The vein on her temple pulsed as she lifted it slowly.

Timothy’s grin deepened. "Oh, so the femme fatale Miss Viora finally knows what rejection feels like."

Lucia hurled the glass in Timothy’s direction, but he didn’t even flinch. He merely tilted his head slightly, a faint smile curling his lips, as the glass whistled past him and shattered against the door behind him.

"Is it that bad?" he asked, his tone etched with mockery.

"I’m not rejected!" Lucia snapped, jabbing a finger at him.

Timothy chuckled and strolled toward the sofa. The crunch of glass beneath his shoes made Lucia’s jaw tighten. She brushed her tangled hair out of her face, spun on her heel, and strode into the kitchen.

From the cooler, she pulled out a bottle of red wine. With a swift twist of her bare hands, she popped it open, then took a long, defiant gulp straight from the bottle before returning to the wrecked living room.

"That basta*d," she muttered, collapsing onto the sofa. "He’s just playing hard to get."

"Is that what you think?" Timothy asked without looking up, his eyes fixed on the game glowing in his hand.

Lucia didn’t reply. She took another long drink, the wine burning down her throat until half the bottle was gone. Deep down, she knew that wasn’t the reason, but still, she refused to admit it; her pride wouldn’t allow it.

As if sensing her denial, Timothy continued, his voice casual, almost lazy. "Did it ever cross your mind that he just might not be interested in you? Maybe you’re not his type."

Lucia scoffed. "I’m everyone’s type."

"Not for Sean. Or Salvo. Or..." He gave her a brief, sidelong glance. "Me."

Lucia clicked her tongue in irritation. "Sean didn’t have good taste. Salvo married with the organization, and you—" she sneered, "you like stupid, weak, and easy-to-manipulate girls. Just like that one... Alinna, right?"

A slow, unsettling smile crept across Timothy’s face. "Her confused, frightened eyes," he murmured, voice soft and chilling, "so cute... like a deer caught in headlights—right before it gets hit."

"You and Simon are just the same," Lucia scoffed in disdain."Hey, don’t compare me to that animal." Timothy’s eyes darkened as he glared at her. "Unlike him, I have a more... artistic side." He made an exaggerated gesture with his hands, like a dramatic poet.

"You’re both nuts!" Lucia snapped, cutting him off.

Timothy pouted, his lips twisting in mock annoyance before a sly smile returned. With an easy shift of tone, he changed the subject.

"So... are you going to give up now?"

Lucia’s answer came without hesitation. "No way!" she snapped, her voice laced with conviction. "It’s personal now. I don’t believe there’s a man whose heart I can’t melt." Her eyes gleamed with fierce determination, pride burning hot behind them like the flare of a torch refusing to die out.

"I heard he has a wife," Timothy remarked casually, watching her reaction.

Lucia rolled her eyes, "Since when has that ever stopped me?" her lips curling into an arrogant smile.

"That’s true," Timothy said with a careless shrug.

"Besides," Lucia continued, her tone dropping lower, more serious, "Salvo wants to make him a Paladin."

"Oh, really?" Timothy’s brows rose, his curiosity instantly piqued. "Salvo’s interested in this painter? Wait, what’s his name again... Zhao... something?"

"Zhao Li Xin," Lucia corrected him sharply. "And yes, that surprised me too. Salvo even invited him personally, but he was rejected."

"He got rejected, too?!" Timothy blinked, his tone half disbelief, half amusement.

Lucia’s glare was sharp enough to cut glass, but Timothy barely noticed. He lowered his phone, his lazy demeanor giving way to something sharper and calculating. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. "Maybe I should check this man out myself."

"Don’t even think about it," Lucia said firmly, her voice hard as steel.

"Don’t forget, we’re in Heriond. If you make a move, it’ll turn into an international scandal. But if I do it..." Her smile returned—cold and confident. "At worst, it’ll just be another s*x scandal."

"A s*x scandal," Timothy repeated, a cold smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Are you going to use that trick to make him submit to you?"

Lucia licked her lips after taking another sip, then turned to Timothy. "Why not? As long as I get what I want, who cares what method I use?"

"You don’t care if he ends up hating you?" he asked, studying her face with curiosity.

"Hating me?" Lucia chuckled in a low voice. "Even better. Imagine his face when he’s forced to serve me in bed while resenting every moment of it. Imagine what his wife looks like, the misery and betrayal she felt. What kind of expression would he wear? So exciting." She grinned in delight.

Timothy pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. The stronger the resistance, the more thrilling the game becomes...how nice." Suddenly, Alinna’s terrified look flashed in his mind, a second later, a chilling smile spread across his face.

____________________________________

Once Lory returned to cestine Palace, she went straight to find Fredhardt. She asked whether the whole S.A.I.N.T. group had left the country and why some of them were still in Herriond.

Fredhardt explained that Alexander Behren and his entourage had departed, but Lucia Viora, Timothy Caron, and two other members had requested permission to remain to resolve cooperation issues with humanitarian organizations there.

"So they’ll be here for roughly two weeks," he finished. Then he asked what was wrong, and Lory recounted what had happened at the gallery and her encounter with Lucia Viora. She asked him to tighten surveillance on the two individuals.

"Someone’s trying to dig my corner here. You think I’m going to let that woman run free?" Lory snapped.

"Dig your what?" Fredhardt frowned.

Lory waved a hand impatiently. "It’s an idiom I heard when I was in the cultivator world; it means someone’s trying to steal my man."

Fredhardt is only more confused. "Do you really think your corner is that easy to dig?" Even a blind man could see that Zhao Li Xin only has eyes for Lory.

"No," Lory grumbled, "but it still irks me. Dare to come to my country and try to steal my man, under my nose! Can you believe it? The audacity," Her eyes blaze with fury. "I’ll show her why the flower is red!"

Fredhardt sighed. "Isn’t that because of anthocyanins?"

"I’m going to end her!" Lory roared, pounding a fist into her palm.

"Okay, now that I understand," Fredhardt said dryly.

Zhao Li Xin, who had been standing quietly to the side, watched the exchange with a helpless look. He doesn’t understand, after all this time, why Lory needs to worry about trivial matters ?

’Wife, have you forgotten what I do to those women who dare to dig your corner? Should I remind her... no, I’d rather not.’