Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 193

Amber caught sight of Lucian standing outside, refusing to come in and catch them in the act. A mocking smile tugged at her lips.

—Now that's what you call true love.

If it were her, she would have stormed in and rained hellfire down on them by now.

Then again, it made sense. In this life, if he didn't fiercely protect his Joanne, he would admit defeat.

And how could Lucian ever admit he had lost?

Amber offered a faint, polite smile. "Maybe another time, handsome. The School Belle is right. I still need to tutor Vance. Sorry, but we'd rather not be disturbed. Enjoy yourselves."

Amber glanced at Vance. He was still confused—weren't they supposed to stall so Lucian could come in and catch them?

Amber rolled her eyes at him. "Sit down. I'm giving you a quiz. If you can't recite the answers this time, you're going for another five-minute run."

Vance groaned.

Miles frowned slightly upon hearing her rejection, already formulating his next move, when Joanne began to coo at him. "Mr. Yates, let's go. A new Western restaurant just opened next door. We can eat and review our notes there."

She adjusted her backpack, committing fully to the act. She wasn't going to let this date fall apart.

Miles considered it for a moment. "Alright. Catch you two later."

Vance picked up his test paper. "Amber, why didn't you let me stall them?"

Amber shot him a glare. "Do you honestly think Lucian is stupid enough to do exactly what you want and storm in here just because you texted him?"

"If he could swallow his pride the first time, he can do it a second time. But don't be disappointed. Just because he won't make a scene in front of us doesn't mean he won't go after Miles."

"His ego won't allow him to tolerate this twice."

Vance didn't entirely understand, but seeing Amber's confident smile sent a sudden chill down his spine. It was probably because Amber and Lucian had grown up together—she could calculate his every move flawlessly.

Vance didn't know the half of it. Amber knew Lucian as well as she knew herself. By refusing to let Vance stall, she was forcing Lucian to confront Miles on his own.

Though she would miss a spectacular show... Lucian was inching ever closer to gut-wrenching regret.

Meanwhile, Joanne happily accompanied Miles to the nearby restaurant. Because she had run into Amber and then Vance, her palms were sweating. The second they walked in, she excused herself to the restroom. What she didn't know was that the moment she walked away, Lucian—who had been tailing them—slid into the seat right across from Miles.

"If I remember correctly, you're..."

"Stay away from Joanne, Miles. Unless you want the Yates Group to go bankrupt."

Miles's pupils shrank drastically.

His hand paused mid-smoke.

Lucian let out a mocking sneer. "What, surprised? Did you think you hid it well? Yvonne is a lunatic, and honestly, I'll never understand why you're so obsessed with her. But even if Sharif is out of the picture, she'll never love you."

"She turned herself into a psycho for Sharif, and you're turning yourself into one for her. Is it really worth it?"

Miles's dark eyes flared with icy hostility. Lucian didn't waste time with pleasantries. "You can go ahead and test me to see if I'm bluffing, or if I'm offering genuine goodwill."

Joanne stepped out of the restroom. Before she could even display her charm for Miles, she saw Lucian, his face dark with fury, stand up from the table.

His imposing, dominating aura was something she had never seen before. Her face instantly drained of color, and she froze in her tracks—she knew Amber and Vance would ruin everything.

Sure enough. What was she supposed to do now?

"Lucian..."

"Call me when you've thought it over. I hope you won't disappoint me." Lucian tore off a piece of the menu, scribbled his number on it, and slid it toward Miles. He grabbed Joanne's backpack and forcefully pulled her out of the restaurant.

Joanne didn't even dare to breathe.