Villain MMORPG: Almighty Devil Emperor and His Seven Demonic Wives - Chapter 1989

Capítulo 1989: I Don’t See Her as a Bargaining Chip

Villain Ch 1989. I Don’t See Her as a Bargaining Chip

Allen adjusted his grip on the throttle, his gloved fingers flexing slightly. He hadn’t meant to stick around after dropping Mila off. Hadn’t meant to be dragged into this little rooftop heart-to-heart. But of course Noah showed up, looking perfectly pressed in a blazer and loafers, all calm eyes and careful tone. The polished kind of manipulation that didn’t scream, but persuaded.

Noah exhaled, looking out over the parking bay’s sleek curve. “Yeah. I get it. She loves you.”

Allen didn’t say anything.

“That’s good,” Noah added, his voice more casual now. “I mean, you are a Goldborne, so…”

Allen huffed out a laugh that wasn’t amused.

“That’s the problem, Noah,” he said.

Noah blinked. “What?”

“You agree because she’s in love with a Goldborne. But she loves me. As Allen.”

There was a shift in Noah’s expression. Not guilt. Just a pause. A flicker of something behind his eyes, like a thought he didn’t say often. Silence stretched between them.

Allen continued, voice low. “Not the name. Not the suit. Not the future owner. Just me.”

Noah didn’t meet his eyes. Not right away.

But eventually, he spoke. “You might not have grown up as elite like us, Allen. But I’ll tell you something… something true even if you don’t want to hear it.”

Allen raised an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt.

Noah stepped forward. Not aggressive. Just… honest. For once.

“People like us… this status, this world… we don’t just fall in love. We build partnerships. Strategic ones. You’re the young master of Goldborne now. The face of it. And she… she’s the daughter of Sterlinghart. You think love’s gonna protect her when it gets ugly? You think it’s enough when the boardroom starts talking?”

Allen’s jaw tightened.

Noah kept going. “She needs someone equal. Someone with power. With legacy. You can’t act like those things don’t matter just because you two had a nice night in a hotel suite.”

Allen’s eyes flashed. “That’s what you think this is? Just a hotel suite?”

“I think you’re being naïve,” Noah said flatly. “Or worse… hypocritical.”

Allen stared at him, the air going still around them.

“You think I don’t know what this world is?” Allen said, voice lower now. Rougher. “You think I haven’t felt the pressure? The expectations? The way my last name makes people flinch or fake a smile?”

Noah didn’t answer.

Allen stepped forward once. “I know the rules. I know the labels. I know exactly what they whisper when Mila walks into a room with me instead of someone from your crowd.”

“Then why act like love is enough?” Noah challenged.

“Because it is. For her.” Allen snapped.

His voice echoed, sharp in the open parking deck.

Allen shook his head. “You don’t get it. You say she needs a man of status, like it’s a box on a marriage résumé. Like it’s a chess move. But she already had that world. And it suffocated her. She didn’t choose me for the Goldborne name. She chose me when I didn’t have anything to offer. Before the Goldborne name.”

Noah’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Allen stared hard at him. “She didn’t fall in love with my money. Or the brand. Or some dream of a dynasty. She fell in love with the guy who walked her home after her father screamed at her for skipping dinner. She fell in love with the version of me that no investor wants to see. The flawed one. The real one.”

Noah stayed still, watching him.

“You call me naive,” Allen muttered, glancing at the ground for half a second. “But maybe the real problem is… I don’t see her as a bargaining chip. And you still do.”

Silence.

Noah exhaled through his nose, a little slower now. “Once again, Allen. I didn’t come here to fight you.”

“Didn’t stop you from trying.”

“I came here because she’s my sister,” Noah said. “And because the world’s more cruel than either of you want to admit.”

Allen looked up again. “You think I don’t know cruelty?”

He chuckled darkly. “I didn’t grow up in boardrooms or wine clubs, Noah. I grew up on the street. Spent half my teenage years roaming around, looking for a place, any place, that felt like I belonged. My stepdad used to call me a stain. Said I didn’t fit in his perfect family photo. Said I was the leftover mistake my mom brought in like a stray.”

Allen’s voice didn’t rise. It didn’t need to.

“I learned early how to keep quiet at dinner. How to take the blame. How to sit still and smile so I wouldn’t ruin his image. And you know what that teaches a kid? That love comes with conditions. That being tolerated is the best you’re gonna get.”

Noah stayed quiet, jaw tense.

Allen’s eyes were sharp now, clearer than they’d been all morning.

“So don’t stand there in your pressed collar and tell me about status and strategy and legacy like it’s something I should chase. I didn’t survive all that just to become another guy with a last name and a board seat. I’m not building an empire so I can own people.”

He stepped closer, voice quiet but loaded. “But Mila never once looked at me like a weapon. Or a ladder. She looked at me like a person. And that’s something none of you ever gave her.”

Noah didn’t move. His jaw was tight. His fingers curled into his pockets.

Allen stepped back, letting the words linger.

He slid the helmet on, locking it with a click. The visor stayed up.

“You don’t have to like it,” Allen said. “But I’m not going anywhere.”

Noah looked at him, something unreadable behind his expression. “You really think you’re the one?”

Allen revved the bike once.

The engine roared like a challenge, sharp and loud against the concrete.

Then he leaned forward slightly, voice barely above the noise.

“I don’t think. I know.”

And just like that, the helmet dropped, the visor snapped shut.

And he pulled away.

Leaving Noah standing in the wind.

Alone.

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

600 Power Stone = 1 bonus chapter

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Magic Castle= 2 bonus chapters

Space Craft= 4 bonus chapters

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