Reborn To Ruin Her Rivals - Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Lucas was intrigued.
Though he came across as somewhat frivolous, Lucas had a sharp business acumen.
Otherwise, the Walter family would never consider entrusting their vast business empire to him.
"How about we partner up?" Lucas propped his chin on his hand, putting on a thoughtful expression. "What are your plans for developing this land, and what would my investment look like?"
Arielle replied, "I haven't really given these matters much thought yet. Let's discuss them once I have the transfer agreement."
Although she'd given Georgie three days to prepare, knowing Georgie, there was no way he'd just hand it over without a fight.
Arielle thought to herself, 'He lost his title as the Konisian Gambling King in this match. He'd be a saint if he didn't seek revenge.
'If he really hands over the deed as promised, then he's not so bad after all, at least he's honest and keeps his word.
'As for Gavin, he hasn't made a single move yet. That's not like him.
'Is he really willing to pay 30 million just like that?
'30 million might be small change to him, but businessmen are always after profit.
'He hasn't gotten a single thing he wanted from me.
'After all he's given up, it's just not like Gavin to let it go without trying something.'
Arielle then casually changed the subject. "So, do the Walter family and the Boone family have any business together?"
Lucas narrowed his fox-like eyes slightly.
"You sure know a lot, huh?" Lucas said with a faint smirk, "Well, to be precise, the Boone family has always been eager to work with the Walter family. But..."
Lucas paused, then continued, "I'm still weighing it. The Boone family's proposal has some holes in it. At the end of the day, business is about profit, I don't take on projects that don't make money."
"Ok," Arielle murmured softly.
Arielle left it at that.
She thought, 'I didn't expect him to go into such detail.'
Lucas sighed in resignation.
The only reason he came to Theoria City was to get away from his parents' constant nagging.
Lucas thought irritably, 'They keep nagging me to get married...
'It's not like I'm never going to get married.
Mom's already dreaming of grandchildren, and I'm still so young!
'What a headache!'
Arielle could tell from Lucas's tone that he was a laid-back guy.
'No wonder someone with his personality and background would eat street food,' Arielle thought.
Arielle nodded and let it drop.
Arielle thought, 'The social networks among these prominent families are so intricate. Best not to get involved.'
She closed her eyes, ready for a brief nap.
Just as the car was rounding a sharp bend on the winding mountain road, it suddenly slammed on the brakes.
The tires screeched violently against the pavement as the car came to an abrupt halt.
The driver frantically fumbled with the ignition, trying again and again to restart the car.
But the engine stubbornly refused to start.
"What the hell happened to the car?" Lucas snapped, his sharp gaze boring into the driver.
At Lucas's harsh tone, a wave of panic washed over the driver, he really was terrified of Lucas.
Everyone around Lucas knew. When he got serious, he was downright ruthless.
"Mr. Walters... I... I don't know either," the driver stammered, his voice shaking. "I'll get out and check right away."
The driver stammered back, his voice trembling.
Cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
Thankfully, nothing serious happened. If something had gone wrong, just the thought sent a wave of dread through him.
'Did I just run into some supernatural shit tonight?' Lucas thought in alarm.
'This has never happened to me before,' Lucas thought in disbelief.
'And I'm stuck here with the Gambling Queen herself!' Lucas thought.
"Go check it out. Now!" Lucas barked at the driver, trying to keep his frustration in check.
Not daring to hesitate, the driver flung open the car door and scrambled out.
Lucas forced an awkward smile as he turned to Arielle next to him. "I'm really sorry about this. It looks like the car's having some trouble."
"I'm really sorry about this, looks like the car's having some trouble."
Arielle shook her head. "If it weren't for driving me, your car wouldn't have broken down. Let's call someone to check it out."
"Right, right! Call now!" Lucas urged, whipping out his phone and dialing a number.
But then,
Lucas was utterly baffled that there was no signal.
'How the hell is there no signal? My phone was working just fine a second ago!' Lucas thought, utterly baffled.
Lucas automatically scanned the road ahead, his movements stiff and mechanical.
An involuntary chill crept up Lucas's spine.
'Don't tell me I'm really dealing with ghosts...' A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.
Arielle checked her phone.
The signal bar in the top left corner of her screen had completely vanished.
Arielle's heart sank.
Arielle thought in disbelief, 'How is that possible?
'The signal's always been spotty on this stretch of road, but it's never completely dropped out like this...'
The motorcade following Lucas also came to an abrupt stop.
Several burly men, weapons in hand, rushed over.
"Mr. Walter, are you all right?" one of the bodyguards asked respectfully.
Lucas shook his head grimly.
He ordered, "Check your phones, see if you've got any signal. Call roadside assistance and get someone out here to fix the car, now!"
Upon hearing this, the bodyguards all nodded in prompt agreement.
The bodyguards quickly reached into their pockets and each pulled out their phones to check.
But to everyone's shock, not a single phone had any signal.
Arielle, who had been carefully observing her surroundings, suddenly sensed something was amiss.
Arielle thought, 'No signal, and now the car's broken...'
Several bodyguards quickly surrounded the car, taking up positions at the front, back, left, and right.
They took up defensive positions with their backs to the vehicle.
Their eyes scanned every corner.
The more wealth and power one bad, the more security-conscious they became.
Whenever they went out, they were always accompanied by several bodyguards to ensure their safety at all times.
The Walter family was among Theoria City's most prominent and influential elite families.
Naturally, they placed extraordinary importance on their son's safety.
Woody Walter doted on his grandson Lucas more than anyone else in the family.
No matter where Lucas went, his bodyguards were always right by his side, providing close protection.
Just then, the driver scrambled over, his voice quivering with fear.
"Mr. Walter," the driver stammered, "the engine's dead. We'll have to call for a mechanic."
Hearing this, Lucas stepped out of the car to see what was going on.
The car door swung open.
Arielle also got out of the car.
Sure enough, the engine was dead.
The car was stuck halfway up the mountain, going nowhere.
They needed to get this car towed right away. It was dangerous to leave it here.
The real problem was, there was no cell signal right now, so they couldn't make any calls.
Just then, Arielle gave Lucas's sleeve a tug.
"What's wrong?" Lucas frowned in confusion.
Lucas thought to himself, 'Arielle must be scared. After all, she's just a young girl, anyone her age would be frightened in a situation like this.'
Lucas immediately slipped into his protective big-brother mode and reassured her, "Don't be scared. It's alright. I've got you covered."
Arielle's expression hardened, her eyes dark and fathomless in the gloom.
Her voice turned ice-cold.
"I sense danger," Arielle said coldly.
At Arielle's words, Lucas's heart skipped a beat.
His eyes swept across the pitch-black, seemingly bottomless surroundings.
He prided himself on being highly alert, yet for some reason tonight, he hadn't noticed the slightest thing out of the ordinary.
Filled with confusion and unease, he again cast a wary gaze down the road ahead.
At first glance, nothing seemed amiss. But when he looked again, sure enough, there it was.
The winding mountain road lay shrouded in pitch-black darkness. the night was unnaturally quiet, almost eerie.
Not a single car passed by.
While this road wasn't usually packed with traffic, it was never this deserted, not a single car in sight.
Besides, it was not even that late yet.