The Villain Only Wants to Survive, But Heroine refuses toFollow Script

Edward was utterly exasperated.

Of all places, why did Davis's personal guard, Sarah, have to be hiding right by the wall I was climbing?

It was likely her pebble that had hit his leg and caused him to fall. Now his leg was numb, and he was limping—escaping over the wall was no longer an option.

Fine, the front door it is!

By now, Davis was probably already inside the house, so taking the main entrance would mean avoiding him.

But before Edward made it far, he tripped again and was quickly spotted by the household staff. They scrambled to help him up and escorted him back to the living room, treating him like royalty.

In the study, John, as always, sat in the main seat. Edward and Davis were seated on the guest sofa. Davis narrowed his eyes and cast a disdainful look at Edward, while Edward plastered on a flattering smile, trying to win favor with Davis.

Victoria sat off to the side, her thoughts spinning: Why does Davis seem to pop up everywhere? And why does Edward always seem so wary of him?

John broke the tension. "Mr. Davis, please explain this matter in detail."

Davis began, "Daewoo Group is a mega-conglomerate in the southern nation. You're familiar with them, I assume?"

"Of course," John replied. "Daewoo Group has developed over forty large-scale amusement parks across more than thirty cities domestically. They're also involved in hotels, film investments, tourist cities, art exhibition halls, and more. Their assets are valued at approximately four trillion. They're a genuine giant."

Davis nodded. "This project has been under secret investigation for some time. They've already chosen the site, and the information is highly classified. However, I can tell you they're about to start negotiations. If we act now and acquire that land, we'll completely catch them off guard. When the time comes, we can sit back and wait—they'll come to us."

John nodded thoughtfully, biting his lip as excitement surged within him. "If we can secure that land with just 20 billion, we could even triple the price when selling it to them!"

Davis shook his head. "No."

"You think I'm asking too much?"

"You're asking too little."

Davis smirked. "Selling the land outright is just a one-time deal. It's boring. With that land, we can play the long game and gain much more."

"Oh? What do you propose?"

Davis explained, "They've got the funds and are already designing and negotiating. Everything is ready except for the land. Once we have it, we can negotiate directly with Daewoo Group."

"Please elaborate."

"First, we can demand equity. By investing at a valuation of 7 billion, we could secure over 20% of the shares in the new amusement park. If negotiations go well, we might even get 25% or more. Once the park is operational, annual net profits will exceed 5 billion, meaning we'll earn over 1 billion in dividends every year."

"But that's a long-term benefit," John noted, leaving his concern unspoken.

" We need quick cash. We can't afford to wait years for the amusement park to be built. "

Davis laughed. "Mr. Windsor, you're missing the point. Future profits are future profits, but owning the land opens up immediate opportunities. It's not just about the shares—we can negotiate construction contracts, supply deals, material procurement, advertising rights… Just adding two or three of these to the agreement will bring in plenty of money."

John slapped his thigh in excitement. "Brilliant! If that's the case, we could recoup much of the 20 billion during the construction phase. And if we can get involved in this project, it'll revitalize the entire Windsor family!"

"Exactly!"

John turned his gaze to Edward.

"Edward, you're not an outsider—you know the state of Chifeng Group, and with your engagement to Victoria, you're already family. That's why I didn't keep this from you. What's your take on this?"

Edward, still rubbing his leg, thought bitterly:

[ [ My take? What does this have to do with me? This is just Davis using this project as a massive stepping stone to win your daughter over. ] ]

[ [ You should just go along with him. He'll even handle acquiring the land for free—how are you not touched? How are you not crying tears of gratitude? Just give him your daughter's hand in marriage and make him your go-to guy for everything from now on! ] ]

Victoria nearly exploded with anger.

[ That idiot! He still thinks I have feelings for Davis? Which of his eyes sees that? I clearly don't! 

Why does he keep misunderstanding me?

Wait… Why do I care so much about Edward's "misunderstanding"? ]

Victoria had already felt her heart stir, but her pride wouldn't allow her to quickly accept her feelings.

For someone like Victoria, pride and aloofness were just a façade, a form of self-protection. Girls her age—weren't they all still innocent and yearning for love? The difference was that Victoria couldn't easily embrace the changes in her heart. It wasn't a capability she possessed; it was one of her shortcomings.

Meanwhile, Edward stammered, "I… I think Davis's plan makes sense…"

[ [ Wait a second! ] ]

Suddenly, inspiration struck Edward.

[ [ Why am I helping Davis? Why should I support him? ] ]

[ [ I should oppose him! ] ]

[ [ This guy's whole shtick is about showing off! If everyone agrees with him, how can he flex? The effect will be completely lost! ] ]

[ [ No, I have to stand against him, challenge him, oppose him at every turn! Only then can he truly shine, reveling in his ability to reverse the situation and dominate the scene. ] ]

[ [ But I need to be careful! Push too hard, and he'll crush me. Right, just the right balance. ] ]

Victoria narrowed her eyes at Edward. [ Seriously? Your thought process is this bizarre?

If I couldn't hear your thoughts, who would guess you're scheming like this? What's your deal? You don't even want to play the good guy—you'd rather cast yourself as the villain? What's the point? Are you out of your mind? ]

Edward rose to his feet. "I believe that while Davis is undoubtedly talented, brilliant, and unparalleled in his insights…"

Davis frowned. What is this guy's deal? How can he be this nauseating?

"Hey, enough with the flattery. Get to the point!"

"Yes. I disagree with Davis's proposal."

"Oh?" John was surprised.

The business opportunity was obvious. By asking Edward's opinion, John was essentially giving him a chance to score some points, especially in front of Victoria.

John expected Edward to enthusiastically endorse the plan, offer his full support, and even volunteer to help finance and facilitate the acquisition of the land. That would have aligned with John's strategy.

John was no novice in the business world; he was a seasoned player. He didn't need Edward to tell him the value of Davis's intelligence or the importance of this project to the Windsor family.

Davis's information was a goldmine—any of the four major families would shower him with lifelong wealth for it.

But John didn't want Davis to take all the credit. He wanted to leverage Astor family resources as well, ideally getting them to invest some money. Never put all your eggs in one basket.

Yet Edward, this supposed rising star of the business world, was now playing dumb.

John's expression darkened. "Edward, why do you oppose this project?"

Edward thought quickly.

[ [ Uncle, give me a moment—I need to come up with a lie. ] ]

Victoria was on the verge of exploding.

If this had been the Edward of three years ago, he would've jumped at the chance to make a big deal out of this. He'd have pledged to handle the land negotiations for free, offered to cover half the cost without interest, demanded nothing in return—only for John to let him marry Victoria.

That was classic Edward—shameless and relentless.

But today, he seemed hell-bent on distancing himself from her. Even knowing this deal would make a fortune, he was determined to stay out of it.

How infuriating!

Absolutely maddening!

Edward finally spoke, "First of all, the land will be extremely difficult to purchase. The moment news leaks, its price will skyrocket."

John thought, Well, no kidding. Why do you think we're discussing it in private?

"Secondly…" Edward faltered, realizing he couldn't think of anything convincing. He decided to go all in: "Secondly, I believe the suburban slum redevelopment project is a better investment. I recommend focusing on that instead."

John could hardly believe his ears.

Is he out of his mind? Opposing me? Can't he see I've already made up my mind? This conversation was just a formality!

Slum redevelopment? What kind of nonsense is that? Where would I find the money to pour into such a barren wasteland?

John's expression grew increasingly sour.

"Oh," he said, forcing a smile. "I suppose that project is worth considering. Edward, I remember the Astor family has good connections with the property rights bureau. Could you leverage those relationships to set up a meeting with the auction manager? Afterward, perhaps you could assist financially—just a little help between family members. Surely, you wouldn't refuse, right?"

Edward was practically giddy with joy.

[ [ Uncle, you're absolutely right—I'm going to refuse! ] ]

[ [ Your family's future will be firmly tied to Davis. I won't interfere. ] ]

Leaning back on the sofa like a lord, Edward replied leisurely, "Ah, that's… inconvenient. I do know the auction manager, but I'm really not optimistic about this project. As for funding, I'm under a lot of pressure myself—tight finances, very tight…"

John was livid. If not for the need to maintain appearances between the two families, he would've erupted.

You little brat! When you were pursuing Victoria, didn't you say you'd do anything for her? That Windsor family matters were your matters, that you'd provide money, manpower, and connections at a moment's notice? You even said you'd change your last name to Windsor if she married you!

Now you suddenly grow a backbone?

Grinding his teeth, John forced a smile. "Fine, Edward. Since that's the case, I won't trouble you anymore. It's getting late—you should head home."

Get lost! Just get out of my sight! John thought in his mind.

"Alright."

Edward didn't argue and promptly turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Victoria couldn't hold back any longer. Her icy gaze fixed on Edward as she declared, "Father, I think Dear Edward has a point. I've decided to invest all available funds in the slum redevelopment project."

Edward, who was halfway out the door, froze in terror and turned to stare at her.

[ [ Miss, have you lost your mind?! ] ]