Relationships and Power: Understated Dominance by by Marina Vittori

An Understated Dominance: By Marina Vittori​

Dahlia Nicholson and Dustin Rhys have been married for three years. After Dahlia achieves rapid success, she decides to end her marriage with Dustin, viewing him as a burden. Little does she know that all her accomplishments were actually thanks to him.​

CHAPTER 1
My wife is a CEO, she always hates me for being lazy and wants to divorce me. But she doesn't know that her success is bestowed by me.

“Dustin, here is the divorce agreement prepared by Ms. Nicholson. All you need to do is sign them.”

In the president’s office of the Quine Group, the secretary, Lyra Blaine, placed a piece of A4 paper on the table. A man sat opposite her, dressed in plain clothing.

“Divorce? What do you mean?”

Dustin Rhys was taken aback.

“Do you not understand what I’m saying? Your marriage with Ms. Nicholson is over. You’re not even on the same level anymore. Your existence is nothing but a smear on the president’s reputation!”

Lyra pulled no punches as she spoke.

“A smear on her reputation?” Dustin frowned. “Is that how she thinks of me?”

Back when they first got married, the Nicholson family was in ruinous debt. He was the one who helped them when they were at their lowest point. Now that they were rich, Dahlia Nicholson was ready to just kick him out.

“Something like that.” Lyra poked her chin toward the magazine on the table. A photo of a beautiful woman was printed on the front page. “Look at the headline on this magazine, Dustin. Ms. Nicholson’s net worth has hit one billion in the course of just three years, a feat no short of a miracle. She’s now the most desired woman in Swinton! With all this, she’s destined for greatness. But you, you’re just a regular joe. You don’t deserve her at all. I hope that you’ll see some sense and do the right thing.”

When Dustin remained silent, Lyra frowned.

“I know you’re not happy with this, but this is reality,” she continued. “You might have helped Ms. Nicholson when she was in trouble, but she has repaid you for everything you’ve done for her over the last three years. In fact, you’re the one who owes her now!”

“Is our marriage just a business deal to her, then?” Dustin took a deep breath to suppress the emotions within. “If she wants to divorce me, let her speak to me herself.”

“Ms. Nicholson is very busy. She doesn’t need to trouble herself with such trifling matters.”

“Trifling matters?” Dustin was stunned. Then he laughed bitterly. “Is that so? Is divorce a trifling matter to her? She can’t even find the time to speak to me. Truly, she’s that unattainable now!”

“Dustin, don’t delay this any longer.” Lyra pushed the divorce agreement toward him again. “Just sign here and you’ll get a car and a house as compensation. On top of that, you’ll also get eight million dollars. This is more than what you’ll be able to earn in your lifetime!”

“Eight million dollars is a lot, but…I don’t need it. I will sign the divorce papers if she comes personally. Otherwise, I won’t sign anything,” Duston said coldly.

“Don’t go too far, Dustin!” Lyra slammed her hand on the table. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. With all her power and resources, Ms. Nicholson can divorce you easily. It’s only because she appreciates her past relationship with you that she’s allowing you to keep your dignity intact. Don’t provoke her!”

“My dignity?” Dustin was a little amused by that. She didn’t even want to speak to him directly to divorce him. What kind of dignity was that? Moreover, if she really did appreciate their relationship, then why was she threatening him now?

“I don’t think we have anything else to talk about, then.”

Unwilling to argue, Dustin stood up and made to leave.

“Dustin Rhys! You—”

Just as Lyra was about to lose her cool, a curvy woman in a long black dress walked in. Her skin was as white as snow, and her features were delicate. Her lofty aura and curvaceous figure made her look like a goddess right out of a painting.

“You’re finally here.”

Dustin felt complicated emotions when he saw the beautiful woman. They had been married for three years, during which they treated each other with care and respect. But this was how it ended. He still didn’t know what he had done wrong.

“I’m sorry for being late, I was caught up with something else.”

Dahlia Nicholson sat down. Her expression was as impassive as ever.

“You certainly are busy, if you need your secretary to help you deal with your divorce,” Dustin said.

Hearing this, Dahlia frowned slightly. However, she did not explain herself. Instead, she said, “Since you’re here, let’s get straight to the point. Let’s end this on a pleasant note. I’m sorry I have to do this to you, so you can have the car and the house, plus eight million dollars as alimony. How does that sound?”

At that, she placed a card on the table.

“Do you really think our relationship can be measured by money?” Dustin asked.

“Too little? That’s alright. Let me know what you want. I’ll give you anything within my power,” Dahlia said placidly.

“I don’t think you understood me. Let me rephrase my question. Are money and power that important to you?” Dustin was truly bewildered.

Dahlia went over to the windows and looked out over the city. There was determination in her eyes when she said, “To me, yes, they’re very important.”

“You’ve earned enough to feed yourself for the rest of your life. Why do this?”

“Dustin, that’s where you and I diverge in philosophy. You’ll never understand what I really want.” Dahlia shook her head in disappointment.

They weren’t just incompatible in status and power; they were also incompatible in their principles. Most importantly, she did not see any hope for the future in him.

“You’re right. How would I know what you’re thinking?” Dustin laughed bitterly. “All I know is to cook for you when you’re hungry, prepare your coat when it’s cold out, and carry you to the hospital when you’re sick.”

“There’s no point in going into this now.” Dahlia’s expression held complicated emotions, but it was soon covered up by determination.

“You’re right.” Dustin nodded without any emotion. “I heard that you’ve been close with the heir of the Nolan family. Is it because of him?”

Dahlia was about to deny it when she gave it a second thought. In the end, she nodded.

“You can say that.”

“Okay. I hope you’re happy with him.” Dustin smiled and signed the divorce agreement without any more hesitation. All he felt now was disappointment. Ironically, today was also their wedding anniversary. There was cruel humor in divorcing him on the day they had gotten married.

“I don’t want the money, I just want that crystal necklace back. My mother left it to me before she died so that I can give it to my wife.”

“Okay.”

Dahlia nodded and gave him the crystal necklace.

“From today onward, we will have nothing to do with each other!”

Dustin put on the necklace and left. He had no more gentleness in his expression; all that was left was distant aloofness.

“Did I do the right thing, Lyra?” Dahlia asked hesitantly.

Even though she was the one who asked for the divorce, she didn’t feel happy at all when it was finalized.

“Of course you did!” Lyra nodded. “You have the right to pursue happiness. Dustin does not deserve you at all. He’ll only bring you down with him. You’re destined to be the most powerful woman in Swinton!”

Dahlia did not answer her. As she watched Dustin leave, she felt as if she was losing something precious.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 514

Jessica had always believed her husband, but the result at the moment had left her completely stunned.

“Hector, look at what you have done!” Trent was exasperated.

“Y–you son of a bitch! You’re not worthy to be the patriarch!” Flying into a rage, Jacob threw a punch at Hector’s face.

Such a scandal was going to bring extreme humiliation to the entire family.

“Dad, you…” Knitting her brows. Natasha wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. At first, she firmly believed that her father had been framed. However, looking at the pieces of irrefutable evidence now, she was at a loss as to how to defend him.

Even Hector was inexplicably shocked. It was indeed his face that appeared in the video. On top of that, the way that person dressed up was also just like his.

“Did I really kill someone after getting drunk?” Hector muttered inwardly. At the thought of that, Hector coughed up a mouthful of blood, not able to withstand the shock. His face was ashen white.

“Dad!” Natasha wanted to support him subconsciously but was stopped by him.

“Natasha, I’m sorry for dragging you all into this mess. Now that I’ve done something like this, how can I continue to live with myself?” As soon as he finished speaking, he snatched the gun from the commander and pointed it at his own head. He pulled the trigger, attempting to use his death to make up for his mistake.

“Dad!”

“Patriarch!”

Everyone at the scene was taken aback by that. They wanted to stop him, but it was too late.

As the loud gunshot pierced the air, the bullet missed its target and brushed past Hector’s forehead by a hair’s breadth, leaving a streak of red on his skin.

It was Dustin. He had seized the gun in Hector’s hand.

“Mr. Hector, we haven’t gotten to the bottom of the situation yet. There’s no need to go to this extreme.” Dustin frowned.

He did not expect Hector to be so cruel to himself. Hector directly sought to end his life because of a crime that had not been confirmed. If Dustin hadn’t been fast enough, Hector would’ve been dead by now.

“It’s normal to be punished for making a mistake. Only by paying it with my life can I make up for my sin.”

Hector had been upright throughout his entire life. How could he carry on with his life when something like this had happened?

“Mr. Hector, there’s something fishy about this matter. Don’t act recklessly. Let’s wait until we get the ins and outs of it,” Dustin said solemnly.

“That’s right! You’re not going to solve anything by dying. As the patriarch of the Harmon family, how could you seek death to escape your responsibilities?” Natasha reproached.

“I…” Hector was at a loss for words. He had only wanted to save his family’s reputation, so he didn’t think about it too much.

“Dad, give us some time. I believe we can bring the truth to light,” Natasha said. She felt that something was amiss about this matter.

Right then, the commander uttered coldly. “Alright, I have no spare time to see how affectionate your father- daughter relationship is. Hector, you’ve committed murder, and the evidence is indisputable. Now you need to come with us to assist in our further investigation.”

Then, the commander waved his hand. Two soldiers stepped up at once and cuffed Hector.

“Dad, it’s easier to die than live. Take care of yourself. We will definitely save you!” Natasha was serious.

Hector nodded, not saying anything more.

“Take him away!” With that, the commander led the rest of his people and left the place.

“Sis, what should we do now?” Ruth was in a fit of panic.

“This is a serious crime. If we don’t save Dad in time, his life is probably going to be at stake,” she thought.

“Quick! Assemble all the resources we have and look into this matter comprehensively! Don’t miss out on any clues or details!” Natasha ordered.

Hearing that, everyone immediately began to take action. This matter had caused chaos in the Harmon family.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 515

The fact that Hector was arrested caused quite a stir among the members of the Harmon family.

Everyone was rushed off their feet, using whatever connections they had to prove Hector innocent. Hector was the patriarch of the Harmons; he represented the family. If he was really charged with murder, not only would he be ruined, but the whole Harmon family would also be terribly criticized by the public.

After giving out the order, Natasha called some of the trustworthy people to her room to discuss the countermeasures. Not everyone in the family stood on the same side. Trent and Jacob harbored their own thoughts. She naturally didn’t trust them.

“What do you think about this matter?” Natasha asked, glancing around.

“Could it be that Dad got sloshed for real, so he…” Ruth trailed off.

Before Ruth saw the video, she was sure that her father was not the kind of person who would commit such a crime. However, now that the evidence was right before her eyes, she couldn’t help but doubt his innocence.

“Your dad is well aware of his alcohol tolerance level. But why did he drink so much this time that he couldn’t even remember what he did after that?” Jessica’s expression didn’t look good.

“Ms. Natasha, saving Mr. Harmon is what’s most important right now,” Jack said worriedly.

It was going to be hard for Hector to clear his name anytime soon. Hence, keeping him safe and sound for now was their top priority.

“Dustin, what do you think?” Natasha looked at him.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this matter happens at this time. Your dad is probably being set up by others,” Dustin replied.

Ruth furrowed her brows. “That’s what we hope too, but all the evidence is directed at Dad. No one will believe us.”

“Sometimes, what we see might not be the truth, so we mustn’t just look on the surface,” Dustin said, shaking his head.

“You’ve gotten a clue?” Natasha asked.

“Those who have been around will know that there’s a special skill in this world, which is called Face–Changing Art. I suspect that someone has impersonated your dad and committed the crime.”

“Face–Changing Art?” The rest of them exchanged glances with one another, shocked by Dustin’s words.

“Remember the Dark Lord’s disciple who showed up at the annual gathering that day? She had used Face–Changing Art to disguise herself as Celeste,” Dustin explained.

“That’s right! When she escaped, I think she left behind a human face mask!” Ruth said.

“That is to say, Hector might be framed for real?” Jessica’s eyes brightened.

Although they knew nothing much about Face–Changing Art, this speculation was their only hope at the moment.

“Are you saying that the Dark Lord is behind this?” Natasha’s expression turned cold. This wasn’t just about dirtying Hector’s good name; it was also about ruining the reputation of the Harmons and bringing the family to the brink of collapse.

“What a merciless move!” Natasha muttered inwardly.

“It’s possible, but there’s also someone who we mustn’t leave out,” Dustin reminded.

“Who?” Natasha narrowed her eyes.

“Tyler.” Dustin’s voice was flat. “He was rejected at the annual gathering. Judging from how the Grant family conducts themselves, it’s impossible for them to gloss over the matter.”

“Seriously?” Ruth frowned in thought. “The Grant family is one of the top three most prominent families. It’s impossible for them to do something like this. Moreover, framing my father won’t bring them any benefits.

“It’s just my guess. If we want to catch the culprit, it’d be best to investigate from here as a start,” Dustin said.

“Jack, get the shadow guards to look into these immediately!” Natasha gave the order directly. “Noted!” Jack obeyed and left in a hurry.

Right then, a glint of silver light surged from the window all of a sudden and landed fiercely on the wall. It wasn’t until they had taken a closer look that they realized it was a silver hairpin with a piece of paper attached to it.

“Miracle doctor, I know who the culprit is. Come alone to Lilyrius Restaurant tonight at 8 pm. See you then.” The note was signed off by someone called Azalea.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 516

“Azalea?” Natasha arched her brow. “Do you know her?”

“If I guessed it right, it was her who disguised herself as Celeste,” Dustin said. The fragrance lingering on the silver hairpin was exactly the same as that of the woman from that day.

“It’s her?” Natasha frowned slightly. “Could it be she’s the one behind this?”

“We’ll know more about it after I meet up with her tonight.” Dustin narrowed his eyes. Since that person had invited him out, it was clear that she must have known something.

“This woman is full of guile and good at using poison. Do you think this is a trap?” Natasha was worried.

“Don’t worry. Even if it’s a lion’s den, I’ll be able to come out unscathed.” Dustin smiled faintly. “No, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone. I’ll send a group of shadow guards to protect you,” Natasha’said with a solemn expression.

The Dark Lord’s disciple was nowhere near kind. Natasha didn’t want Dustin to risk his life. With how insistent she was, Dustin didn’t refuse her anymore. “Okay.”

As a retro–style restaurant, Lilyrius Restaurant was usually lively. However, it seemed surprisingly deserted that night.

After getting out of the car, Dustin entered the restaurant and looked around. There was no customer. He casually chose a seat next to the window and enjoyed his drink while waiting for Azalea to show up.

“Quick! Go and catch the person inside!” At that time, several SUVS roared and pulled up outside the restaurant. Equipped with weapons, a group of black–clad, masked men got out of the cars and rushed into the place fiercely.

When the man in the lead saw Dustin, he took several steps forward and jammed his machete into the table. “You’re Dustin?” Steven Lewis asked maliciously.

“You’ve been following me for half an hour. You can’t possibly still not know who I am, can you?” Dustin held his cup, looking calm.

He had sensed that he was being watched the moment he stepped out of the Harmon residence. However, instead of alerting the other party, he kept quiet about it to see who was behind it.

Steven smirked. “You’ve got some guts. I didn’t expect you to be so composed.”

“Who are you? What do you want to do?” Dustin demanded.

“I heard that you have the flower of Crimson Gem. Hand it over, and I’ll spare your life today,” Steven said. He had been keeping a close watch over the Harmon residence for two days to catch him.

“Flower of Crimson Gem? You’re someone from the Grant family?” Dustin raised his eyebrow. Only a few people knew that he had the flower, and Jayla was one of them.

“Hmph! Cut the crap! Are you giving or not?” Steven’s face darkened.

“No.” Dustin gulped down his drink.

“Then, you’re just asking for death!” Steven flew into a rage and was about to launch an attack on Dustin.

Right then, a charming female voice floated across the air. “Have you asked for my permission to make a scene at my place?”

When everyone looked over, they saw a veiled woman in skimpy clothes slowly descending the stairs.

Although her face couldn’t be seen clearly, her body figure was extremely hot and seductive–well- developed breasts, curvy buttocks, and a slim waist. She looked like a masterpiece, especially when she walked with her hips wiggling, exuding her alluring charm.

The group of men in black were stunned. With their eyes lit up, they couldn’t help but swallow their saliva repeatedly.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 517

“Whoa, I’ve never seen such a hot body before!”

“I don’t need to look at her face. Her fair and slender legs alone are enough to get me hooked for a year!”

“Damn, I can’t take it anymore! She is f*cking seductive!”

The moment the veiled woman showed up, all the black–clad men had a hard time holding back their lusts. The s*xy curves of her figure were flawless, especially her wonderfully–proportioned legs. They were literally perfect for those with foot and leg fetishes.

Rubbing his chin, Steven ogled at her. “Hey, beauty. Are you the owner of this restaurant?”

“That’s right. What do you want to eat?” The woman wore a sweet smile and slowly walked up to them.

“What a nice smell!” The men kept sniffing, immersing themselves in her fragrance that was tickling them pink.

“Can I eat you?” Steven gave her a lascivious grin.

“Me?” The woman chuckled. “I’m a thorny person; I don’t think you’ll be able to stomach me.”

“It’s okay. There is no rose without a thorn,” he uttered, licking his lips.

“Really? Let’s see if you can walk your talk.” She smiled mysteriously.

Steven tugged at his clothes, looking like he was in dire need of devouring her whole. When the rest of the men saw that, they burst into laughter and began to tease her.

“You’re lucky today, beauty! Steven is extremely good at this!”

“It looks like your man must’ve failed to satisfy you. No worries, you have our company tonight!”

As they laughed, they had already trapped the veiled woman in the middle.

Smiling, she pointed to Dustin. “Compared to you, I like the handsome man over there more.”

“Hmph! He is only pleasant to the eyes but of no use!”

“Exactly! Look at how thin he is!”
The men scoffed at Dustin.

“Do you want to play with me, Mr. Handsome?” The veiled woman ignored the other men.

“No, thank you. Go ahead and play with them.” Dustin continued enjoying his drink, completely unfazed

“Did you hear that? He doesn’t have the guts!” With an evil grin, Steven reached out to grab her buttocks, but she easily dodged his touch.

“You’d better keep your hands to yourselves, or else I’ll get angry,” she warned.

Hearing that, Steven got even more excited. “Angry? Haha! Come on, show me how angry you can get!”

“Sure.” The woman crinkled her mouth into a slight smile and gently blew into her palm.

Right then, a puff of red smoke came through and permeated the air, enveloping everyone in it.

“What’s this? It smells so good.” The men sniffed the scent subconsciously. However, in less than three seconds, they felt dizzy and were struggling for breath.

“This is bad! The smoke is poisoned!” Steven’s expression changed, and he immediately covered his mouth and nose.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Those who had inhaled the smoke fell to the floor, their faces contorting in pain as blood oozed out from their mouths and noses.

“Bitch! How dare you poison us! I’m going to kill you!” At the sight of his subordinates flumping down one after another, Steven flew off the handle and drew his machete to attack her. However, as soon as he moved, he lost his balance and tumbled to the floor.

“I wasn’t lying when I said that you wouldn’t be able to put up with me.” The veiled woman smirked.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 518

“You-” Steven was seething. He spat out a mouthful of black blood and died on the spot.

In three minutes, all the black–clad men collapsed to the floor and kicked the bucket. “Miracle doctor, I’ve helped you get rid of all the nuisances. It’s only two of us now.” The veiled woman came over with a charming smile and sat beside Dustin. “Don’t you think you should thank me for solving your problem?”

“Well, they were not really a problem to me. Let’s get down to business. What’s your motive for calling me here?” Dustin asked.

“I’m just a weak lady; what kind of motives can I have? Don’t think of me so badly.” Azalea teased. “If that’s the case, tell me. Who framed Hector? And where is the killer?” Dustin cut right to the chase.

“Nothing comes for free in this world. You’ve got to pay a price if you want to know the answer to that.” Azalea stretched out her finger and stroked his chin intimately.

“What do you want?” Dustin pushed her hand away.

“Can I have you?” Azalea shot him an alluring smile.

“I’m not interested in you.” Dustin refused her, unfazed by her advances.

“You’re indeed different. There aren’t a lot of men who can resist my seduction.” She chuckled. Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Actually, I hope that you can cure my disease. I’ve witnessed your medical skills. Needless to say, they are exceptional.”

“You don’t look ill.” Dustin sized her up. Judging from her overall well–being, she seemed to be in the pink of health.

“To tell you the truth, my mentor has put a venomous curse on me. I will feel extremely terrible when it comes to the middle of the night. I hope that you can help me remove it.”

Dustin was a little surprised. “A mentor poisoning his disciple? It’s my first time hearing something like this.”

“My mentor is a person who suspects everyone. He doesn’t trust anyone but himself, so he uses the venom to control his disciples,” Azalea explained.

“I can neutralize the poison for you, but you have to first tell me who the murderer is,” Dustin said. “No can do. What if you go back on your word after I’ve told you the truth?” The world was full of danger. Azalea dared not trust anyone easily.

After a moment’s thought, Dustin agreed in the end. “Fine, I’ll remove it for you first. You’d better not come up with any tricks.”

“I’m just a weak lady. Do you think I’m capable of doing that?” Azalea rolled her eyes.

“Open your mouth,” Dustin said, not intending to waste his time talking to her anymore. Azalea lifted her veil slightly, revealing her delicate lips.

Dustin flicked a pill into her mouth with his fingers. Then, he took out a silver needle and poked it at her body a few times at lightning speed. Once the medicine began to take effect, he thrust his palm out all of a sudden and slapped her back hard.

Azalea coughed up a mouthful of black blood. A centipede that was as thick as a pinky could be seen wriggling in the pool of blood.

“Miracle doctor, you’re indeed amazing. I didn’t expect it to be settled this fast.” Azalea was overjoyed; she had never felt so relaxed before.

She carefully put the centipede aside to keep it for future use. There was a subtle connection between the venomous curse and the person who planted it. Once the centipede died, her mentor would immediately know about it.

“I’ve removed the venom. So tell me, who is the murderer?” Dustin asked calmly.

“What are you talking about?” Azalea acted like she didn’t know anything.

“How dare you trick me?” Dustin frowned, exuding a malicious mien in an instant.

“Miracle doctor, hadn’t anyone told you before that you shouldn’t simply believe a woman’s words, especially the beautiful ones?” Azalea smiled playfully.

Dustin’s expression darkened. All of a sudden, he reached out and grabbed Azalea by her neck, lifting her up from the floor. “If you aren’t telling me about it, then don’t blame me for being merciless.”

Laughing in the middle of her cough, she said, “Miracle doctor, I advise you not to act recklessly. If you get me killed, your lover, Natasha, is going to die too.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 519

“What are you talking about?” Dustin tightened his grip around Azalea’s neck, suffocating her so hard that her face flushed.

Without feeling any ounce of fear, Azalea smiled and said in a hoarse voice, “If I die, not only you won’t be able to catch the murderer, but Natasha will also suffer. You’d better think about it properly.”

“Are you threatening me?” When Dustin narrowed his eyes, a touch of murderous intent was laced in his gaze.

“I dare not. This is just my advice to you.” Azalea curled up the corners of her lips.

“What exactly do you want?” Dustin demanded coldly.

Instead of saying anything, Azalea pointed at her neck.

Her message was loud and clear.
With a slight frown, Dustin still let go of her neck.

Azalea slumped down on the floor in an instant and panted heavily. “It hurts. Miracle doctor, I was just joking. Why did you have to be so rough?”

“I have no time to joke with you. You’d better tell me everything that you know.” He shot her a piercing glare.

“Fine. Since you want to know about it so badly, I’ll just tell you the truth.” Patting her clothes, Azalea sat beside him and took a sip of his drink. “You’ve guessed it right. Hector is framed, and the one behind this is the Grant family.”

“The Grant family?” Dustin raised his brow. “Where is the evidence? How am I supposed to know that you’re not lying?”

This woman in front of him was too unpredictable. He couldn’t bring himself to believe her.

“What’s the point of lying to you?” Azalea rolled her eyes.

“Do you even need a reason to tell a lie?” Dustin’s expression was frosty.

“You know me well!” She chuckled. “But I’m telling the truth this time, and I even have the murderer’s location with me.”

“Where?”

“A hidden safe house.” With a flick of her wrist, a piece of paper fell on the table. “Here’s the address.”

Dustin took a look at it. “Is this the real address?”

“You have my word. However, I can only guarantee you that the murderer will be there for an hour. After that, the murderer will move to a different place,” Azalea said.

Dustin nodded his head, his expression relaxing as he lowered his guard slightly. Judging from Azalea’s body language, she didn’t seem like she was lying. As long as he could catch the culprit, Hector would probably be safe.

“By the way, you said that Natasha was in danger. What do you mean by that?” Dustin suddenly asked.

“Do you want to know? Lift my veil, then.” Azalea smiled meaningfully.

“What’s so hard about that?” He reached out and grabbed her veil, slowly pulling it upward.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that there is a rule in my family; whoever lifts up my veil will have to marry me.”

“You’re crazy!” Startled, Dustin immediately withdrew his hand. Fortunately, he had only pulled it up halfway through, so he didn’t manage to get a clear look at her face.

“Scared? What a boring man you are!” Azalea teased, grinning from ear to ear.

“Childish!” Dustin snorted and turned around to leave.

“She’s too good at playing with people’s minds,” Dustin thought.

“Hold on,” Azalea called out to him. “Miracle doctor, why are you in such a hurry? Actually, I have spies at the Grant residence. Not long ago, I received news that someone wanted to harm Natasha. Those who followed you earlier were just the beginning of their plan. The Grant family’s real target is Natasha.”

When Dustin heard what she said, he stopped his steps all of a sudden and looked at her. “The Harmon residence is heavily guarded now. It’s not easy for the Grants to barge in.”

“True enough, but what about luring the target away?” Azalea quirked her lips.

“What do you mean?” He frowned.

“Well, if I’m someone from the Grant family, I can simply find a reason to lure Natasha to leave the house.” Azalea shot him a half-smile.

Right then, Dustin felt a wave of uneasiness.

At the moment, the Harmon family was leaderless, and on top of that, it was in a mess.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 520

Natasha would definitely do whatever she could to save Hector, and her concern for her father would only make her fall into traps easily.

At the thought of that, Dustin immediately took out his phone and dialed Natasha’s number. However, the line couldn’t get through.

“She’s not picking up? In that case, it seems like the Grant family has made their move,” Azalea remarked.

“Miracle doctor, time is tight. You have to choose whether to go to the safe house to catch the murderer or to save Natasha. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

“Only kids will choose. I want both!” As Dustin spoke, he made a hand gesture at the window.

Soon, Isfrid hurriedly walked in with a few shadow guards.

“Mr. Rhys, we are at your command,” Isfrid said respectfully.

Dustin handed the piece of paper with the safe house’s address to Isfrid. “This is where the murderer is hiding. Bring your men and head over there right now.”

“What about you, Mr. Rhys?”

“I have something else to do. Hurry up and go,” Dustin urged.

“Yes, Sir!” Isfrid dared not hesitate and immediately left the place.

Seeing that, Azalea fell silent with a smile on her face.

Upon walking out of the restaurant, Dustin called Ruth. “Ruth, is your sister at home?”

“She left with a group of shadow guards after receiving a call not long ago. What’s the matter? “Ruth replied.

“She left? Where did she go?” Dustin continued asking.

“I think she went to Basilisk Hall.”

“Your sister is in danger. Send help over immediately!” Then, Dustin hung up the phone and drove straight to Basilisk Hall.

A masquerade party that was only open to the cream of society was going on in Basilisk Hall. Everyone was getting wild. After all, they were all unrecognizable with the masks on. Hence, they were seizing the chance to indulge themselves in debaucherous fun.

With a cigarette in her mouth, Jayla sat on the couch and watched the skimpy guests on the dance floor, who were getting amatory with one another.

As a whole, the party looked like a dissipated one.

Right then, a bodyguard walked up to her and reported in a low voice, “Ms. Grant, Natasha is here.”

“Oh, that’s fast. Bring her in.” Jayla put on a playful smile.

“Yes.” The bodyguard obeyed and went away.

Seconds later, Natasha came in with the bodyguard. Looking at how wild the atmosphere of the party was, she couldn’t help but frown.

“This is way too much. They don’t have any self-restraint at all,” Natasha thought.

Jayla stood up with a glass of red wine in her hand. “Natasha, I didn’t expect you to have the guts to come over.”

“I came here only for the truth; who exactly framed my father?” Natasha demanded.

Before this, Natasha received a call from Jayla and was told that the latter had a way of saving Hector. Hence, Natasha immediately rushed over.

“Well, get down on your knees if you want to know the answer,” Jayla said with a mocking smile.

“Do you think this is fun?” Natasha furrowed her brows.

“You don’t want to kneel? I thought you cared a lot about your father, but now it seems like I’m wrong.” Jayla sneered.

“Will you tell me the truth if I fall to my knees?”

“It’s not your place to negotiate with me. If you don’t want your father to die in prison, do as I say!” Jayla shouted.

After hesitating for a while, Natasha finally kneeled on the floor. She knew Jayla was humiliating her on purpose. However, for the sake of Hector, Natasha had no choice but to swallow her pride.

“What a good daughter!” Jayla curled the corners of her lips into a nasty smirk.

“Now, take off your clothes.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 521

“What did you say?” Natasha knitted her brows.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said, take off your clothes!” Jayla repeated with her voice raised.

“Don’t you go overboard!” Natasha’s expression was cold. How could she possibly remove her clothes in public? That was extremely humiliating for her!

“So what if I do?” Jayla sneered. “I hold something over you right now, and you got no choice but to listen to me!”

This was the reason she sent Hector to jail-demeaning Natasha.

Jayla muttered inwardly, “This is the price to pay for refusing to get married into the Grant family!”

She needed to make Natasha suffer in order to vent her anger.

“Jayla, you’d better not overstep the line,” Natasha said in a deep voice.

“Natasha, haven’t you figured out what the current situation is?” Jayla laughed wildly. “You’re in my territory. Whatever happens to you depends on me. Hurry up and take off your clothes!”

“Take off!”

“Take off!”

The masked guests began to shout in excitement, and most of them were under the influence.

“It looks like there’s nothing for us to discuss. I’m leaving now.” Natasha turned around to leave, not intending to waste her time anymore.

Jayla was obviously giving her a hard time on purpose.

“Stop right there! Did I say you could leave?” Jayla shouted.

Right then, two female bodyguards stepped forward and blocked Natasha’s way.

“Do you think that I came alone?” Natasha turned around, her face darkened. Natasha knew there would be danger, so she brought a group of shadow guards with her when she left the house.

“Of course, I knew you came here prepared. But sadly, it’s useless.” As Jayla spoke, she clapped her hands.

Soon, a group of formidable masked guards walked in, dragging a few corpses with them.

When Natasha took a closer look, her expression changed in an instant. They were her shadow guards!

“Are you surprised?” Jayla laughed mockingly. “Your shadow guards are dead. You are on your own now, and I can do whatever I want to you!”

“Jayla, do you know what you’re doing?” Having blatantly killed the Harmons’ shadow guards was no longer just a simple provocation, but a war declaration.

“Stop making much ado about nothing. It’s going to be your turn soon.” Jayla shot her a cold smirk and gestured to the guards. “Guards! Hold her down!”

The two female bodyguards obeyed and immediately restrained Natasha from moving around.

“Since you aren’t willing to strip off, let me help you, then.” Suddenly, Jayla stretched out her hands and ripped Natasha’s coat into pieces, exposing her black bra.

“What huge breasts you have, bitch! No wonder so many men like you.” When Jayla saw how busty Natasha was, a hint of jealousy flashed across her eyes. Not only was Natasha beautiful, but her body figure was also sumptuous.

“She’s indeed a temptress!” Jayla thought.

“Jayla, you’d better not do anything absurd!” Natasha shouted.

“So what if I do? Haven’t you been using your good looks to your advantage? Today I’m going to destroy your face and see how you’re going to live in the future!” With an evil smile, Jayla took out a knife and scratched Natasha’s fair and delicate face fiercely.

Natasha groaned in pain, breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Bitch, this is the consequence of rejecting the Grant family. Since you aren’t willing to get married to Tyler, I’m going to ruin you today!”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 522

Clenching her teeth, Jayla chewed Natasha up while scratching the latter’s face mercilessly.

“Ahh!” With an ear-piercing wail, Natasha finally passed out due to extreme pain. Her beautiful face was now covered in fresh blood. It was a ghastly sight.

“That was fast, but I haven’t had enough fun yet.” Jayla smiled evilly. “Strip off her clothes and hang her up!”

“Yes!”

The two female bodyguards obeyed and immediately removed Natasha’s clothes until she was only left with her underwear. Then, they hung her in the middle of the dance floor and poured a bucket of icy water down her head.

Natasha shuddered, gradually regaining consciousness.

“Natasha, haven’t you been acting noble and virtuous all the while? Today I’m going to show you what it feels like to be humiliated!” Jayla continued, “See these people around? They’ll be accompanying you tonight. I’m going to take a video of the whole process and send it to your boyfriend for him to enjoy.”

“Y-you monster!” Natasha gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening.

“Go ahead and curse me as much as you want.” Jayla sneered and turned around to look at the masked men below the stage. “Everyone, I’m sure you have heard of how pretty the daughter of the Harmon family is. Her face is disfigured now, but her body is still flawless. Anyone here wants to take her back to be your servant?”

“Me!”

“No, me!”

“Damn it! She’s mine! Don’t you try to fight for her with me!”

Overwhelmed by excitement, the men began to fight over Natasha. They, of course, knew what a beauty she was. Hence, how could they possibly give up on the chance of messing with their goddess, who was known to be out of their league?

“Well, since so many of you are interested, whoever pays the highest price will have the opportunity to have her as your servant.” Jayla offered with a smile.

“I’ll go first! One million dollars!” A man with a sheep-face mask raised his hand.

“One million only? I’m giving five million!” said another man who had a cow-face mask on.

“Eight million dollars from me!”

“Ten million!”

The men shouted one after another, and the price kept getting higher and higher. They were all from wealthy families. What they lacked wasn’t money, but excitement in their lives. As long as they could buy excitement, they were willing to spend a fortune on it.

“Y-you…” Natasha was filled with resentment.

The sheep-masked man suddenly shouted, “50 million!”

Right then, the crowd quieted down in an instant. 50 million dollars wasn’t a small amount. Since the man was willing to pay such a high price for something, he shouldn’t be underestimated.

Pointing to the sheep-masked man, Jayla said, “Well, it looks like that’s the highest price for now. In that case, you are going to be the first.” Then, she continued, “As for the rest, queue up for your turns.

As soon as she said that, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“Spending 50 million dollars to make such a sumptuous woman my servant is simply worth it. “The sheep-masked man walked up the stage and sized Natasha’s sexy body up with his lascivious eyes.

“I’m warning you; don’t do anything nonsensical. Otherwise, the Harmons won’t let you go!” Natasha squeezed out the words through her gritted teeth.

“Well, at least I won’t leave the world with regrets. Moreover, you don’t even know who I am, “the man said.

The ones under the stage egged the man on.

Natasha fell into utter despair. She kept struggling to break free but to no avail. Other than watching the man get closer to her, there was nothing else that she could do.

“Here I come, beauty!” The sheep-masked man laughed loudly and pounced on Natasha. “Stop!” Right then, a thunderous, angry shout rang out.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 523

“Stop!” A thunderous voice rang out, causing the crowd to fall into silence in an instant.

Startled, everyone looked over at once and saw a tall figure walking in, exuding an overwhelming wave of murderous intent. Tension immediately ensued in the atmosphere, which was on fire just a moment ago. Those who were in revealing clothes couldn’t help but shudder.

“Dustin?” When Natasha saw who it was,.a wave of joy flooded her, as if she had found a life savior.

“So it’s you!” Jayla snorted upon taking a closer look at him. “Why do you have to bring trouble on yourself when you can easily avoid it? Today I’m going to let you watch your woman being humiliated!”

“All of you deserve death!” Seeing Natasha being hung up and covered in bloody scratches and wounds, Dustin clenched his fists hard, his expression darkening. A great sense of wrath flooded his soul so intensely that he almost lost his mind.

“Rhys, are you furious? But so what? Your woman is in my hands right now. I can do whatever I want to her.” Then, she turned to the sheep-masked man. “Hey, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and enjoy your time with the beauty. You don’t have to hold back. Serve her well in front of her man!” Jayla cackled presumptuously.

“I’m loving this!” The sheep-masked man was pumped up.

As he rubbed his hands like he couldn’t wait to devour her whole, his body began to tremble in excitement at the same time.

“If you dare to lay a finger on her, I guarantee you that you will have a tragic end!” Dustin threatened.

“Haha! Not only do I want to touch her, but I also want to lick her all over. What can you do about that?” The sheep-masked man stuck out his tongue deliberately and licked Natasha’s leg.

“You’re asking for death!” Dustin’s face fell, and he flicked his wrist abruptly.

With a swish, a silver needle shot out in an instant and directly pierced the spot between the man’s eyebrows.

The sheep-masked man froze; the next second, he collapsed to the floor, having breathed his last.

That was a bolt from the blue. The remaining guests were scared out of their wits and screamed in fear.

“How dare you kill someone in my territory? You must have gotten tired of living!” Flying

A group of bodyguards obeyed at once and dashed over with their weapons drawn.

“Whoever stands in my way will die!” Dustin’s eyes were red as he continued making advances instead of retreating.

All the bodyguards who approached him had their heads severely injured by just one punch from Dustin. None of them survived, and blood was all over the floor. Clearly, Dustin wasn’t showing them any mercy.

Looking at Dustin, who was soaked in blood, the onlookers scattered away in fear of being the next target.

After getting rid of the group of bodyguards, Dustin immediately ran up the stage and broke the chains tying Natasha up.

“Are you okay?” When Dustin saw her disfigured face, his heart bled for her. Taking off his coat in a hurry, he wrapped it around her petite body, which was shivering due to the cold.

“We can’t stay here for long. Let’s leave!” Natasha staggered to stand up.

Since the Harmons’ shadow guards had been killed so easily and without anyone knowing, there were obviously skilled fighters hiding in this place.

“Do you think you can leave?” Jayla snorted. “Listen up, lupine guards! Kill this man for me!”

Right then, ten black-clad figures suddenly walked out of the shadows. All of them were masked and had an intimidating aura.

They were the ones who finished off the shadow guards earlier.

“Lupine guards are made up of the best elites. Each of them has fought in countless battles and possesses exceptional fighting skills. With them around, today is going to be the day of your death!”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 524

“He should feel honored for being able to die at the hands of the lupine guards!”

When the Grants’ highly skilled guards appeared, the rest of the guests became excited, as if they were watching a show.

“This is bad!” Natasha’s expression changed. “Dustin, you don’t have to care about me. Hurry up and leave! Get help from the Harmon family!”

She knew Dustin was strong, but lupine guards were experts when it came to fighting. She would just weigh Dustin down if they tried to escape together.

“What are you talking about? How can I possibly leave you alone here?” Dustin reached out and grabbed her hand.

“But it’s going to be difficult to escape if you bring me along.” Natasha frowned. She didn’t want Dustin to risk his life because of her.

“Who said that I was going to escape?” Dustin looked around with a piercing gaze. “I’m going to kill all of them tonight!”

“Stop being insolent! Do you even have the ability to do that?” Jayla sneered.

All the lupine guards were carefully selected by Tyler. Even the Harmons’ shadow guards were not a match for them, let alone a country bumpkin.

“You can see for yourself.” Dustin provoked, his expression indifferent.

“Well, since you’re so desperate to die, I don’t mind making your wish come true.” With a wave of her hand, Jayla ordered, “Elton, kill him!”

The leader of the lupine guards, Elton Pearson, obeyed and directly drew out his weapon, closing in on Dustin. Although the former wasn’t making any sound, he was emanating a strong and overwhelming aura.

As soon as Dustin was within his attack range, Elton immediately sped up and swung his machete to strike at him. “Die!”
It was a powerful charge.

However, the moment Dustin threw a punch at him, Elton’s attack fell apart at the seams in an instant. His simple and straightforward punch directly pierced Elton’s chest before the latter could swing his weapon down for an attack.

Elton widened his eyes in shock at the sight of Dustin’s bloody fist that had penetrated his body. It had all happened too fast. Elton barely had time to react.

Then, Dustin swung his arm and hurled Elton to the wall, leaving a patch of blood on it.

Everyone was dumbfounded at the sight before them. Elton was an extremely formidable existence, but now he had been killed by Dustin in just one move.

It was simply hard to believe!

“H-how is this even possible?” Looking at Elton’s corpse, Jayla was stunned. Her face was full of disbelief.

“That was the powerful leader of the lupine guards, and now he’s dead?” she muttered inwardly.

“How dare you kill our leader?”

“Today is going to be your death day!”

After recovering from their shock, the remaining nine lupine guards flew off the handle and surged forward at him with their weapons drawn.

Expressionless, Dustin stomped his foot all of a sudden.

With a loud boom, the floor cracked the next second. A burst of violent true energy then presented itself in an instant and smashed fiercely onto the guards.

As if they had been knocked down by a train, the lupine guards were sent flying across the air, blood gushing out of their mouths. All it took was a stomp, and every one of the lupine guards died before they could even land on the floor.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 525

Instantly, silence ensued.

Looking at the lupine guards who had drawn their last breath, everyone was so terrified that they were lost for words. They couldn’t believe that all nine guards had lost their lives because of Dustin’s stomp.

When Jayla came back to her senses, she blew up at once and shouted, “How dare you kill my lupine guards!”

Each and every one of the lupine guards had been carefully trained by the Grant family. Now that ten of them were dead, how could Jayla possibly put up with it?

“It won’t end with just their deaths; you are going to pay back for what you did!” With a cold expression on his face, Dustin slowly walked closer to Jayla, his eyes darkening.

“W-what do you want to do? I’m warning you; don’t do anything absurd!” Jayla took two steps back in fright.

As if she felt that it was embarrassing to retreat, she stopped at once and held her head high, putting on an arrogant look.

She was the daughter of the Grant family. Why was she afraid of someone like Dustin?

“You’ve got to pay back twice the harm you’ve inflicted on Natasha!” Dustin threatened.

“Don’t you dare!” Jayla shot daggers at him. “I have the Grants behind me. If you lay a finger on me, even a divine being can’t save you!”

“Really?” Suddenly, Dustin grabbed Jayla by the neck and lifted her off the floor.

Kicking her legs frantically, Jayla began to cough violently. She struggled to break free from his grip but failed. It was getting difficult for her to breathe. Soon, the fear of death gradually flooded her mind.

“L-let me go! Or else, you’re going to have a miserable death!” Jayla shouted.

“Dustin, don’t hurt her!” Right then, Natasha couldn’t help but stop him.

Although she hated Jayla, the latter wasn’t someone who could be easily provoked. If Jayla was hurt, it would lead to the Grant family seeking revenge on them.

“She’s too arrogant. She will only continue to overstep the mark if she is not taught a lesson.” Dustin tightened his grip around Jayla’s neck.

Jayla’s face flushed; she couldn’t breathe.

“Stop!” A loud shout suddenly came from the door.

Everyone was dumbfounded at the sight before them. Elton was an extremely formidable existence, but now he had been killed by Dustin in just one move.

It was simply hard to believe!

“H-how is this even possible?” Looking at Elton’s corpse, Jayla was stunned. Her face was full of disbelief.

“That was the powerful leader of the lupine guards, and now he’s dead?” she mutteredinwardly.

“How dare you kill our leader?”

“Today is going to be your death day!”

After recovering from their shock, the remaining nine lupine guards flew off the handle and surged forward at him with their weapons drawn.

Expressionless, Dustin stomped his foot all of a sudden.

With a loud boom, the floor cracked the next second. A burst of violent true energy then presented itself in an instant and smashed fiercely onto the guards.

As if they had been knocked down by a train, the lupine guards were sent flying across the air, blood gushing out of their mouths. All it took was a stomp, and every one of the lupine guards died before they could even land on the floor.

Instantly, silence ensued.

Looking at the lupine guards who had drawn their last breath, everyone was so terrified that they were lost for words. They couldn’t believe that all nine guards had lost their lives because of Dustin’s stomp.

When Jayla came back to her senses, she blew up at once and shouted, “How dare you kill my lupine guards!”

Each and every one of the lupine guards had been carefully trained by the Grant family. Now that ten of them were dead, how could Jayla possibly put up with it?

“It won’t end with just their deaths; you are going to pay back for what you did!” With a cold expression on his face, Dustin slowly walked closer to Jayla, his eyes darkening.

“W-what do you want to do? I’m warning you; don’t do anything absurd!” Jayla took two steps back in fright.

As if she felt that it was embarrassing to retreat, she stopped at once and held her head high, putting on an arrogant look.

She was the daughter of the Grant family. Why was she afraid of someone like Dustin?

“You’ve got to pay back twice the harm you’ve inflicted on Natasha!” Dustin threatened.

“Don’t you dare!” Jayla shot daggers at him. “I have the Grants behind me. If you lay a finger on me, even a divine being can’t save you!”

“Really?” Suddenly, Dustin grabbed Jayla by the neck and lifted her off the floor.

Kicking her legs frantically, Jayla began to cough violently. She struggled to break free from his grip but failed. It was getting difficult for her to breathe. Soon, the fear of death gradually flooded her mind.

“L-let me go! Or else, you’re going to have a miserable death!” Jayla shouted.

“Dustin, don’t hurt her!” Right then, Natasha couldn’t help but stop him.

Although she hated Jayla, the latter wasn’t someone who could be easily provoked. If Jayla was hurt, it would lead to the Grant family seeking revenge on them.

“She’s too arrogant. She will only continue to overstep the mark if she is not taught a lesson.” Dustin tightened his grip around Jayla’s neck.

Jayla’s face flushed; she couldn’t breathe.

“Stop!” A loud shout suddenly came from the door.

The next second, Jacob rushed in fiercely with a group of elites from the Harmon family.

When he saw the lupine guards lying dead on the floor, his expression changed at once.” Dustin, let go of Ms. Grant immediately! Stop making mistakes!”

“She has disfigured Natasha’s face, not to mention the barrage of insults. Today she has to be given a tit-for-tat,” Dustin said coldly.

Shifting his gaze to Natasha, whose face was covered in blood, Jacob couldn’t help frowning. After a moment’s hesitation, he bit the bullet and said, “Don’t worsen the situation, Dustin first!” Let her go

“Let her go?” Dustin turned around. “As an elder, aren’t you supposed to protect Natasha? She has been severely injured, and now you’re telling me to free the perpetrator?”

“You can’t afford to offend Ms. Grant. Don’t drag us down!” Jacob shouted.

“That’s right! Let go of Ms. Grant now!” The rest of the Harmons echoed.

Jayla was Tyler’s sister. If something bad were to happen to her here, the entire Harmon family was going to suffer the consequences.

“What if I refuse?” Dustin narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t force me to attack you!” Jacob’s face fell.

Most of the people with him slowly drew their weapons, their gazes filled with hostility. In an instant, Dustin ended up being their target.

At the sight of that, Jayla laughed complacently. “Rhys, do you see this? Even the Harmons have no guts to offend me. Get your hands off of me right now! Who do you think you are to mess with me?”

No matter how strong a fighter was, in front of the powerful Grant family, they would still
have to bow down to them.

“Are you going to stand by and do nothing when your family member has been attacked? Is the Harmon family so weak?” Dustin glanced around with a piercing gaze.

Those who met his eyes couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 526

“Rhys! An outsider like you is in no place to boss us around!” Jacob was exasperated.

“Since none of you has the guts to stand up for Natasha, I’ll do it, then! I don’t mind offending the Grants!” Dustin opened his hand, and a steel knife slid into his palm. “Today I’m going to take an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth! No intercession is allowed!”

As soon as he finished saying that, he scratched Jayla’s face with the sharp blade, leaving a deep, bloody mark.

“Ah!” Jayla exclaimed shrilly in pain.

“Don’t you dare!”

“You son of a bitch! Stop right now!”
Jacob and the rest of the members of the Harmon family shouted, their facial expressions changing drastically.

However, Dustin didn’t care about them at all. He drew another line across Jayla’s face, forming a huge “X” on it.

“Rhys, do you know what you are doing? If you hurt Ms. Grant, even the Emperor won’t be able to save you!” Jacob was furious.

Dustin remained silent as he continued to wave his knife at Jayla, destroying her looks.

“Ah! My face! Ahh!” Jayla screamed in agony.

It was not only physical pain but also mental torture. Every woman cared about her appearance. Now that her face was ruined, how was she going to live her life in the future?

After making ten scratches on Jayla’s face, Dustin finally stopped. At the moment, Jayla was already covered in blood, looking acutely harrowing.

“This guy is crazy!”

“Do you know how distinguished Ms. Grant is? You are going to be done for disfiguring her face!”

Everyone was startled by Dustin’s action. Although they were angry at the same time, they dared not step forward.

“You’re dead meat, all of you! How dare you ruin my face! I’m going to make your entire family pay for this!” Jayla screamed, looking as ferocious as a devil.

“Ms. Grant, this has nothing to do with us! It’s all on him!” Jacob hurriedly explained.

“I don’t care! Unless you kill him for me, I’m going to destroy the Harmons!” Jayla yelled.

Hearing that, Jacob and the rest were stunned. After recovering from their shock, they shifted their fierce gazes to Dustin. It seemed like they were going to do as Jayla ordered.

“Move! Out of my way!”

While Jacob and his people were dithering, a series of noises came from the door. Then, a butler of the Grant family rushed in with a group of elite guards.

Seeing that, Jayla laughed wildly. “My reinforcements have arrived. Today, all of you are going to die!”

Jacob and his group were in a blue funk. If they hadn’t hesitated earlier in taking Dustin down, the Harmons would’ve been able to stay out of trouble.

“Rhys, weren’t you arrogant earlier? Why aren’t you saying anything now? Let me tell you, it’s too late to be scared! I’m going to make you pay me back a hundred times for what you did to me! It’s over for you!” Jayla roared maliciously.

“Your life is in my hands now, so you’d better not push my buttons.” Dustin’s voice was cold.

“So what if I do? Do you dare to take my life? Go ahead, then! Otherwise, I’m going to kill you! Not only do I want you dead, but I also want you to witness how I would torture your woman! I will make her suffer!” Jayla cackled like she would be having the last laugh.

“Well, since you wish to die, I’ll grant your wish, then.” Raising his weapon, Dustin directly slashed her neck.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 527

“Dustin, don’t!”

“Mother fucker! Don’t you dare!”

When Dustin raised his weapon, everyone was shocked and immediately yelled to stop him.

However, Dustin turned a deaf ear to their shouts and decisively struck at Jayla.

Jayla’s wild laugh came to a stop in an instant. The next second, her head fell from her neck, rolling on the floor like a ball for a while before it stopped.

Her widened eyes were filled with disbelief. As if she didn’t expect Dustin to kill her for real in front of so many people. The power and status that she had been bragging about were completely of no use at this moment.

Everything was over for her.

“S-she died?”

Looking at Jayla’s chopped-off head, everyone was scared out of their wits. That was the daughter of the Grant family, who was also Tyler’s sister, and at the moment, she had gone the way of all flesh.

“This is bad!” Natasha paled.

If Dustin had only killed the lupine guards, there were still chances to turn the situation around. However, he murdered Jayla. This was a crime that nobody could afford to bear.

“This guy has really lost his mind!”

“Fuck! How can he kill Ms. Grant? He’s daring alright!”

A short moment of silence later, the scene went into an uproar. Everyone had their eyes fixed on Dustin as if they were looking at a crazy man.

After all, who else would have the guts to provoke the Grants other than someone who had gone insane?

“Scourge! He is a scourge!” Jacob was hot under the collar.

Dustin had already committed a severe crime by disfiguring Jayla, and now he even finished her off! It seemed like the Harmons were doomed to be in the soup this time.

“Bastard, how dare you kill Ms. Jayla!” The butler of the Grant family roared.

Now that Jayla had died, those at the scene wouldn’t be able to steer clear of the consequences.

“She wanted death; all I did was grant her wish,” Dustin said indifferently.

“You’re still acting so arrogant when your last hour has come?” With a wave of his hand, the butler ordered, “Guards! Tear him limb from limb to avenge Ms. Jayla’s death!”

“Attack!” The group of elites immediately drew their weapons and charged forward.

“Let me see who has the guts to attack Sir Rhys!”

Right then, Nelson led a large group of Flame Dragon Gang members and rushed in aggressively.

“Damn, how dare you attempt to attack Sir Rhys? You’re courting death! Everyone, attack!” Nelson raised his weapon and dashed over upon seeing Dustin trapped in the middle.

Right then, hundreds of Flame Dragon Gang members broke into a fight with the elites of the Grant family. Although the latter were well-trained fighters, the former had the strength in numbers. It didn’t take long for the Grants’ guards to be defeated.

“Where did these people come from?” Jacob exchanged confused glances with his men.

“Mr. Jacob, it seems like they are from the Flame Dragon Gang,” someone replied.

“Flame Dragon Gang? Why are they meddling in this?” Jacob found it a little strange.

Although the Flame Dragon Gang was quite well-known in Millsburg, they weren’t a match for the Grant family. After all, the Grants had the authority to mobilize the troops. Hence, how could the Flame Dragon Gang fight against them?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 528

The brawl finally ended ten minutes later.

Although dozens of Flame Dragon Gang disciples were injured in the process, they managed to completely annihilate the Grants’ elite men.

“Sir, I did not fail you. I have eliminated all these pests!” Nelson and his men rushed toward Dustin eagerly.

“Well done. It must have been tiring.” Dustin nodded.

“Not at all. It’s our honor to serve you!” Nelson responded with a grin.

“Clean this place up. Don’t leave any evidence behind.” Dustin ordered.

“Yes, Sir!”

“Boys, it’s time to clean up!” Nelson hollered at his men, and they immediately got to work.

“I didn’t know you were the Flame Dragon Gang’s leader.” Natasha’s surprised expression quickly turned into a frown. “Still, even with the gang’s help, we can’t win against the Grants. We’re in real trouble this time.”

“The Grants might be powerful, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do whatever they please. There’s always someone more powerful than them,” Dustin replied nonchalantly.

“As if it’d be that easy. In the Southern province, the only two families who have a chance of winning against the Grants are the Murray family and the Hill family.” Natasha sighed. “You were too reckless this time, Dustin. Killing Jayla was a terrible move!”

“They wouldn’t have let me live anyway, so I might as well get rid of them first.” Dustin seemed unbothered. Since they already had their eyes on him, he might as well make it worthwhile.

“But…” Natasha didn’t know what to say.

“Let’s forget about this. We should focus more on your injury. Let’s go and treat it.” Dustin gathered her into his arms and walked outside. His needle might have stopped the bleeding, but medication was necessary to prevent her lacerations from scarring.

“Hold it right there!” Jacob shouted. “Do you think you can just leave after getting into such a huge mess?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility for my actions,” Dustin responded before walking out.

“Follow him. Don’t let him escape.” Jacob ordered two of his men.

“Yes, Sir!” The two men answered in unison and went after Dustin and Natasha.

There was no way the Grants would take this matter lightly. If Dustin were to run away now, the Grants might shift their target to the Harmon family instead, so they had to make sure to keep a close eye on him.

“Lord Horst, quite a few of our men died today. What a loss.” Nelson’s men grumbled softly.

“Of course, it isn’t a loss! Men are supposed to be wild like this!” Nelson thumped his chest proudly. “I’m sure today’s battle showed Sir Rhys just how strong we are and improved our image!”

Just then, one of his men rushed over in panic. “Bad news, Lord Horst! We’re in trouble!”

“What’s all the fuss about? You act as though it’s something I can’t handle.” Nelson huffed, judging that his men must still lack experience given how easy it was to scare them.

When will they ever grow up?

“Look at this, Sir!’ The other man shakily held out a badge.

“It looks familiar.” Nelson was puzzled.

“Of course it is! It belongs to the Grants!” His subordinate wailed.

“The Grants? What do you mean?” Nelson was still confused.

The subordinate delivered the shocking news. “The men we just killed were the Grants’ elites!”

“What?! The Grants?” Nelson exclaimed, wide-eyed. “A-are you serious?”

“I would never joke about something like this. Just look at the badge!” His subordinate whimpered. “Sir, you’ll have to take care of this mess now.”

“Take care of it? Yeah, right. I’m just dead meat now.” Nelson fell to the floor dejectedly. He would soon disappear from the face of the earth.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 529

Meanwhile, at the Grants’ mansion, Tyler Grant was practicing with a terrain model.

As a gifted individual, he excelled in everything he did, including terrain model training. Since few could compete against him, he usually trained by himself.

“Something terrible has happened, Mr. Grant!” One of the butlers barged into his study anxiously.

“Get out,” Tyler ordered icily without looking at the butler.

“But-

The butler swallowed the rest of his words when he received Tyler’s menacing glare and scuttled back to the door to wait patiently.

It took a while for Tyler to finish his practice. When he was finished, he asked, “What is it?”

“Sir, we just received news that Ms. Jayla was killed!” The butler cried in despair.

“She was killed?” Tyler’s brows furrowed. “What happened?”

“She wanted to take revenge for you, so she set up a trap for Natasha Harmon.” The butler quickly briefed Tyler on what happened.

“That idiot. How could she do something like that without permission?” Tyler humphed, indifferent to the news.

“What?” The butler was dismayed.

Shouldn’t Tyler be boiling with rage and start looking for the murderer right now? Why was he so calm? And how could he call his sister an idiot? He was being too cruel.

‘Sir, Ms. Layla was killed because she wanted to get even at Natasha Harmon for breaking off the engagement with you.” The butler pressed.

“When did I ask her to meddle in my affairs?” Tyler retorted coldly, rendering the butler speechless.

The butler couldn’t help feeling that his master was becoming more cold-hearted these days.

“Who killed her?” Tyler asked abruptly.

“An asshole named Dustin Rhys!” The butler told him.

“Dustin Rhys?” Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Natasha’s little boy toy?”

“That’s him!” The butler nodded his head. “That reckless bastard dared to chop off Ms. Layla’s head right before everyone’s eyes!”

“Alright. You can leave now.” Tyler waved the butler away indifferently.

“Sir, don’t you plan to avenge her at all?” The butler couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“I have my plans. I don’t need you to tell me what to do. Get out.” Tyler responded calmly.

“Yes, Sir.” The butler left with his head lowered and without saying another word.

He can’t understand why Tyler was being so calm despite knowing who the murderer was. It was too peculiar.

“She may be an idiot, but she’s still a Grant.” Tyler lifted his cup of tea and softly called out. Euria.”

Instantly, a woman donning black clothes and a raindrop-designed mask appeared.

“Master, you called for me?” The woman responded, kneeling on one knee before him with her head bowed.

“Have some fun with this Dustin, but don’t kill him so quickly,” Tyler ordered. “Yes, Master,” Euria answered before disappearing without a trace, like a ghost.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 530

Back in the Harmon estate.

“There, all done. You’ll be fine in a few days.” Dust in carefully applied medicine to Natasha’s wound and bandaged it up nicely.

Although the wound was shallow, it would still hurt.

“Will it leave a scar on my face?” Natasha picked up a mirror and examined her face worriedly.

“Why? Do you doubt my skills?” Dustin asked in mock displeasure.

“I’m just worried I’ll look ugly if I have a scar, and you won’t like me anymore,” Natasha answered seriously.

“Don’t be silly.” Dustin was amused. “I promise you, your face won’t scar. Besides, even if it does, you’ll still be the prettiest person in the world to me!”

“Hmph! Such a sweet talker.” A small smile appeared on Natasha’s face, and her worry eased. Although she wasn’t as superficial as other ladies, she was also afraid of turning ugly.

“Dustin, get your ass over here!” Someone suddenly roared, sending the door flying with a powerful kick, and a group of people led by Trent instantly filled the room.

“What are you doing, Uncle Trent?” Natasha asked with a frown.

“It’s none of your business! We’re here for him!” Trent pointed at Dustin and yelled. “How dare you kill Ms. Layla! I’m here to drag you to the Grants. You better apologize to them immediately!”

“But Dustin did that to save me!” Natasha argued.

“Why are you still defending him?” Trent seethed. “Do you know that if we don’t hand him over to the Grants, we’ll have to face their wrath instead?”

“I don’t care. All I know is that Dustin saved me, so I need to protect him. You want to get to him? Over my dead body!” Natasha stepped forward, her glare menacing.

“Y-you’re hopeless!” Trent exclaimed, livid.

“Natasha Harmon! Do you intend to ruin our entire family because of him?” Jacob yelled.

“He should pay for what he did. Since he was the one who caused this mess, we shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of his mistakes!”

“Exactly! We must arrest him and hand him over to the Grant!”

Members of the Harmon family continuously shouted out in anger and indignation.

“Shut up!” Natasha roared.

------

“Sir, don’t you plan to avenge her at all?” The butler couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“I have my plans. I don’t need you to tell me what to do. Get out.” Tyler responded calmly.

“Yes, Sir.” The butler left with his head lowered and without saying another word.

He can’t understand why Tyler was being so calm despite knowing who the murderer was. It was too peculiar.

“She may be an idiot, but she’s still a Grant.” Tyler lifted his cup of tea and softly called out.” Euria.”

Instantly, a woman donning black clothes and a raindrop-designed mask appeared.

“Master, you called for me?” The woman responded, kneeling on one knee before him with her head bowed.

“Have some fun with this Dustin, but don’t kill him so quickly,” Tyler ordered. “Yes, Master,” Euria answered before disappearing without a trace, like a ghost.

Back in the Harmon estate.

“There, all done. You’ll be fine in a few days.” Dustin carefully applied medicine to Natasha’s wound and bandaged it up nicely.

Although the wound was shallow, it would still hurt.

“Will it leave a scar on my face?” Natasha picked up a mirror and examined her face worriedly.

“Why? Do you doubt my skills?” Dustin asked in mock displeasure.

“I’m just worried I’ll look ugly if I have a scar, and you won’t like me anymore,” Natasha answered seriously.

“Don’t be silly.” Dustin was amused. “I promise you, your face won’t scar. Besides, even if it does, you’ll still be the prettiest person in the world to me!”

“Hmph! Such a sweet talker.” A small smile appeared on Natasha’s face, and her worry eased. Although she wasn’t as superficial as other ladies, she was also afraid of turning ugly.

“Dustin, get your ass over here!” Someone suddenly roared, sending the door flying with a powerful kick, and a group of people led by Trent instantly filled the room.

“What are you doing, Uncle Trent?” Natasha asked with a frown.

“It’s none of your business! We’re here for him!” Trent pointed at Dustin and yelled. “How dare you kill Ms. Layla! I’m here to drag you to the Grants. You better apologize to them immediately!”

“But Dustin did that to save me!” Natasha argued.

“Why are you still defending him?” Trent seethed. “Do you know that if we don’t hand him over to the Grants, we’ll have to face their wrath instead?”

“I don’t care. All I know is that Dustin saved me, so I need to protect him. You want to get to him? Over my dead body!” Natasha stepped forward, her glare menacing.

“Y-you’re hopeless!” Trent exclaimed, livid.

“Natasha Harmon! Do you intend to ruin our entire family because of him?” Jacob yelled.

“He should pay for what he did. Since he was the one who caused this mess, we shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of his mistakes!”

“Exactly! We must arrest him and hand him over to the Grant!”

Members of the Harmon family continuously shouted out in anger and indignation.

“Shut up!” Natasha roared.

“If it weren’t for Dustin, all of you would have died during the family gathering! It’s bad enough that you aren’t helping him in times of need, but how could you guys add fuel to the fire instead?” Her words silenced the arrogant people.

“Forget about those righteous views of yours, Natasha. One must pay for their crimes. Dustin made a mistake, so he should be punished!” Kate sneered.

“She’s right. We don’t want to suffer just because of him!” The crowd echoed.

They couldn’t care less about Dustin’s previous contributions and were willing to sacrifice him if it meant placating the Grants.

“A-are you guys going against me?” Natasha demanded agitatedly.

“Enough with the nonsense. For the sake of our family, we must arrest him today!” Jacob incited. “Give the command, Trent!”

“Don’t hate me, Dustin. You have yourself to blame for making such a huge mistake.” Trent gestured to the others and commanded. “Tie him up!”

“I’d like to see who dares!” Suddenly, Natasha fished out a gun from the bedside and pointed it toward the group of people.

“You wretch! Are you trying to rebel against us?” Trent yelled.

“Don’t force my hand, Uncle Trent!” Natasha warned.

“Well, I don’t believe you have the guts to shoot us!”

Jacob began to step forward confidently, and without hesitation, Natasha pulled the trigger.

 

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[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 531

There was an ear-splitting bang as the bullet embedded itself inches before Jacob’s foot, making the man jump back in fear.

“H-how could you pull the trigger on me?” Jacob cried, outraged. He never expected Natasha to be the type to do something like that to her elder. If the bullet’s trajectory had been slightly off the mark, he would’ve lost his foot!

“You better not mess around, Uncle Jacob.” Natasha threatened frostily.

“How dare you!” Trent roared. “Natasha Harmon, he is your uncle! You’d be disgracing our family if you had hurt him just now!”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, so you better not force me to,” Natasha responded unrelentingly.

“Y-you bastard! Do you intend to betray your family for that boy?” Trent was furious.

The Harmon family had always lived by a rule-nothing mattered more than the family’s interests, which meant that they could sacrifice anyone if it meant saving their family. Therefore, Natasha’s contradictory actions were seen as a sign of disloyalty.

“All I care about right now is protecting Dustin.” Natasha stood her ground.

“How many bullets do you have, Natasha? Do you even have enough to kill all of us?” Kate taunted.

“You can try.” Natasha abruptly turned the gun toward Kate, making the latter pale and hide behind her father, worried that Natasha might actually do something outrageous and reckless out of love.

“Are you out of your mind, Natasha? We are your family!” Jessica could no longer remain silent. She was worried her daughter might impulsively hurt someone, making her the family’s enemy.

When Natasha didn’t respond, Jessica turned to Dustin and snapped. “Dustin, are you going to drag my daughter into the mess you created?”

“Natasha, put the gun down.” Dustin reached out and pressed the gun downward to lower it, before turning to face the rest of the people. “I was the one who killed Layla, so the Grants will naturally look for me if they want revenge. Why are all of you so worked up?”

“Hmph! As if things are that simple. Who knows whether you’ll drag our family down with you?” Kate snorted.

“I’m not even close to your family, so why would I drag you down with me?” Dustin answered nonchalantly. “You guys being afraid of the Grants is none of my business, but if you’re trying to capture me to get in their good graces, I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

for Bustin, all of you would have died during the family gathering! It’s bad.enough that you aren’t helping him in times of need, but how could you guys add fuel to the fire instead?” Her words silenced the arrogant people.

“Forget about those righteous views of yours, Natasha. One must pay for their crimes. Dustin made a mistake, so he should be punished!” Kate sneered.

“She’s right. We don’t want to suffer just because of him!” The crowd echoed.

They couldn’t care less about Dustin’s previous contributions and were willing to sacrifice him if it meant placating the Grants.

“A-are you guys going against me?” Natasha demanded agitatedly.

“Enough with the nonsense. For the sake of our family, we must arrest him today!” Jacob incited. “Give the command, Trent!”

“Don’t hate me, Dustin. You have yourself to blame for making such a huge mistake.” Trent gestured to the others and commanded. “Tie him up!”

“I’d like to see who dares!” Suddenly, Natasha fished out a gun from the bedside and pointed it toward the group of people.

“You wretch! Are you trying to rebel against us?” Trent yelled.

“Don’t force my hand, Uncle Trent!” Natasha warned.

“Well, I don’t believe you have the guts to shoot us!”

Jacob began to step forward confidently, and without hesitation, Natasha pulled the trigger.

There was an ear-splitting bang as the bullet embedded itself inches before Jacob’s foot, making the man jump back in fear.

“H-how could you pull the trigger on me?” Jacob cried, outraged. He never expected Natasha to be the type to do something like that to her elder. If the bullet’s trajectory had been slightly off the mark, he would’ve lost his foot!

“You better not mess around, Uncle Jacob.” Natasha threatened frostily.

“How dare you!” Trent roared. “Natasha Harmon, he is your uncle! You’d be disgracing our family if you had hurt him just now!”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, so you better not force me to,” Natasha responded unrelentingly.

“Y-you bastard! Do you intend to betray your family for that boy?” Trent was furious.

The Harmon family had always lived by a rule-nothing mattered more than the family’s interests, which meant that they could sacrifice anyone if it meant saving their family. Therefore, Natasha’s contradictory actions were seen as a sign of disloyalty.

“All I care about right now is protecting Dustin.” Natasha stood her ground.

“How many bullets do you have, Natasha? Do you even have enough to kill all of us?” Kate taunted.

“You can try.” Natasha abruptly turned the gun toward Kate, making the latter pale and hide behind her father, worried that Natasha might actually do something outrageous and reckless out of love.

“Are you out of your mind, Natasha? We are your family!” Jessica could no longer remain silent. She was worried her daughter might impulsively hurt someone, making her the family’s enemy.

When Natasha didn’t respond, Jessica turned to Dustin and snapped. “Dustin, are you going to drag my daughter into the mess you created?”

“Natasha, put the gun down.” Dustin reached out and pressed the gun downward to lower it, before turning to face the rest of the people. “I was the one who killed Layla, so the Grants will naturally look for me if they want revenge. Why are all of you so worked up?”

“Hmph! As if things are that simple. Who knows whether you’ll drag our family down with you?” Kate snorted.

“I’m not even close to your family, so why would I drag you down with me?” Dustin answered nonchalantly. “You guys being afraid of the Grants is none of my business, but if you’re trying to capture me to get in their good graces, I’m afraid that’s impossible.”


“Nice speech, but what makes you think you have a say in this?” Jacob sneered. “Why not? I’ve always made the choices for my own life.” Dustin responded.

“This is our territory! We decide your fate!” Jacob declared haughtily.

“I don’t want to fight, but I’ll have no choice if you continue to provoke me,” Dustin warned.

“You sure are a stubborn one. Let’s see how strong you are!” Jacob drew his blade and swung it toward Dustin.

“Stop!” Out of the blue, a solemn voice boomed. Slowly, a white-haired elderly man strode in with the aid of a walking cane.

“Father?”

“Grandfather?”

Everyone was visibly taken aback to see the old man, who had stepped back from the limelight eight years ago and no longer concerned himself with family affairs. They were puzzled as to why he was there.

“What are you doing here, Father?” Trent welcomed his father hurriedly.

Jacob stopped mid-attack and stood to the side respectfully as well.

“You guys would have destroyed this place if I hadn’t come!” Andrew humphed.

“Father, we still have some things to take care of. Why don’t you go back to your room and rest if you’re feeling unwell?”

Trent reached out to help but Andrew swatted his son’s hand away. “Are you trying to say that an old coot like me has no right to interfere with family affairs anymore?”

There was an ear-splitting bang as the bullet embedded itself inches before Jacob’s foot, making the man jump back in fear.

“H-how could you pull the trigger on me?” Jacob cried, outraged. He never expected Natasha to be the type to do something like that to her elder. If the bullet’s trajectory had been slightly off the mark, he would’ve lost his foot!

“You better not mess around, Uncle Jacob.” Natasha threatened frostily.

“How dare you!” Trent roared. “Natasha Harmon, he is your uncle! You’d be disgracing our family if you had hurt him just now!”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, so you better not force me to,” Natasha responded unrelentingly.

“Y-you bastard! Do you intend to betray your family for that boy?” Trent was furious.

The Harmon family had always lived by a rule-nothing mattered more than the family’s interests, which meant that they could sacrifice anyone if it meant saving their family. Therefore, Natasha’s contradictory actions were seen as a sign of disloyalty.

“All I care about right now is protecting Dustin.” Natasha stood her ground.

“How many bullets do you have, Natasha? Do you even have enough to kill all of us?” Kate taunted.

“You can try.” Natasha abruptly turned the gun toward Kate, making the latter pale and hide behind her father, worried that Natasha might actually do something outrageous and reckless out of love.

“Are you out of your mind, Natasha? We are your family!” Jessica could no longer remain silent. She was worried her daughter might impulsively hurt someone, making her the family’s enemy.

When Natasha didn’t respond, Jessica turned to Dustin and snapped. “Dustin, are you going to drag my daughter into the mess you created?”

“Natasha, put the gun down.” Dustin reached out and pressed the gun downward to lower it, before turning to face the rest of the people. “I was the one who killed Layla, so the Grants will naturally look for me if they want revenge. Why are all of you so worked up?”

“Hmph! As if things are that simple. Who knows whether you’ll drag our family down with you?” Kate snorted.

“I’m not even close to your family, so why would I drag you down with me?” Dustin answered nonchalantly. “You guys being afraid of the Grants is none of my business, but if you’re trying to capture me to get in their good graces, I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

“Nice speech, but what makes you think you have a say in this?” Jacob sneered. “Why not? I’ve always made the choices for my own life.” Dustin responded.

“This is our territory! We decide your fate!” Jacob declared haughtily.

“I don’t want to fight, but I’ll have no choice if you continue to provoke me,” Dustin warned.

“You sure are a stubborn one. Let’s see how strong you are!” Jacob drew his blade and swung it toward Dustin.

“Stop!”

Out of the blue, a solemn voice boomed. Slowly, a white-haired elderly man strode in with the aid of a walking cane.

“Father?”

“Grandfather?”

Everyone was visibly taken aback to see the old man, who had stepped back from the limelight eight years ago and no longer concerned himself with family affairs. They were puzzled as to why he was there.

“What are you doing here, Father?” Trent welcomed his father hurriedly.

Jacob stopped mid-attack and stood to the side respectfully as well.

“You guys would have destroyed this place if I hadn’t come!” Andrew humphed.

“Father, we still have some things to take care of. Why don’t you go back to your room and rest if you’re feeling unwell?”

Trent reached out to help but Andrew swatted his son’s hand away. “Are you trying to say that an old coot like me has no right to interfere with family affairs anymore?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 532

“Of course not, Father. You will always be the head of the family.” Trent smiled sheepishly.

“Fine. Since you said that, I’ll give you my opinion.” Andrew surveyed the room. “Dustin has saved my life, as well as helped our family multiple times. We are in his debt, so anyone who tries to take him today will be going against me!”

“What?”

The group shared dismayed glances. They never expected Andrew to stand up for Dustin during this crucial time.

“Father, this bastard killed one of the Grants’ daughters! He will only drag us deeper into this mess!” Trent rebutted.

“Trent is right! We’re doing this for the greater good of the family!” Jacob seconded.

“You bunch say such lofty things when you’re just cowards!” Andrew struck the floor with his cane forcefully. “The Grants have been stepping all over us, and instead of standing up against them, you choose to grovel and please them? What an embarrassment to our family!”

“Fath-”

“Silence!” Andrew cut off Trent’s words. “Our family has gone through all sorts of trials since its existence. How could we embarrass our ancestors by losing our dignity because of something like this?”

The Harmons lowered their heads in shame, unable to deny that the Grants had shaken them greatly.

“Listen carefully!” Andrew announced. “Our priority should be to save Hector, and not be sitting ducks!”

He made Hector his successor because of how righteous and brave his son was, but now that Hector was captured, the entire family was thrown into chaos.

“Grandfather, we need to borrow the Grants’ power if we want to save Uncle Hector. Our best option is to hand Dustin over to them in exchange for Uncle Trent.” Kate coaxed.

“Nonsense!” Andrew glared at his granddaughter. “The Grants were the ones who framed and imprisoned your uncle, yet you think they’ll help us? What a joke!”

“What? Mr. Hector was imprisoned by the Grants?”

The crowd was dismayed to hear this. After all, framing the head of another family was not a small matter.

“Father, please refrain from making claims without evidence! There are ears everywhere.” Trent reminded seriously.

“Evidence, you say? Sure!” Andrew turned around and called out. “Isfrid? Bring him in.”

Immediately, the leader of the shadow guards dragged a man into the room. The man wore a hood that made it difficult to identify his face and was tightly bound from head to toe.

“See this man? He’s the real murderer!” Andrew yanked off the man’s hood, exposing a familiar face.

It was Hector’s face!

“Mr. Hector?”

Everyone was puzzled by the sight. Hadn’t Hector been captured? What was he doing here?

“Yeah, right. He’s merely wearing a prosthetic mask!”

Andrew sank his fingers into the man’s face and pulled, revealing skin with a sickly pallor.

“I-it’s fake?” The crowd exclaimed, stunned. They never imagined that something like this existed in real life, and it was shockingly realistic too! It was so well made that it nearly fooled everyone.

“Do all of you understand now? Hector was framed, and the ones behind this are the Grants! Are you still going to suck up to those treacherous bastards?” Andrew seethed, rendering everyone else silent.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 533

The Harmon family had placed their hope in the Grant family’s help before knowing the truth, but now, they finally understood that running away in fear was useless. If the Grants were willing to go as far as to frame the leader of the Harmon family, there was no way they would care about Hector’s survival.

“What? Cat got your tongue? Remember to use your head next time!” Andrew reprimanded them before turning to look at Dustin. “Dustin, I’m so sorry you had to suffer because I didn’t educate them properly.”

“Not at all, Sir Andrew. Thank you for defending me in time.” Dustin smiled in gratitude.

Although the Harmon family had a few ungrateful individuals, there were still people who were reasonable and just.

“I feel so ashamed… I don’t know what would have happened to our family if you hadn’t helped us catch the real murderer.” Andrew sighed.

Their family prided itself on being a powerful family with countless elites. Yet, when something happened to their leader, it was a young outsider who saved the day.

“Father, it was our shadow guards who caught the killer. What does it have to do with that brat?” Jacob mumbled in displeasure.

“You fool!” Andrew snapped. “If Dustin hadn’t used himself as bait to expose the killer’s whereabouts, do you think that the shadow guards could have captured that man?”

“What? Dustin caught the culprit?” The crowd was astonished to hear that.

“Dustin helped us so much, yet all of you wanted to harm him instead! What a bunch of ungrateful bastards!” Andrew’s blood boiled. “All of you here shall kneel before our ancestral altar and repent your actions!”

Hearing this, the group of people scuttled away dejectedly, letting the room quiet down once more.

“Thank you for coming, Grandfather, or things would have escalated.” Natasha let out a breath of relief. She had been worried about being caught between a rock and a hard place if the two parties began fighting.

“An old man like me might not be much use anymore, but I can still take care of those brats easily.” Andrew flashed a comforting grin. He had just displayed what it meant to be the head of a patriarchal family.

“Grandfather, how should we deal with this man?” Natasha turned her attention to the murderer.

“Since we’ve caught the real killer, we must restore your father’s innocence,” Andrew stated earnestly. “I’ll take a few men with me to visit Sir Moran and explain things to him immediately.”

“Thank you so much, Grandfather.” Natasha nodded.

“Silly girl. There’s no need to thank me. I’ll be off now.” Andrew smiled before leaving with his men.

“Get some rest, Natasha. I’ll visit you again tomorrow.” Dustin also bid her farewell.

“Can’t you stay with me?” Natasha pleaded, reluctant to be alone.

“I can’t. I’m currently the Grants’ wanted criminal. However, I’ll be coming over to reapply your wound dressing tomorrow.” Dustin consoled her.

“Alright, then. Be careful.” Natasha didn’t press.

“Goodnight.” Dustin smiled and left the room. He was secretly followed by two people, hidden in the darkness.

The night quickly flew by. Early in the next morning, a military vehicle slowly rolled up to the entrance of the Harmon estate.

When the car door opened, a haggard-looking Hector emerged.

“Mr. Hector? He’s back!” The guards at the entrance lit up upon seeing Hector and dashed in to spread the word.

Soon, Natasha and the others came rushing out to greet the man.

“Dad, you’re back! How are you feeling? Are you hurt anywhere?” Natasha fussed over Hector, surprised to see him.

“I’m fine. Sir Moran let me out as soon as they realized that I had been framed,” Hector answered, smiling.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 534

The previous night had been a nightmare. Fortunately, the truth was out, and nothing much happened to him.

Suddenly, Hector noticed something, and his smile stiffened. “Natasha, your face…

“It’s just a minor injury,” Natasha replied indifferently.

“What happened?” Hector frowned.

“A lot of things happened while you were gone, Hector.” Jesicca calmly briefed him on what happened.

Hector was livid. “The Grants again? They’re crossing the line!”

It was bad enough that they set him up, but they have even hurt his daughter? That was unacceptable!

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’m fine now.” Natasha consoled.

“It’s my fault, Natasha. You suffered because I was useless.” Hector blamed himself. If he had known how despicable the Grants were, he would have never agreed to the marriage proposal.

“Nonsense, Dad. We’re lucky just to have you back. Let’s talk more inside.” Smiling, Natasha took her father’s arm and walked into the estate.

Just as they arrived at the meeting room, their butler rushed into the room. “Sir, the Grants just sent us a letter. Please have a look.” The butler held up an envelope and passed it to Hector politely.

“What?” Hector’s expression darkened after reading the letter.

“What’s wrong, Dad?” Natasha leaned closer and soon frowned.

The letter only consisted of a few words, but they couldn’t be more threatening. To sum things up, the Grants were blaming the Harmon family for Layla Grant’s death, and they claimed that Dustin was the one who ordered the Harmon family to do so.

Now, the Harmon family had two choices. The first was to hand the culprit over and grovel for forgiveness for three days. The second was to carry out the wedding as planned.

They could only choose one of the two choices. If they refused, the Grants would come at them in full force, wreaking havoc.

“It seems like Tyler intends to use his sister’s death as an excuse to force me to marry him.” Natasha frowned, surprised. She thought the Grants would use other backhanded methods, so she didn’t expect them to be so forward.

The Harmon family now had no choice but to choose between submission and war.

“Darling, Tyler seems to like you a lot. I think you should marry him.” Jessica coaxed. Tyler and Natasha were still engaged, so the best solution would be to use their marriage to resolve this conflict.

“He doesn’t like me-he just likes himself. I’m nothing but a tool to him,” Natasha retorted icily.

“That’s impossible. He’s willing to resolve this issue peacefully. Isn’t it obvious enough?” Jessica continued to persuade.

“He’s someone who doesn’t care about his own sister’s death. Do you think he’s still a good person?” Natasha shot back.

“But…” Jessica didn’t know what to say.

“Tyler is a power-hungry person. Natasha would never be happy if she married him. We have to reevaluate this marriage.” Hector announced, displeased with the situation.

Previously, he had held out hope for the Grants, but he was now utterly disappointed. There was no way he would watch as his daughter jumped into this pit of fire.

“Hector, it’s clearly written that if Natasha doesn’t marry him, we’ll have to deal with the Grants’ wrath. When the time comes…” Jessica hesitated. She knew that their family wouldn’t be able to withstand the Grants’ retaliation.

“We will face this battle head-on.” Hector inhaled deeply, his gaze turning determined. “If the Grants insist on challenging us, we’ll rise to the occasion. Worst case scenario, our families will no longer be friends.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 535

The next morning, in the president’s office of the Nicholson Corp., Dahlia was sipping a cup of coffee as she went through sheets of financial statements.

Just then, someone knocked on her door.

“Come in.” Dahlia put her cup down.

“You called for me, Ms. Nicholson?” Dustin pushed the door open and entered. As Chief Security Officer, he needed to check in at the company every day.

“Where were you last night? I couldn’t reach you on the phone.” Dahlia probed just as he stepped in.

“My friend got into some trouble, so I went to help out.” Dustin grinned sheepishly.

“Your friend? It isn’t Natasha Harmon, is it?” Dahlia’s brow rose in suspicion. “No wonder you were so enthusiastic, it turns out you were on a date with a chick.”

Dustin cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject before Dahlia became jealous. “You didn’t call me over just to talk about this, did you, Ms. Nicholson?”

“As if I’m that bored.” Dahlia retorted and rolled her eyes. “An important client is arriving later, and we have to serve her well. Make sure you take care of all matters related to security.”

“No problem.” Dustin nodded.

“It’s almost time for us to meet at the café downstairs. Let’s go.” Dahlia glanced at her watch before grabbing her purse and walking out of the room. Dustin quickly followed suit.

The two of them went downstairs and walked into the café next door. As soon as they sat down, a bright red Ferrari slowly pulled up to the entrance.

The door swung open, and a woman in a red bodycon dress stepped out. Her vibrant scarlet lips, beautiful face, and voluptuous figure were striking, and her long, smooth legs seemed to go on for miles, and her black, sheer pantyhoses only made her more alluring than ever.

“She’s here!” Dahlia sprung up as soon as the woman walked into the shop. Dahlia extended her hand with a kind smile. “Hello, Ms. Larson. I’m Dahlia Nicholson. Nice to meet you.”

“I didn’t think that Nicholson Corp.’s new president would be a woman. How interesting.” Ms. Larson removed her sunglasses, revealing her surprised expression.

“You flatter me, Miss. Please take a seat.” Dahlia gestured to the seat beside her.

“And who might this handsome man be?” Ms. Larson gave Dustin a flirty smile as she scanned him from head to toe.

“This is our Chief Security Officer, Dustin Rhys. He’s responsible for our security.” Dahlia introduced.

“My safety is in your hands now, Mr. Rhys.” Ms. Larson reached out a hand for Dustin to shake.

“It’s my duty.” Dustin smiled softly and shook her outstretched hand. “You seem familiar, Ms. Larson. Have we met before?” Dustin just couldn’t shake off the feeling that they knew each other.

Ms. Larson giggled. “Your flirting skills still need some work, Mr. Rhys. It’s too old-fashioned.

“Dustin!” Dahlia glared, annoyed. How could he flirt with her client in front of her?

“I must have mistaken you for someone else.” Dustin smiled apologetically.

“I’m so sorry, Ms. Lardon. He’s very inexperienced. Please forgive him.” Dahlia apologized, embarrassed.

“It’s alright. I understand. Men are always like that.” Ms. Larson smirked teasingly, slowly crossing her sexy legs elegantly.

“Let’s get down to business, Ms. Larson.” Dahlia quickly changed the topic. “I suggest
building a casino on the newly developed land. Please take a look at my proposal.” She handed a document to Ms. Larson.

“Let me see.” Ms. Larson accepted the document and began looking through it, but for some reason, she kept peeking at Dustin.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 536

Ms. Larson’s gaze was lustful as she peeked at Dustin, who met her eyes calmly. He was still racking his brain, trying to recall where he had seen her before.

“Stop looking!” Dahlia quickly realized what was amiss and gave Dustin a warning kick. This was the second time. Dustin had grown bolder during the past few days since he was gone and didn’t even bother being discreet anymore.

“Ms. Nicholson, I don’t understand these parts. Can you explain them to me?” Ms. Larson placed the document on the table and pointed at a section of the contract.

“Sure, let me explain.” With a professional smile, Dahlia began explaining everything in detail to Ms. Lardon, who wasn’t actually listening.

Ms. Larson silently slipped off one of her heels and brushed her feet against Dustin’s shoe lightly.

“What?” Dustin raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

When he lifted his head, he was met with Ms. Larson’s teasing and flirty smile. He merely drew his eyes away and pretended to see nothing.

Ms. Larson smirked and took a sip of her coffee before slowly brushing her feet upwards, caressing Dustin from his foot to his thigh, making the man jerk and his breathing quicken.

“What on earth is she doing? How could she do something like this in broad daylight? She’s too bold!” Dustin exclaimed to himself. He inhaled deeply and pulled his leg away, pretending nothing happened.

However, this only encouraged the woman to become bolder. She placed her entire foot on Dustin’s thigh and rubbed back and forth invitingly.

Dustin immediately frowned and shot her a warning glare.

In response, Ms. Larson flashed him a coquettish smile and extended her tongue to sensually lick the coffee off the corner of her lips; her movements were undoubtedly alluring.

Once again, Dustin pulled his leg away to put some distance between them. However, Ms. Larson continued to pester him.

Unable to take it anymore, he grabbed her foot and squeezed it warningly.

“Oh!” She moaned, shooting Dustin a sulking look.

“What’s wrong, Ms. Larson? Are you feeling unwell?” Dahlia caught Ms. Larson’s change in expression and asked.

Dustin thought Ms. Larson would make up an excuse; however, the woman suddenly lifted the tablecloth and pointed at her foot. “Mr. Rhys is hurting me.”

Dustin stiffened instantly. What the !

“What?” Dahlia looked down instinctively to see Dustin grabbing onto Ms. Larson’s foot tightly, painting quite a raunchy scene.

“I-I didn’t do anything!”

Flabbergasted, Dustin quickly let go of Ms. Larson, looking guilty. He didn’t expect Ms. Larson to be so bold and to play the victim.

“Dustin! Rhys!” Dahlia, whose face was red with anger, seethed through gritted teeth, her expression murderous.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 537

“What are you doing, Dustin?” Dahlia’s eyebrows arched above her wide eyes, and she had to restrain herself from biting Dustin directly.

At first, she thought he was only admiring Ms. Larson’s figure. Never did she imagine he would be daring enough to start messing around with someone he was meeting for the first time while completely ignoring her.

“This is a misunderstanding, Dahlia. She was the one who put her foot out.” Dustin blushed. Although he was innocent, he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

“So what if Ms. Larson stretched her leg? It doesn’t mean you have permission to touch her.” Dahlia growled.

“I-” Dustin didn’t know how to explain himself.

“Hmph! I had a feeling you were up to no good when I saw you staring at Ms. Larson. Were you having dirty thoughts about her?” Dahlia’s breathing quickened.

Was she not pretty enough? Why was Dustin paying attention to someone else other than her? What a player!

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Dahlia!” Dustin was exasperated.

“Stop making excuses! I saw everything!” Dahlia was fuming at this point. He dared claim that he was innocent after he was caught molesting Ms. Larson!

“Calm down, Ms. Nicholson. I’m sure Mr. Rhys was just messing around.” Ms. Larson just smiled calmly.

“There’s a limit to how far he can go. He obviously had dirty intentions!” Dahlia humphed and shot Dustin a glare.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.” Ms. Larson took a sip of her coffee, a playful expression on her face.

“What?” Dahlia was taken aback by the other woman’s response and immediately understood that both parties had consented to this.

Her blood boiling, Dahlia slammed her high heel into Dustin’s foot, making him grimace in pain silently.

Just then, her phone began to ring. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Please excuse me while I take this call, Ms. Larson.”

As soon as she got up and left, Dustin finally spoke up. “Ms. Larson, this is our first time meeting. I don’t think what you did was appropriate.”

“Are you saying that it’s fine if I did that after getting acquainted with you?” Ms. Larson smirked teasingly.

“Of course not!” Dustin immediately refused. “Please mind your manners, especially in public, Ms. Larson.”

“How interesting. Don’t people say that all men are cheaters? Are you going to be an exception?” Ms. Larson giggled, and leisurely stirred her coffee.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Dustin replied coldly.

“I’ll be frank. I’m interested in you, and I want to be your sugar mama, so name your price.” Ms. Larson smirked.

“Sorry, but I prefer to earn my own keep.” Dustin refused without hesitation.

“I don’t mind forcing you, you know?” Ms. Lardon tossed her car keys onto the table. “Isn’t that car gorgeous? She’s the latest Ferrari model. You can have her if you like.”

“Are you insulting me?” Dustin’s brows furrowed.

“Is it not enough? Fine. I have a villa in Amethyst Meadows worth 30 million dollars. I don’t have time to stay there anyway, so it’s yours now.” Ms. Larson pulled out another set of keys.

She sure was flaunting her wealth by giving away such an expensive car and villa so easily. It was easy to imagine how many men dreamed of possessing such a beautiful, rich, and generous woman.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 538

Are you trying to bribe me with just a villa? What do you take me for?” Dustin remained indifferent.

“Looks like it’s time to get serious.” Ms. Larson giggled. “How about this? I’ll let you into some insider information. The abandoned buildings in Eastville are going to be redeveloped. Your investment will double tenfold if you can get ahold of them. Of course, how many buildings you can buy depends on your wealth. The more you buy, the more you’ll earn. With enough capital, you’ll easily earn anything between a billion dollars to eight billion. What do you think? Is the offer attractive enough?”

Dustin narrowed his eyes. “Ms. Larson, you’re very generous, but I still don’t understand why you’d tell me about an opportunity that could rake in billions?”

It was their first time meeting, yet Ms. Larson was being extremely generous, even going as far as to offer him a car, a house, and a chance to hit the jackpot. Although Dustin was quite a good-looking guy, it wasn’t enough to charm every woman in the world. Besides, a rich woman like her would have met all sorts of men before him, so he couldn’t help but be suspicious of her.

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? You caught my eye, and I want to be your sugar mama.” Ms. Larson just continued to smile, her intentions hidden.

“Do you think I’ll believe that?” Dustin responded calmly. “I don’t know what tricks you’re up to, but you better not mess around with me. I’m not someone who knows how to cherish pretty things.”

“How interesting.” Ms. Larson laughed, her shoulder shaking. “I didn’t expect you to be so on guard, miracle doctor. And here I thought I’d have a chance in bed with you tonight.”

“What?” Dustin frowned. “Who are you?”

“Take a guess.” Ms. Larson reached out to cover half of her face, leaving her twinkling eyes exposed. “Can you tell yet?”

“You!” Dustin’s eyes widened as realization dawned.

Her attire might have changed, but her eyes hadn’t. The voluptuous temptress was none other than the Dark Lord’s disciple, Azalea!

No wonder she seemed so familiar to her. She was that witch!

“Finally,” Azalea Larson smirked. “You didn’t expect us to meet again this way, did you?”

“Were you following me?” Dustin demanded with a frown.

“Nope. I’m just here for a business meeting. Me meeting you here was pure coincidence.” Azalea said with a smile.

“What do you want?” Dustin growled.

“Take a guess.” Azalea tilted her head sideways.

“Dustin…” Just then, Dahlia finally returned after wrapping up her phone call, her expression grave.

“What’s wrong?” Dustin was puzzled.

“Some people beat up my mom, and she’s in the hospital right now, so I have to rush over there immediately,” Dahlia explained.

“She was beaten up? What happened?” Dustin was surprised.

“I’m not too sure, either. I’ll know after going to the hospital.” Dahlia focused her attention on Azalea. “My apologies, Ms. Larson, but this is an emergency. Would you mind if we continued this discussion on another day?”

“No problem. You guys should deal with that first.” Azalea nodded.

“Thank you for your understanding, Ms. Larson.” Dahlia flashed a polite smile and pulled Dustin out of there.

Azalea’s lip curled as she watched the two of them walk away and mumbled, “What a fine prey. I haven’t felt so excited in ages. You’ll be mine.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

As soon as Dustin and Dahlia reached one of the wards of Ansdale South Hospital, they were greeted by the ghastly sight of Florence moaning in pain, her body wrapped in bloodstained bandages.

“How do you feel, Mom?” Dahlia asked worriedly as she walked into the room.

“You’re finally here, Dahlia!” Florence immediately burst into tears and wailed. “I’m so sorry. I made a mistake, and I don’t deserve to live anymore.” She slammed her head into the wall several times, tearing up from the pain.

“What are you doing, Mom?” Dahlia quickly pulled her mother in for a hug to stop her from hurting herself. “Can’t we talk this out? Why are you trying to commit suicide?”

“I-I’m too embarrassed to tell you!” Florence thumped her chest sadly.

“James, what in the world happened?” Dahlia looked at her brother, who was standing next to their mother.

“Mom got scammed. Our savings are all gone now!” He cried.

“Scammed? Elaborate further.” Dahlia frowned.

“Do you remember Julie’s boyfriend, Terrence Stone? He’s that manager at the Brooks Corporation.”

“Of course, I do. Why?” Dahlia nodded.

“He lied to us!” James accused. “We were having dinner with Aunt Victoria last night when he suddenly came up to us and told us that the Brooks Corporation had a new real estate project and asked if we would be interested in investing.

“He claimed that the prices would be low since we’d get a special price because he knew an insider. We thought he was being kind, so we agreed. He promised that our investment would double in return after half a year, and the more we invested, the greater our return. We were blinded by greed and signed the contract stupidly, putting all our money in.

“Then, guess what? When we visited the development site this morning, we realized that the so-called new real-estate project was nothing but a cluster of abandoned buildings! It’s been left alone for years, and now we’re in charge of taking care of this mess! Now, besides wasting all our savings, we’ve also collected huge debts!”

James seethed, regretting their decision last night. They shouldn’t have gotten greedy and fallen into Terrence’s trap.

“Where’s Terrence now?” Dahlia interrogated.

“I don’t know.” James shook his head. “He hasn’t been picking up his phone since morning.

When we went to ask his company, they said he had been fired and was nowhere to be found!” “When didn’t you tell me about this right away?” Dahlia was displeased with this issue.

One shouldn’t aim too high when they don’t possess the necessary skills. Those individuals were the easiest to scam and swindle money out of.

“We didn’t know he was a scammer, so we got careless and…” James sighed. They had complete faith in Terrence because he was a manager at Brooks Corporation; they never expected that he had been fired a long time ago.

“How did Mom get all beaten up?” Dahlia asked.

“She couldn’t find Terrence, so she went to find the developer instead, demanding they refund us, but they refused, saying that we had already signed the contract, so Mom kicked up a fuss and got into a brawl with someone,” James explained.

“What?” Dahlia frowned. “How much did you lose in total this time?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 540

James merely held out a finger.

“Ten million?” Dahlia took a deep breath and tried to suppress her anger. “It’s quite a lot, but at least we can still pay it back. Treat it as the price of a lesson learned.”

“You’ve got it wrong, Sis. It’s not just ten million dollars; it’s a hundred million.” James mumbled weakly.

“A hundred million?!” Dahlia paled. “Are you serious? Where did you get so much money in the first place?”

“We had a few million in savings. Then, we used our two villas to take out loans. Mom stole the remaining tens of thousands from you.” James shrank back and confessed softly.

“What?” Dahlia’s blood boiled. “A-are you guys crazy? Taking loans and stealing? Who said you could do that?”

Who in their right mind would sell their house to invest in a business? What a fool!

“It’s all my fault, Dahlia. I’m so sorry. I should die instead!” Florence moaned and began banging her head on the wall again, acting so well that she deserved an Oscar.

“Enough!” Dahlia yelled. “Rather than commit suicide, why don’t you think of a way to take care of this mess?”

“You’re the president of Cardinal Group now. A hundred million dollars shouldn’t be a lot to you, right?” Florence asked tentatively.

“Yeah, right!” Dahlia humphed, irritated. “I borrowed ten billion and merely bought a portion of the company’s shares. It’s not time for dividends yet, so I don’t have any spare cash. Besides, I have a one-billion-dollar loan to pay back, so I’ll be in debt for the next three years!

“What? Is it that serious?” Florence was shocked. She thought Dahlia was living a glorious life after being promoted to President and didn’t know that her daughter was struggling so badly. “Aunt Florence.” Just then, Julie and her mother, Victoria, walked into the room.

“Julie, you’re here. How did it go? Did you manage to find Terence?” Florence sprung up expectantly. Things were still salvageable if they could catch Terrence.

“We couldn’t get ahold of him at all. I’m sure he ran away.” Julie sighed.

“Who knew that he was a swindler? Curse our rotten luck!” Victoria spat.

“Julie, Terrence is your boyfriend. How do you propose we solve this issue?” James demanded.

“What does it have to do with me? I’m not the one who lied to you!” Julie frowned. “Besides, we’re victims too! We lost a lot of money as well!”

“Who knows if you guys are working together?” James retorted.

“Hey! What do you mean by that?” Julie sprung up and demanded.

“Enough. We’re a family. It’s not the time to fight right now. We should be working together to get past this storm.” Florence placated. “Dahlia, you’re the smartest here. What should we do now?”

“Admit defeat, I guess. Whatever else?” Dahlia grumbled.

“I have an idea.” Suddenly thinking of an idea, Julie whispered. “Since Terrence lied to us, we can do the same to someone else. As long as we find another scapegoat, everything will be fine.

“That’s a good idea. My daughter is so smart!” Victoria’s eyes immediately lit up. Julie was right. Rather than suffering themselves, why don’t they make someone else suffer? They should just act in their own interests.

“That is a good idea, but where will we find the scapegoat?” James rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“A scapegoat?” Florence thought about it for a second, and her eyes shot to Dustin. Wasn’t there a perfect one right there?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 541

“What?” Dustin frowned when Florence’s gaze swept toward him.

“Why are you looking at me? Are you telling me to be the scapegoat? What the fuck?” he thought.

“Dustin…” Florence forced a smile. She took an apple out of her fruit basket and handed it to Dustin. “Aren’t you hungry? Here, have an apple.”

“What are you trying to do?” Dustin looked at her warily. It only raised suspicions more with Florence going out of her way to be kind to him.

“Well, you heard what we said, didn’t you?” Florence forced out a sweet, kind smile. “You’ve always been a kind person. I’m sure you can’t bear to see us lose our money like this, so I hope you can do us a favor.”

“What favor?” Dustin had his guard up.

“Don’t you know a few rich women? Why don’t you help us sell off those abandoned buildings?

”

“You’re asking me to scam people for you?” Dustin raised an eyebrow.

“How could you say that?” Florence feigned innocence. “We’re not deceiving anyone; we’re simply repurposing waste. Those wealthy people aren’t short on money anyway, so think of it as doing a good deed.”

“She’s right!” Julie nodded. “Dustin, the abandoned buildings in Eastville might seem worthless now, but they actually have high potential. We don’t have the financial ability to continue developing them, but they might have a new chance if those who are rich take over them.”

“Hold on.” Dustin raised his hand to stop Julie. “Where did you say the buildings were?”

“Eastville, near the suburbs. Why?” Julie was puzzled.

“The abandoned buildings in Eastville?” After getting confirmation, Dustin smiled. “You guys got lucky. Those buildings are worth a lot of money.”

“Worth a lot of money?” The others exchanged confused glances. They couldn’t understand how that failed investment could be worth any money. Besides, why would they sell those buildings if they knew they were of any worth?

“I heard that those buildings are going to be redeveloped soon, so you guys hit the jackpot this time,” Dustin said with a smile. This was what Azalea had told him earlier at the cafe. He just didn’t expect Florence and the others to be lucky enough to get a head start.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Julie frowned. “Those buildings have been abandoned for more than seven years. No one dares to take over it, yet you’re saying that they’re going to be redeveloped? What a joke!”

“She’s right. If they were worth a lot of money, people would have fought to snatch them up instead of leaving them there.” Victoria huffed.

“Where did you get that fake news, Dustin? Shut up if you don’t know anything!” James snapped. It was bad enough that Terrence had successfully scammed them, but did Dustin think that they were idiots? How could he lie to them as well?

“I’m not lying. Those buildings will be astonishingly valuable,” Dustin replied calmly.” There’s a good chance that those properties under your name will multiply in value tremendously in a few days, so you shouldn’t sell them off.”

“Nonsense! Multiply by several times? That’s nothing but wishful thinking!” Julie snapped.

“Even if you’re not going to help, why are you trying to deceive us?” Florence dropped the act, and her tone turned harsh.

“It’s just friendly advice. If you don’t believe me, forget it.” Dustin shrugged. He believed that Azalea wouldn’t tell such a lie, so it was very likely that those buildings were going to shoot up in value soon. It was just that not many people knew about that yet.

“I’m just telling you to find a scapegoat. Why do you keep talking nonsense? You’re so useless! “Florence snapped resentfully.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 542

Florence was sure that Dustin was merely refusing to help them.

Just then, Julie thought of an idea and said, “Dustin, didn’t you say that those buildings are worth a lot? We’ll sell them to you right now so that you can make a lot of money. What do you think?”

“That’s right!” Florence echoed. “You should buy them since you seem so interested. That’ll benefit both of us.”

“This is your opportunity. How could I take it away from you?” Dustin refused politely.

“It’s alright. We’re a family. We’ll be happy if you make money too.” Florence coaxed enthusiastically, gleeful to have found a scapegoat.

“She’s right, Dustin. Don’t worry about it. You shouldn’t miss such a great opportunity.”

“Exactly. Just remember to treat us to a meal when you get rich.”

Everyone smiled so sweetly and acted extremely enthusiastically after finding such a dumb scapegoat.

“Are you sure you want to sell them to me?” Dustin pressed.

“Of course! We won’t take a single penny from you. We just want you to return the principal.” Florence frantically nodded.

“Are you sure you won’t regret your decision?” Dustin raised an eyebrow.

“I swear it on my life!” Florence swore.

“She’s right. We swear it on our lives.” The others echoed.

“Alright, then. I’ll buy them.” Dustin smiled. There’s no reason for him to refuse free money.

“Are you crazy? Those buildings are worthless! Why would you purchase them?” Dahlia couldn’t watch this go on anymore. She didn’t expect him to actually buy them.

“We should let him buy them if that’s what he wants. Why are you stopping him?” Julie grumbled.

“She’s right. You shouldn’t stop him from earning big money.” Florence shot her daughter a look, telling her to not stop him from being their scapegoat, or they would lose all their money.

“Enough!” Dahlia frowned. “I don’t care if you try to swindle others, but I won’t allow you to do that to Dustin!”

“We’re not forcing him to buy them; he volunteered.” Julie huffed.

“Don’t buy them, Dustin!” Dahlia warned.

“They’ll be worth a lot of money soon. Just trust me.” Dustin smiled tiredly.

“They’re obviously trying to scam you. Why won’t you listen to me?” Dahlia was frustrated at how stubborn he was being.

“Let them be. I have enough money anyway.” Dustin remained unaffected.

“You!” Furious, she spat. “Fine! Do as you please. I don’t care anymore!” She walked over to the other bed and sat down angrily, ignoring him.

“Forget about her, Dustin. Let’s continue our discussion. Oh, right. James? Hurry up and print out the contract. We should get this over with today.” Florence tugged on Dustin’s arm, worried he might escape.

“No problem!” With twinkling eyes, James dashed out of the room.

“I’ll prepare a contract too.” Julie quickly followed suit.

The contracts were signed twenty minutes later. Dustin received the title deeds, while Florence and the others got back their money.

As soon as they received the money, Florence and the others began cackling and jeering at Dustin, whom they believed was an idiot. They marveled at the idiot they found.