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.
 
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Chapter 31

Dustin drove over to the Nicholsons‘ home at noon. The villa was in a secluded neighborhood, with flowers and hedges decorating the front yard.

Dahlia was right outside. Dustin tried to avoid her but was still spotted.

“Stop right there! I need to talk to you!”

“What is it?” Dustin asked. Their backs were to each other as they spoke.

“I haven’t told Granddad about our divorce because of his condition.”

“Do you think we can keep him from finding out?”

“I’ll find a chance to tell him after, just not today.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“Nope.” Dahlia turned and went inside the house without another word.

They never once looked at each other, acting like complete strangers.

Dustin took a deep breath and went in as well, wine in hand. The living room was filled with people, including most of the Nicholsons. Only John, Dahlia’s father, was absent, still outside on his trip.

Yet someone was sitting in his usual seat this time, an outsider too– Chris Nolan.
“How rude to have us elders wait on him like this,” Florence jeered, her expression mean.

“Shh, Mom. He might get upset and hurt you!” James chirped loudly. He hadn’ t let go of what had happened yesterday. The bruises were still visible on his face.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here, let’s have dinner.” Henry Nicholson announ ced, beaming at Dustin. “Come and sit beside me, kid.”

“Sure.” Dustin smiled in return and helped the old man to his seat. James scowled, his eyes burning with jealousy. “Kiss–ass!”

He had never understood why his grandfather doted on Dustin. James was
the old man’s grandson by blood!

“Come, let us all drink!” Henry toasted.

“Granddad, look at this.” James pulled up a decorated box of wine. “Chris brought this beautiful wine over, a ne Grand Cru from La Romanee Conti. We should all toast with this!”

“La Romanee Conti? That’s a really expensive vintner, no?”

“Yes, it is. It was 100 thousand dollars a bottle!” Chris boasted.

“What? 100 thousand dollars a bottle?!” everyone exclaimed in shock. The sky–high price had been way beyond their expectations.

The Harmons were pretty well– off, but even they hadn’t had a chance to try something this expensive.

“Why’d you spend all that money on this, Chris? It’s too much, no?” Florence questioned, though pride laced her tone. After all, Chris was her first choice for a son–in-law.
 
Hahahah, wewe ni mwambaa, nshasoma hii kitu ila ntasoma tena taratibuu😀😀😀,
 
Chapter 32

The wines were quickly unboxed for everyone’s viewing pleasure.

“Teh, and here I thought they were decent quality. Looks like these are just craft brews, worth no more than two thousand dollars, I bet.” James had a look of disdain on his face. “How could these compare to Grand Crus?”

“Craft brews have long lost their value on the market. We don’t even give our servants these!” someone exclaimed, Craft brews weren’t actually that terrible in terms of quality, but they were noing compared to Grand Crus.

“What a cheapskate!” Florence scoffed, “How are craft brews cheap when they’ve been on the rise in the country? Is y our taste in fine wine only limited to those brewed overseas?” Dustin casually responded.

“How is it not cheap when they cost only a couple thousand? Chris‘ wines cost more than 100 thousand dollars.” James rolled his eyes.

“Wines don’t have to be expensive to be good. Plus, you don’t know how muc h exactly my wines cost.”

“Are you still trying to make a comeback?” James sneered.

Florence scowled. “Hmph! So damn stubborn, that one.”

“I’m not going to waste any more of my time trying to explain to people who won’t listen to reason,” Dustin said. He really didn’t want to waste his breath any longer.

“That’s enough. What matters most is the flavor, not the cost. I prefer whites over reds. anyway.” Henry finally interrupted, popped open one of the craft brews, and poured himself a glass.

“Wait, why is it so yellow? Shouldn’t craft brews be pale white?”

“It’s murky too! It isn’t fake, is it?”

“My goodness, bringing fake wine to dinner! What kind of person would do that?”

The people started whispering to each other upon seeing the yellow liquid in the old man’s glass.

“Now you’ve really done it! How dare you mock us all with this sham of a gift?!”
Florence cried, slamming the table with one hand.

“What if something happens to us after drinking it?!”

“I never expected him to be so evil! Is he trying to poison us all or what?” A commotion broke out at the table in an instant.

Cheap wine was already embarrassing enough, but fake wine? That was a conspiracy waiting to happen!

Not even the old man knew how to calm the situation down now. He never drank much craft brews, but even he knew it was supposed to be a pale, nearly transparent color. Yet the wine Dustin had brought was not only yellow; it even seemed opaque. It didn’t look like anything good.

“This is how fine aged craft brews usually turn out to look like,” Dustin explained.

“Bullshit!” James cried. “Do you think we’re idiots? No wine looks like this! It’s piss that’s all it is!”

“Yeah! Why do you continue to lie through your teeth?” Florence huffed.

Chris shook his head with faux empathy. “Oh, Dustin. You should’ve told me if you couldn’t bring anything to the table. I could’ve given you a bottle or two for show. Why would you want to drag us down like this?”

His words seemed kind, but in truth, he was leaping for joy internally. Dustin truly was no match for him. His victory over this family nearly felt effortless.

“I don’t care if you trust me or not. All I can say is this wine is genuine and as good as they come,” Dustin reaffirmed.

“Whoa, what a crowd!”

Suddenly, a man appeared in the doorway, still dressed in his business suit, holding several gifts.

“Dad? You’re back from your trip already?” James gasped.

It was John Nicholson, Dahlia’s father.

“Well, the deal was a success, so I came home carly.”

John smiled. The wines on the table caught his attention. “Oh, is that La Romanee? It’s a recent brew I think, but it must cost at least 100 thousand dollars a bottle, am I right?”

“Good on you, Dad! You’re right!” James beamed.

“Dear, Chris brought this over for dinner. Isn’t he sweet?” Florence spoke up, then she turned to glare at Dustin. “Unlike some people who tried to poison all of us with fake wine!”

“Fake wine?” John exclaimed.

“Yeah, look!” James showed his father the glass of yellow liquid. “Dustin brought this over for dinner. If we hadn’t noticed in time, God knows what would’ve happened to us if we drank it.”

John took a close whiff of the wine, then tossed the entire glass down in one go.
“Dad, what are you doing? Don’t drink that! You’ll kill yourself!” James yelled.

Yet John seemed to be reveling in the taste of the wine. “A smooth, creamy body, followed by a heady finish, this isn’t fake.

This is a priceless aged craft ew!” “What?!” Everyone gasped.
 
Chapter 33

“You must be kidding, right, Dad? This can’t be aged wine!” James‘ eyes were wide as dinner plates.

“Look at how yellowish it looks, though. It must be fake!” Florence accused.

“You guys must not have seen brews like this before. Aged craft brews get this color, and it only darkens theonger it’s been aging. Every wine connoisseur knows this.”

The looks on everyone’s faces quickly changed. Their accusations had just been dampened significantly, not by just anyone but by John Nicholson himself, a well- known wine enthusiast. His judgment couldn’t be wrong.

“I was blessed to be able to try such a fine wine years ago with a government official, but this brew right here must be finer than the one I had that body and finish tell me it must’ve been aged for at least 50 years!” John smacked his lips, still enjoying the brew’s aftertaste.?

“How much would it cost on the market?” James asked curiously.

“It’s priceless. You couldn’t find a willing seller even if you offered a city’s worth. But if we judge based on recent wine auction values, it should cost at leastwo million dollars,”

“Two million?!” Everyone gasped. They’ve never even heard of wine that costs this much! Chris‘ Grand Cru was nothing compared to that!

“N– no way!” Florence refused to believe it.

“Are you sure about this, John? How could Dustin be able to afford this?”

“Yeah! He can’t even afford a nice pair of pants, not to mention something this expensive!” James cried. His argument brought forth the table’s resounding agreement.

“He has a point. How could that vagrant have that much money?”

“Hmm… where did you get this brew, Dustin?” John asked gently.

“A friend gave it to me,” he answered truthfully.

“Gave it to you?” Florence scowled. “How could someone like you have friends rich enough to buy a drink like that? Even if they did, why would they give ito you in the first place? I bet you stole it from them!‘

“Yeah, he must’ve stolen it!” James nodded vigorously, finding a new accusation to slap Dustin with. He refused to believe Dustin could afford this sort of quality wine, whether or not it was given to him by a friend.

“Why did you have to steal this of all things, Dustin? Do you know how many years you’ll have to spend in prison for theft?” Chris huffed, appearingo be considerate

How could that pauper have gotten a hold of something not even he could. “Whether you believe me or not doesn’t matter to me. I didn’t steal it, and tha's enough for me,” Dustin droned.

First, they called his wine cheap. Then, after revealing it wasn’t, they find another accusation of him having stolen it. Next, they would just say he blackmaile d Natasha into giving it to him.

That’s why there was no use explaining to them further.

“Hah, see? Where’s your excuse now? I knew you stole this!” Florence screeched.
“You thief! I can’t believe you stole this just to look good in front of us!” James gasped, playing along.

“Whatever. I got this wine for Granddad l and Granddad only, so you guys don’t have to drink any if you don’t want to!” Dustin rolled his eyes. He had had enough of this crap.

“Enough, all of you! I trust Dustin with my whole heart, and I know he didn’t st
eal this wine, so stop it!” Henry finally ground out.

“But Granddad…

“Be quiet! Eat your food!” the old man ordered once again. Only then did ever yone shut up. Even Florence and James, who still didn’t believe he could have lawfully gotten his hands on the craft brew. Dinner finally began. Even though everyone had their turn at smearing Dustin’ s name, they still gladly took their share of the craft brew. Even those who didn’t drink alcohol tried a few sips.

After all, this brew cost over two million dollars on the market, a precious delicacy they had never had the luck to try before. Why pass on the opportunity?

Dustin could only snort at how stubborn this family of people was. Dinner soon came to an end.
 
Chapter 34

Chris rapped on the table, calling for everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, I would like to share some good news with you all. Nolan Pharmaceuticals. has been looking to increase its share pool, so we are currently weoming new investors. Is anyone here interested?”

“New investors?” Everyone’s attention was immediately captured.

Nolan Pharmaceuticals was an industry leading corporation with very limited shares available. That was why Chris‘ anouncement came as a shock to everyone at the table.

“Hasn’t the company been doing alright, Mr. Nolan? Why the sudden invitation?” Dahlia asked curiously.

“Of course, it has been. We’ve just been planning to list our company publicly, that’s why. As everyone knows, our company is not short on talent or the capability to overcome competition. This share listing is just so we have some funds to give our employees a good bonus this season.” Chris smiled. “We haven’t officially announced this to the public yet, and the spots are limited. If aIfone here is interested, we can save some spots for you.

That sure got everyone on board. Nolan Pharmaceuticals could easily bag them all hefty profits!

“Count me in, Mr. Nolan. I have five million to spare!” James called out eagerly.

“Eight million on me!” Florence followed.
Chris beamed. “Alright, two spots for you guys.

“Hey, I want a share too! You’ve got yourself another three million!”

“Five… five million for me–that’s all my life savings!”

The family started shouting over each other, worried they wouldn’t be able to get at share. It was a perfect example of herd mentality.

“What about you, Dahlia? How many shares would you like to get?” Chris turned to Dahlia. “I can give you extra from the pot, given our relationship.”

“I…” Dahlia gave it some thought. She had learned a lot on her way up to where she was today. Naturally, she knew not to make decisions based on personal sentiment.

“Don’t you trust me, Dahlia? I’m offering you a share because you’re important to me. You can say no if you want to–there are loads of other people waiting to get their share.” Chris huffed lightly.

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that I’ll be joining as a shareholder in a company with the Harmons very soon, so I’m being extra careful with how I’m spending my funds, just in case,” she explained.

“How much do you have in hand right now?” Chris asked.

“Not much. So million tops.”

“That’s more than enough! To be frank with you, you don’t need that much to work with the Harmons. Why don’t you consider investing in my company instead? We pay out really solid dividends each year.”

“He’s right, Dahlia. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!” Florence cried.

“What are you waiting for, sis? You can trust Mr. Nolan. He’s already helped you out so many times!” James added.

“If you believe in me, Dahlia, then invest in my company. But if you don’t, it’s fi ne too,” Chris finally relented.

“L… Alright then.”

After some hesitation, Dahlia finally nodded. She was only doing this to pay b
ack the favor she owed Chris, and he had insisted so much that it would be disrespectful to reject his offer.

This investment wasn’t a bad idea either.
Just like that, Dahlia’s So million dollars were all promised to Nolan Pharmaceuticalss.

“What about you, Dustin? Wanna buy a share?” Chris suddenly asked with a smirk he didn’t bother hiding.

“Oh, and by the way, one million is the minimum investment amount. You can have at go at earning big if you have that much as a starter.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Heh, I see… Are you not interested? Or… don’t you have that much to spare ? How about this: For Dahlia’s sake, I’ll let you have a ten million share if you can fork out a hundred thousand dollars at least.” Chris grinned

Dustin replied nonchalantly, “No, thank you. I have no interest in a company that’s on the verge of packing it up.”

That brought Chris‘ mood to a shocked standstill.
 
Chapter 35

“What did you say?” Chris froze, thinking he had misheard him.

“I said I’m not interested in a business that’s about to go bankrupt,” Dustin repeated.

“Bankrupt?”

Everyone was too stunned to react to his words.

“How dare you! That’s nonsense!” Chris was shocked, but he quickly denied it.

“Nolan Pharmaceuticals is raking in profits. every day and is at its prime. How could we go bankrupt? Stop fear mongering!”

“Only you know whether this is fear– mongering or not. Anyways, I’ve received news that Nolan Pharmaceuticals ll be investigated due to the sale of counterfeitillicit drugs. It’s just a matter of time before they go bankrupt.” Dustin’s words were very shocking.

“Counterfeit drugs? Investigated?” Now, everyone was even more puzzled. Their gaze turned to Chris.

“Nonsense! All of it is nonsense!”

“Dustin, stop spreading these rumors. Nolan Pharmaceuticals is a law– abiding. company. How could it go under investigation? I can sue you for defamation!” Chris threatened.

His words may appear firm, but he was in turmoil on the inside. Nolan Pharceuticals was indeed under investigation and would go bankrupt soon. He intended to list the company as a publicly traded company to raise capital so he could run off with a fortune.

However, the news had been suppressed. How did Dustin know without it being leaked?

“Dustin, what nonsense are you spewing? How can a company as successful as Nolan. Pharmaceuticals go bankrupt?” Florence reprimanded.

“That’s right! Everyone knows that Nolan Pharmaceuticals has good assets and is at the peak of success. Stop spreading lies!” James also piped in.

It was obvious they doubted him. After all, the Nolan family had a long history in Swinton. They also maintained a good reputation, so it did not seem possible to have issues.

“It’s the truth. Nolan Pharmaceuticals is about to go under, and the so called ‘capital increase and share expansion‘ is nothing than a money– grabbing scam.”

Chris even contacted Mason to borrow money. The investigation of the company and its bankruptcy were obviously true.

“Bullshit! I just wanted to do everyone a favor because we’re close. It’s fine if you choose not to accept my offer, but how dare you slander me? What intentions do you have?” Chris cried out.

“Mr. Rhys, it’s fine if you’re not able to help us. But why cause trouble when Chris just wants to help us? You’re really devious!”

“That’s right! This fellow must be slandering Chris because he’s jealous!”

“Dustin, you’re so despicable!” Everyone started to chime in, one after another.

Dustin was poor, while Chris had power and money. Between the two, they were more inclined to believe Chris.

Dustin couldn’t help but frown as he watched the commotion. He did not expect his kind intentions to be returned with such a negative reaction. This proved that no one would believe a man without money or power.

“Dustin, do you have proof that Nolan Pharmaceuticals is going bankrupt?” Dahlia suddenly asked. She had invested eight million worth of funds. Naturally, she had to be caution

“I don’t have evidence. But what I said was the truth. You can check if you don’t believe me. You should be able to trace the information,” Dustin replied coldly.

Dahlia’s expression darkened at his words. Did this mean he was just making
it up? She even had high expectations for him. It turned out he was just making false accusations. This must be the result of his jealousy turning into hatred.

“Everyone, since Dustin claimed I’m a swindler, just forget the matter about the shares, lest I rip off everyone.” Seeing that the timing was right, Chris deliberately put on an act as if he had b een wronged.
 
Chapter 36 An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Chris‘ words made everyone nervous.
How could they let this opportunity to make a fortune slip away so easily?

“Chris, ignore this fellow. He’s obviously jealous of you. But we’re not, we all believe you!” Florence immediately took a stand.

“That’s right! Chris, you promised us about the stocks. You can’t just forget about it.”

Everyone agreed right away. As they spoke, they turned and glared at Dustin.

“Dustin Rhys, don’t stop us from making a fortune! Otherwise, I won’t let you off so easily!”

“Yeah! Get lost if you wish to continue on with this nonsense!”

The crowd chattered and chimed in one after another. From their perspective, Dustin was slandering Chris and preventing them from making money. He had such malicious intentions!

“Do all of you really trust Chris? Hasn’t anyone ever doubted if he was lying?” Dustin asked with a frown.

“That’s none of your business! We’ll do what we want!” James glared at him.

“That’s right! Even if we were cheated, it would be on our own terms! It has nothing to do with you! You’re really such a busybody!” Florence looked at him with disgust.

Dustin smirked at these words. He appeared to be making a fool of himself or being disdainful.

“Since you all love to give away your money. Forget I ever said anything.” He shook his head. It was hard to advise these stiff–necked people. These people were so blinded by money that they had no hope. He would just be embarrassing himself if he tried to warn them any further. He even looked forward to their reactions after finding out they had been scammed.

“If you have nothing nice to say, you should shut up! You’re such a letdown!” Florence spat out.

She would have gotten rid of him if not for Henry’s sake.

“Alright, this is just a misunderstanding. Dustin must’ve been misled by some news.” Henry tried to smooth things over.

“Yeah! It’s all just a misunderstanding.”

John smiled and tried to change the topic. “Oh, Dahlia, you were saying you’re starting a company with the Harmon family. How’s it going?”

“I’ve become partners with the Harmon family and signed the contract. Our new company will be officially launched in two days. We’ll be having an opening ceremony at that time. Feel free to join if you have the time,” Dahlia offered with a smile.

It was her goal to work with the Harmon family.

“Is that so? That’s awesome. I’ll be sure to attend!” John answered happily.

“Dahlia, I didn’t expect you to partner with the Harmon family. We’ll be able to gain a stronger foothold in Swinton in the future.” Henry was very relieved.

“Chris helped out a lot in this matter. If he hadn’t pulled some strings, we would never even be eligible to partner with the Harmon family.” Dahlia spoke as she turned to face Henry.

“Dad, not only that, today when Trevor tried to cause Dahlia trouble, Chris called for Mr. Anderson, who helped her out of the situation!” James added.

“Is that so? Then I’ll have to thank you, Chris!” James raised his glass and gave Chris a toast.

“It’s nothing. I was just helping out.” Chris raised his glass in response.

“You must be very influential to be able to ask for Mr. Anderson. But some people who don’t know any better even tried to accuse the Nolan family of going bankrupt. What a joke?” James commented in a condescending tone.

Dustin sipped his wine quietly, acting as if he did not hear a thing. Although he knew the truth, he couldn’t be bothered to reveal it, because they wouldn’t believe him. The truth would prevail when the Nolan family went bankrupt.

As they continued to drink, the atmosphere at the table loosened up more.

Compared to Dustin, who had been left out, Chris was the center of attention. They surrounded him and greeted him warmly, laughing heartily. However, no one in the Nicholson family realized they were sinking into a mire of their own making.
 
Chapter 37

The following morning at the Hummer Villa.

As the richest man in Swinton, Edwin was drinking tea leisurely with an old man.

“Mr. Lawson, it’s too bad that the lady was so cautious and left before the drug could take effect. Otherwise, I will definitely have subdued her!” Edwin lamented.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Hummer. She doesn’t have the antidote for the drug I gave her. She will definitely come begging if she doesn’t want to die. You can have your way with her then,” Fletcher joked.

“Is that so? That’s perfect!” Edwin’s eyes lit up. He had been longing for a thorny rose like Natasha for a long time. The thought of toying with such an exquisite woman in bed made his heart race.

“Sir Hummer…”

Suddenly, a bodyguard came and whispered something in Edwin’s ear.

“What? Trevor is dead?”

Edwin’s face darkened and he demanded, “Who did it? Who dared touch my men?

Trevor was his right hand man and did his dirty deeds. His sudden death was quite a loss to Edwin.

“It was rumored to be his adopted son, Mason. That man was in a hurry to take over hist position, so he killed Trevor.”

“Mason?”

Edwin narrowed his eyes, and thought, “That bastard is so cruel. He wouldn’t even spare his adoptive father?”

“Mr. Hummer, I think there’s something fishy about this matter.” Fetcher had a suspicion.

“Huh? Did you think of something?” Edwin raised his eyebrows.

“Trevor called me yesterday, asking me to get rid of someone related to Hunter Anderson. I planned to ask him about it today, I didn’t expect him to pass so soon. Fetcher stroked his beard.

“So you think that person killed Trevor?” Edwin quickly understood what he was implying.

“That’s possible!” Fletcher nodded.

“If that person is related to Hunter, this matter is not as simple as it seems.” Edwin rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

He had devoted all of his attention to the Harmon family, so if he were to provoke Hunter and both families joined forces, even he would be in deep trouble.

“Sir Hummer, I have an idea if you’re afraid of causing trouble.”

“Please, go on.”

“Doesn’t Trevor have an older brother, Travis? I heard he is serving in a warzone in the west. Besides, he is also a lieutenant who commands thousands of men. We could just inform him of the news of Trevor’s death, and let him do the rest. Then, we can sit back and watch the show!” Fletcher smiled sinisterly.

“That’s a great idea!”

Edwin’s eyes lit up, make use of him!

“With a reckless man like Travis leading the way, I can definitely.

At the same time, in the office of the Jackson Group.

Just as Dahlia took a seat, Lyra knocked on her door and entered.

“Ms. Nicholson! Something bad has happened!”

“What is it?” Dahlia felt her chest tighten.

“I heard there was a massacre at the Drey Group and Trevor was murdered!” Lyra’s words shocked her.

“What? Travis was murdered?” Dahlia was dumbfounded. He was Sir Spanner! The King of the Underground in East City, who did business with both lawful and unlawful people. How could he just die?

Besides, they had just seen each other yesterday.

“I’m not too sure of the details, but news on this has been released.” At this point, Lyra asked in a hushed voice, “Ms. Nicolson, do you think this has anything to do with Dustin?”

“Dustin?”

Dahlia pursed her lips and answered, “I don’t think so. Even if he fights well, he doesn’t have the guts to kill someone.

“That might not be the case.” Lyra shook her head and added mysteriously, “As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Trevor would definitely not let the issue of his son becoming crippled slide. Dustin might risk everything in order to protect himself!”

Dahlia couldn’t help but frown at these words. That could indeed be the case.

“It’s a good thing that he died. At least we don’t have to worry about him anymore. In that case, Dustin might have done a good deed.” Lyra smiled.

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Dahlia stated solemnly. “There’s a reason why Trevor could act so lawlessly. He has someone very influential supporting him. This man is our greatest worry!”

“Someone supporting him? Who is it?” Lyra asked curiously
 
Chapter 38

“Edwin Hummer, the richest man in Swinton!” Dahlia answered.

“What? Sir Hummer?”

Lyra’s eyes widened in shock as if she had seen a ghost. Everyone knew that anything Sir Hummer said was obeyed without question in Swinton.

Trevor was big in East City, but Sir Hummer was the true master of Swinton. He was so powerful that he could just demand anything with the snap of his fingers. He was also very influential in business, politics, and the military.

Anyone who wronged Sir Hummer would face a fate worse than death.

“Ms. Nicholson, don’t tell me this matter really involves Sir Hummer?” Lyra gulped.

“It’s hard to say. Trevor was one of Sir Hummer’s men. Now that he was suddenly killed, Sir Hummer will definitely investigate this matter. It would be troublesome if Dustin was involved.” Dahlia’s expression darkened.

“Even if that were the case, it would be Dustin’s fault. It has nothing to do with us, right?” Lyra asked tentatively.

“This depends on how Sir Hummer sees this matter. If he thinks this has something to do with us, neither of us would be spared!” Dahlia added.

“What!” Lyra panicked immediately. She could still remain calm when facing Trevor. However, her legs trembled even thinking about Edwin Hummer.

“Ms. Nicholson, why don’t we ask Chris Nolan for help? Ask him to have Mr. Anderson intervene.” Lyra reacted quickly.

“I owe Chris too many favors. I don’t want to trouble him further.” Dahlia shook her head.

“Then what should we do? If Sir Hummer pursues this matter, aren’t we all in trouble?” Lyra cried.

“Don’t be flustered. I’m now partnered with the Harmon family. As long as we have their protection after the company’s launch tomorrow, Sir Hummer won’t be too harsh. on us,” she explained.

“That’s right! We still have the Harmon family!” Lyra revealed a smile. “As long as the ceremony goes smoothly, we’ll be under the Harmon family after the announcement.

Nobody would dare bully us!”

Now all their hope depended on the Harmon family.

In the evening, outside the gates of Spanner Manor.

Countless military vehicles roared. The car in front carried a flag with the words Western War Zone.”

As the vehicle stopped, rows of heavily armed soldiers stepped down, one after another.

There was a murderous aura surrounding the area.

“Sir, we have arrived!” A commander walked up to the car and saluted.

The door quickly opened, and a burly middle–aged man in battle armor stepped out.

This man was the lieutenant of the western war zone, Travis Spanner.

“Uncle Travis! You’re finally here!”

At this moment, the doors of the manor opened slowly. Edward was being supported by two men as he limped out.

“Let me see the body,” Travis demanded.

Edward did not dare say anything else and immediately led the way.

There was a coffin right at the entrance to the living room. Trevor was lying inside, hist eyes tightly closed.

“What on earth happened? Why did your father die so suddenly?” Travis gritted his teeth, a look of rage on his face. He only had one brother. Naturally, he was furious that he had been murdered.

“It‘ was Mason! That ungrateful brat killed Dad!” Edward began to whine.

“Mason? He’s nothing but a bastard. He wouldn’t have the guts.” Travis narrowed his eyes.

"Of course, not hirm alone. I guess he worked with someone on the outside who wanted to take advantage of this at the same time!” Edward’s face was clouded with hatred.

“Did your dad make enemies with anyone recently?” Travis asked.

“Uh… Dad easily offends people, but they’re all insignificant people,” Edward explained.
 
Chapter 39

“So you don’t know anything after all?” Travis frowned.

“It all happened too suddenly. I was at a loss for a while.”

“Useless! You’re no better than a bastard!” Travis snorted coldly, not bothering to say another word, and gave an order. “Someone investigate this matter at once! I don’t care what it takes. Find me the murderer, even if you have to turn the entire Swinton upside down!”

Before the matter of Trevor’s death could come to a rest, there was a surprising announcement the next day. The Harmon family had decided on a partner, and today would be the opening ceremony of the new company. Once the news was released, everyone came forward to offer their congratulations.

At 8.00 am, luxurious cars were already gathered at the entrance of the Emerald Building. However, Natasha, one of the important attendees, was not present. Instead, she was drinking coffee leisurely at some coffee shop.

“Over here, Mr. Rhys.” As soon as she saw Dustin enter, she jumped to her feet and waved.

“Isn’t today the opening ceremony of your new company? Why did you want to meet here?”

Dustin sat across from her. Natasha was wearing a white blouse and a skirt today. Her dark hair was tied in a bun, making her look even more mature. Her top wrapped tightly around her chest, looking as if it were about to pop.

“It’s only the opening ceremony. A date with you is much more important.” Natasha blinked her eyes teasingly. Her fiery red lips were so alluring.

“Ms. Harmon, stop joking. Let’s talk business.” Dustin was starting to be flustered.

“Alright, I won’t beat around the bush.” She smiled and asked, “Mr. Rhys, does Trevor’s death have anything to do with you?”

“Why are you asking?” Dustin raised his eyebrows.

“I’m just curious. Although Trevor is a reckless bastard, he has many men. It’s not easy to kill him. I thought for some time, and it seemed only you, Mr. Rhys, had the ability to do so.” Natasha was deep in thought.

“Haha! Ms. Harmon, you think too highly of me.” Dustin laughed without giving a straight answer.

“Trevor’s death is nothing. It wouldn’t affect the situation in Swinton. But the problem is the men behind him,” Natasha continued.

“Are you talking about Edwin Hummer?”

“He is one of them. But he won’t do anything disadvantageous to himself because of Trevor. He’s easier to deal with.

“Do you mean Trevor has other patrons?”

“That’s right. He has a brother, Travis. He’s a lieutenant with great power. He can’t be underestimated!” Natasha spoke in a grave tone.

Even the Harmon family did not want to go against people involved in the military. This was also why she did not immediately retaliate when Trevor had kidnapped her.

“Thanks for the warning, Ms. Harmon. I’ll take note of this.“Dustin nodded, his heart filled with gratitude.

“Oh, there’s also another thing.” Natasha changed the topic, continuing by saying, ” Regarding the ambergris, I already have the results. According to the investigation, the one who drugged me is known as Mr. Lawson.”

“Mr. Lawson? What’s his background?” Dustin asked.

“This man is the same as Trevor. He’s Edwin’s right–hand man. However, his identity is a mystery. He has been living behind the scenes, giving advice, and carrying out shady activities.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I want to cut off Edwin’s limbs and teach him a lesson! But… my men are not able to deal with such people, so I have to ask for your help,” Natasha gently implored.

“Lure him out and create an opportunity for me to deal with him,” Dustin answered casually.

“Thank you, Mr. Rhys!” Natasha smiled and added, “I’ve invited Edwin to the opening of the new company today. Mr. Lawson will also be there. You can carry out your plan then.”

“Okay.” Dustin nodded.

“Mr. Rhys, it’s almost time. Let’s go.”

The two did not linger for long. After finishing the coffee, they headed toward the Emerald building.

At this moment, there was a big crowd in front of the building. As they stepped down from the car, they saw Dahlia and her family entering the venue. Dahlia was part of the new company, so it wasn’t surprising to see a representative of the Nicholson family here.

“Dustin, why do I keep running into you?” a voice came from behind.


Dustin turned around only to be met with the sight of Chris Nolan.
 
Chapter 40

“I don’t recall Dahlia inviting you. Are you really so shameless?” Chris sneered.

“I invited Dustin. Do you have a problem with that?”

Natasha took a few steps forward. Her domineering stance made Chris take a few steps back.

“Hmph! You’re a man that needs a woman to stand up for you? What a useless man!” Chris grimaced disdainfully. He added, “And you! You’ll regret it sooner or later, staying with this trash!”

“What does that have to do with you? Stay away from me!” Natasha snorted coldly. She put her arms around Dustin and walked into the hall without a care.

“Stupid bitch! You’re so full of yourself! I’ll get you in bed one day!” Chris gritted hist teeth as he watched them walk away. He couldn’t understand why someone as uselessas Dustin was so good with women.

“Chris, you’re here to join the fun too?”

A fashionably dressed man exited a Maybach.

“Hey! Isn’t that Jeff Anderson? You’re here too?” Chris’s eyes lit up.

It was none other than Hunter Anderson’s son, Jeff Anderson!

“The Harmon family is launching a new company, so I had to come!” Jeff smiled.

“Jeff! The Harmon family is honored to have someone like you attend the opening ceremony!” Chris started to butter him up.

“Nonsense! Even my dad has to show respect before the Steel Lady. What a business prodigy! I’m nothing compared to her.” Jeff was very composed.

“You’re being modest.”

Chris smiled smugly, and quickly changed the topic. “Speaking of the Steel Lady, I’ve never seen her before today. I wonder if she is as beautiful as they say?”

“Among the Four Beauties of Swinton, Natasha ranks first. Her beauty is unmatched. It’s a shame that no man can get their hands on such an exquisite woman.” Jeff lamented.

“Not even you?” Chris was stunned.

“Bullshit! I would be honored even to carry her shoes!” Jeff rolled his eyes. He dared not speak informally of someone of equal status to his father.

“If even you aren’t worth it, what hope is there for the rest of us.” Chris sighed.

“To be honest, someone like the Steel Lady couldn’t care less about a man’s background. As long as she likes him, even a pauper could become a prince!” Jeff added.

“Someone so lucky wouldn’t exist!” Chris shook his head.

“That’s hard to say,” Jeff said with a chuckle, and continued, “Truth be told, I heard a rumor that the Steel Lady has found herself a boyfriend. She even plans to push him to the top in Swinton.”

“Huh? Is that true?” Chris was so startled his body quivered with excitement.

“Why would I lie to you about this? I guess you’ll be able to see it soon,” Jeff quipped.

“Who is so lucky to get her attention?” Chris narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with jealousy and admiration. After all, she was a business prodigy, one of the wealthiest people in Swinton. Not only did she have money and power, but she was also breathtaking. Such an exquisite woman was as rare as a four–leaf clover.

“I don’t know who it is, but I’m sure if you could get on good terms with him, you would have a bright future!” Jeff reminded him.

“When you put it like that, I really want to know this guy.” His eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, “Jeff, you’re quite influential. Can you get me an introduction?”

“An introduction? I have yet to be introduced and you want me to introduce you?” Jeff answered exasperatedly.

Before coming, his father had asked him to strike up an acquaintance with this new guy. As long as they could become friends, he wouldn’t have to worry for the rest of his life.

“I’ve told you what I can. It depends on yourself to change your fate.” Jeff couldn’t be bothered to say more. He waved his hand and entered the venue.

Chris smiled apologetically and trailed in behind. At this moment, he looked forward to meeting this person. Now that the Nolan family was facing bankruptcy, he could get help from the Harmon family and overcome this matter if he could get acquainted with this guy.

Then he wouldn’t need to abscond with the money.
 
Chapter 41

As time passed, more guests arrived to give their congratulations. The entire venue was filled with people. A famous entertainer was also putting on a performance on the main stage. Below, the guests were talking and laughing over some wine.

“Dahlia, this is a nice place. You would be the owner in the future, right?” Florence glanced around, thrilled.

“Mom, I’m just partners with the Harmon family. I’m merely a secondary stakeholder even if we established a company together,” Dahlia explained.

“That’s good enough. Once we get on the same boat with the Harmon family, we won’t have to worry in the future!” Florence was delighted.

“Sis! Your career is booming right now. You must have made a lot of money, right? When are you getting me a nice car?” James smiled flatteringly beside her.

“I give you quite a lot of pocket money every month. Is it not enough?” Dahlia asked unhappily. She did not like giving handouts, even to her own brother.

“It used to be enough. But I’ve invested all my savings into Nolan Pharmaceuticals, so now I’m broke,” James said exasperatedly.

“Then you just sit and wait for the dividends,” Dahlia said dismissively. As she turned around, she caught sight of Dustin and Natasha out of the corner of her eye.

“You invited Dustin here? What a downer!” James followed her line of view and frowned.

“I didn’t,” Dahlia denied flatly.

“He came without any invitation? That’s so shameless!” James grimaced. Then hist gaze landed on Natasha, and he immediately perked up. “Hey, who’s that beauty next to him? She’s stunning!”

“What beauty? She’s a vixen!” Florence continued rather calmly, “She was the one causing trouble at the Jackson Group, and I nearly slapped her!”

“It was her?” James‘ tone turned cold, and he spat, “Shit! Dustin is so heartless. How dare he bring this bitch to such an important occasion today? He’s such an eyesore!”

“Look, Dahlia, he’s finally revealed his true colors. It’s a shame. You were so nice to him, yet he’s so ungrateful, and even tried to ruin this occasion. I have to teach him a lesson today!” As she spoke, Florence got ready to confront him.

“Mom! Today is the opening ceremony, don’t cause any trouble!” Dahlia quickly grabbed her mother. She knew once her mother started making a scene, it would not end well.

“Hmph! I’ll let him get away with it this time!” Although Florence was very upset, she tried to calm herself down. No matter what, she couldn’t embarrass her own daughter.

“Dahlia, you’re here?” Chris brought Jeff and walked over with a smile.

“Here, I want to introduce you to someone.”

“This is Mr. Anderson’s son, Jeff!” Chris stretched out his hand as if he was presenting something valuable.

“So, you’re Jeff Anderson? It’s a great pleasure to meet you!” James immediately tried. to curry favor with him. This was Swinton’s most distinguished elite, and he had at much more respected status than him.

“I didn’t expect you to come, Mr. Anderson! The Nicholson family is honored!” Florence was smiling broadly.

Needless to say, Mr. Anderson’s son had to be some big shot.

“Nice to meet you, Jeff.” Dahlia smiled and greeted him warmly.

“You must be Ms. Nicholson. It seems the rumors are true, you’re really stunning!” Although he had never met Dahlia, he had heard of her. She was one of the Four Beauties in Swinton and a rising star.
 
Chapter 42

His dad had also warned him never to get involved with a woman like Dahlia Nicholson.

“You’re too kind.” Dahlia smiled politely.

“Dahlia, I have good news for you.” Chris suddenly changed the topic and said, “I heard from Jeff that even the Steel Lady will be present for today’s grand opening.”

“Oh? Is that so? That would be perfect!” Dahlia raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise. Previously, only the Harmons‘ general manager was present to sign contracts or discuss business matters. She had never met the daughter of the Harmon family. However, she had heard of Natasha before.

Ever since Andrew retired, she took over the entire Harmon family’s business unaided. She relied entirely on herself to build and flourish the Harmon family business to greater success. In a way, they were both very similar to each other. Dahlia even regarded Natasha as her idol.

Yet, it was a shame that she had never even met Natasha up to this day.

Now that she knew Natasha would be present today, Dahlia looked forward to it greatly. She was really interested in how this business prodigy carried herself.

“Sis! I heard that Natasha Harmon is one of Swinton’s Four Beauties. She must be very beautiful. Can you set me up with her after you get to know her?” James asked with anticipation.

“Yeah! James is no longer young. It’s time to discuss his marriage. If he can get to know Ms. Harmon, it’s fine even if he took their last name instead!” Florence immediately litup.

“Mom! What nonsense are you saying? Why would Ms. Harmon ever set her eyes on James?” Dahlia said harshly.

“Hmmm, I disagree. What’s wrong with James? He’s young, muscular, and handsome. It’s more than enough for Ms. Harmon!” Florence boasted.

“That’s right! Look at my muscles! Women go crazy over them!” James flexed his biceps confidently.

Dahlia was speechless as she watched them. She was starting to regret inviting them here.

“Ms. Harmon is already taken. We can stop daydreaming about it,” Chris interjected.

“Does that mean I don’t have a chance?” James continued dejectedly, “Who’s the lucky. bastard to get Ms. Harmon’s attention?”

“I don’t know. We’ll find out soon.” Chris smiled.

“Huh! I really want to see if he’s as handsome as me!” James was quite irked.

The performance on the stage had ended. The host took the stage, and the crowd quietened down.

“Welcome, everyone! The grand opening has officially begun! Now, please give a warm welcome to Ms. Harmon!”

As the host gave the introduction, the guests gave a round of applause..

“She’s here! Ms. Harmon is here!” Chris and the others immediately perked up and turned toward the stage, their eyes filled with excitement.

“Is she finally revealing herself?” Dahlia mumbled eagerly.

A young and stunning lady slowly took the stage under the watchful eyes of everyone else.

Three beams of spotlights instantly focused on her. However, everyone was dumbfounded when they saw her.

“It’s her?”
 
Chapter 43

“How can it be her?” Dahlia was shocked when she saw Natasha on the stage.

Her face was filled with astonishment. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that the Ms. Harmon she longed to meet was her rival!

“Mom, isn’t this that bitch? Why is she on the stage?” James widened his eyes, unable to react otherwise.

“This can’t be? She is Ms. Harmon?” Florence was so shocked her tongue was tied and her lips quivered.

She couldn’t believe the woman she thought was a vixen was the Harmon family’s daughter!

“Why? Why is it her?” Chris looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and his eyes filled with disbelief. He never imagined the woman by Dustin’s side was Swinton’s business prodigy! Her mere existence is unparalleled to others.

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead as he thought of his actions before. What should he do? He seemed to have offended Natasha.

“Chris, have you met Ms. Harmon before?” Jeff was quick to notice something was odd.

“I’ve… met her, and we had an altercation.” Chris swallowed hard as he was obviously nervous.

“You dared to offend Ms. Harmon? You really have guts!” Jeff gave him a thumbs–up mockingly.

Natasha did not get to where she was today by being kind and forgiving.

“Jeff! I was careless before and offended Ms. Harmon. Can you put in a good word for me?” Chris suddenly became nervous and grabbed Jeff’s hand. 1

“Chris, I really can’t help you out with this. You should pray!” Jeff shook Chris off and left. He wasn’t crazy enough to get on Ms. Harmon’s bad side because of someone so insignificant.

“I’m done for.” Chris’s face turned to ash as he watched Jeff leave. It would be fine if Natasha were forgiving and let it slide. But if she were to seek revenge, she could destroy him with just a word!

At the same time, others in the crowd were shocked as well. “Mr. Lawson, didn’t you say Natasha would come begging after being poisoned? Why does she look fine?”

Edwin’s face darkened as he watched the slim figure on the stage.

“That’s weird. She should not be able to fight it. Could it be that someone had given her the antidote?” Fletcher narrowed his eyes in surprise.

“Huh! Is this the allegedly cureless poison?” Edwin was very dissatisfied. He knew something was wrong from the moment he received the invitation. Now that he had seen Natasha in excellent health, he knew his plant had failed.

“Sir Hummer, accidents happen. No mere doctor is able to cure my poison unless she had someone special by her side.” Fletcher said, deep in thought.

“Someone special? Who?” Edwin furrowed.

“Sir Hummer, did you notice the young man standing next to her before?” Fletcher pointed toward Dustin.

“Do you mean there’s something particular about that guy?” Edwin followed his gaze.

“That’s right. This man has a steady hand and good control of his breath. He looks like he practices medicine,” Fletcher said, nodding his head.

“Is he difficult to deal with?” Edwin took a closer look. He didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. He’s nothing but a gold digger.

“He’s a small fry not even worth mentioning.” Fletcher was very confident.
 
Chapter 44

“Okay. Deal with him quickly. I don’t want any further accidents!” Edwin’s expression softened.

“Don’t worry, Sir Hummer. My two boys will take care of it without a hitch!” Fletcher smiled faintly. He took out his phone and sent a text message.

In contrast to the commotion offstage, Natasha remained very calm. “Welcome to our company’s grand opening ceremony.”

Natasha held the microphone, her eyes sweeping across the room. Her domineering aura, along with her cold and sharp eyes, were all fitting for her position as a beautiful business prodigy.

“Everyone knows the Harmon family has made a new partner. From today onward, a portion of the Harmon family business will be handed over to said partner.” She looked around and continued, “I believe everyone is curious as to who this partner is. Don’t worry, I’ll reveal the answer soon! Now, let us give a round of applause and invite Ms. Nicholson onto the stage!”

As she finished, Natasha started to clap. Soon after, thunderous applause followed.

“Dahlia! You’re up!” Florence quickly nudged the woman next to her.

Dahlia immediately came back to her senses. Although she was shocked about who Natasha was, she did not have a choice but to proceed now. She took in a deep breath and pretended as if nothing had happened as she walked up the stage.

“Wow! It’s another stunning lady? We’re really blessed today!”

“Both are equally beautiful but with a different flair. I’d be willing to give up ten years of my life just to have both of them in my arms!”

“Shit! What man is worthy of such women?”

As Dahlia approached the stage, there was instantly a stirring in the crowd. Natasha was striking enough, but Dahlia’s presence made the crowd even more excited. It was such a rare occurrence to be graced with the presence of two beautiful ladies.

“We meet again, Ms. Nicholson.” Natasha reached out her hand with a smile.

“I didn’t expect you to be the president of the Harmon Group.” Dahlia shook her hand politely, a bewildered look in her eyes.

She should’ve known earlier.

Such a beautiful and elegant woman with the surname Harmon who had happened to appear two days before the charity ball. If she connected the dots, this woman must be none other than Natasha Harmon.

However, she did not come to this conclusion because she had been clouded with emotions or rather, she never believed Dustin would be involved with such a reputable family.

“It’s not too late to get to know each other.” Natasha beamed. “Oh, right. We still have a bet, don’t we?”

“That’s right.” Dahlia nodded calmly.

“Do you still think you can win?” Natasha raised her chin defiantly.

“I believe I can, if you don’t intrude.” Dahlia’s gaze was filled with determination, and she did not back down. She had always thought of Natasha as her adversary. Now that they met, she could have a worthy challenge.

“Don’t worry, I won’t help him. Besides, he doesn’t need my help. Truth be told, he is much more capable than us!” Natasha smiled.

“Love is blind. There’s no lie in that.” Dahlia smiled faintly.

“It seems like you don’t believe me. If that’s the case, time will tell.” Natasha smiled, not wanting to explain any further. She believed that one day Dahlia would understand.

“But, by then, it would be all too late.
 
Chapter 45

The two women were chatting eagerly on the stage as if they were old friends.

However, only a few would realize these two were locked in rivalry. Just like two beautiful roses competing. Both were beautiful yet filled with prickling thorns.

Dahlia did not feel inferior or dejected, although Natasha had a prestigious background. In fact, it made her more motivated to compete! She had always held herself high and did not give up easily. No matter what difficulties she faced, she would overcome them! It didn’t matter that Natasha was known as Swinton’s business prodigy. One day, she would be equal to her, or she might even surpass her!

“I believe everyone has witnessed Ms. Nicholson’s charm! Next, I want to introduce another young man. Not only did he save me, but he also helped out the Harmon family a lot. He is undoubtedly the Harmon family’s savior!”

The crowd stirred again once she finished. Everyone looked at each other with awe and curiosity. Who on earth would Natasha call a savior?

“Chris, could you be the savior she means?Jeff muttered coldly. In his opinion, only an outstanding young man like Chris could fit Natasha’s description.

“Chris, I didn’t know you were so important to the Harmon family! Congratulations!” Florence smiled brightly, immediately thinking it was Chris.

Chris was speechless. The corners of his mouth twitched as he didn’t know how to react. He was nothing.

How could he be the Harmon family’s savior? He wouldn’t need to face bankruptcy if he were so capable.

“Could it be him?” Chris suddenly thought of someone but quickly dismissed the thought.

No! It wasn’t possible! How could a useless nobody be a savior to the Harmon family?

Under everyone’s anticipating eyes, Natasha paused before saying, “Alright, I won’t beat around the bush.

Now, let’s give a warm welcome to Mr. Rhys!”

Natasha waved her hand, and a spotlight shone on Dustin. Everyone’s gaze immediately turned over.

“Dustin? How could it be him?” James was at a loss for words when he recognized who it was. His mouth was agape in shock.

“It can’t be! The Harmon family’s savior is that trash, Dustin?” At this moment, Florence was also in a state of shock. Her impression of Dustin was someone insignificant and weak. He wasn’t capable, nor did he have a good background. How could he have become the Harmon family’s savior out of the blue?

“How? How is it him?” Chris gritted his teeth, his hands balled into a fist. Rather than shock, he felt more jealous and frustrated.

How? How had that trash catch Natasha’s eye?

Was he worse than Dustin? In terms of looks, he was better looking. In terms of money, he was the richer. His family background was also far superior to Dustin’s. He was more capable and excellent in every way.

However, though that woman could recognize a gem, she had gone for some cheap guy.

Why was that so?

Chris’s face was clouded with hatred and resentment.

“It really is him.”

As the lights shone on Dustin, Dahlia was surprised and puzzled. She also felt an Inexplicable surge of emotions.

However, Dustin wasn’t happy to be the center of attention at all.

“What is this woman thinking? She didn’t mention that I had to be on stage.” Dustin furrowed his eyebrows, unable to make sense of her actions. After a moment of hesitation, he made his way up.

Murmurs went through the crowd.

“Who is this? I’ve never seen him.”

“I heard he’s Ms. Harmon’s boyfriend. She wants to take the opportunity to give him some publicity in this opening ceremony.”

“Ha! So he’s just a gold digger!”

The crowd started to speculate and discuss. Obviously, many looked down on a man that depended on awoman.

“I’m very grateful to Mr. Rhys. He’s also the Harmon family’s savior. I hope everyone will get to know him better in the future.” Natasha smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her gaze fell on Dahlia at the same time, as if to assert dominance.

Dahlia didn’t even flinch and remained composed. She even raised her chin provokingly as if to say Natasha could pick up after her trash.

Thus, the two women began another battle. Neither wanted to step aside, their gaze burned into each other.

At this moment, Dustin realized something was wrong.

When had the two of them gotten into a dispute? Weren’t they partners? Why did it seem as if they were more like rivals?

After a few seconds, they looked away at the same time–They were evenly matched.

“Ms. Nicholson, I look forward to working with you.” Natasha reached out her hand once again.

“I look forward to working with you too,” Dahlia replied with a smile.

“Sorry, but I’ll have to pass the company matters to you now. Dustin and I have something urgent to do. Please, excuse us.” Natasha smiled and led Dustin down the stage with her arms around his. Dustin never uttered a word up till this moment.

He was just an ornament.

“Ms. Harmon…” As they came down, Chris approached to say a few words.

However, Natasha didn’t even look at him and spat, “Get lost!”

Chris froze when she spoke. His last strand of hope fizzled up in flames. He knew Natasha would not let this slide easily. He even started to suspect that the Harmon family was behind the investigation into his company.

“These bastards! Since you’re so merciless, I won’t make it easy for you either,” he thought. He glared at them and left.

“Dustin!” Dahlia tried to chase him down. Her gaze was fathomless, shining as if she wanted to say something.

“Go ahead, Mr. Rhys. I’ll wait for you in the lounge.” Natasha smiled and let go of him. This was because she was confident in herself.

“You wanted to see me?” Dustin slowly turned around.

“I wanted to ask if the Harmon family choosing me as their partner had anything to do with you,” Dahlia clarified without skipping abeat. This matter had been on her mind ever since she found out who Natasha was.

Now that she knew Dustin’s standing in Natasha’s heart, she was starting to have greater doubts.
 
Chapter 46

“I don’t understand what you mean.” Dustin kept a straight face and played dumb. He was not one to claim credit or recognition for what he had done. Since things had ended between them, he hoped they wouldn’t be involved with each other in any way.

“It really wasn’t you?” Dahlia still had some doubts.

“Ms. Nicholson, I think there’s some misunderstanding. How can someone as useless as me help you?” Dustin replied coldly.

“Maybe I was wrong.” There was a hint of disappointment in her eyes as she added, “That’s right. Why would you help me? After all we’re no longer together. Besides, you’re not capable of doing so.”

“As you said, I have no money or power. I’m nothing compared to Chris. Is there anything else?” Dustin’s face remained blank.

“No. You can go back to Ms. Harmon,” Dahlia said scornfully.

“Alright, please excuse me.” Dustin did not say much more and quickly caught up with Natasha, who deliberately walked slower.

“Mr. Rhys, it seems Ms. Nicholson still has some feelings for you,” Natasha teased.

“Feelings?” Dustin laughed mockingly, “It’s good enough that we haven’t turned against each other.”

“You can never read a woman’s heart. There may be things even she has yet to figure out.” Natasha smiled and tried to change the topic. “Oh, you mentioned you still need some rare herbs?”

“Why? Have you found them?” Dustin immediately perked up.

“Not yet. But I know someone who can help you. He was bom into a family of doctors, and he collects many valuable herbs. Maybe he has what you need,” Natasha explained.

“Oh? Who is it?” Dustin inquired.

“Follow me and you’ll find out.”

Natasha didn’t give more details. She took Dustin’s hand and went to the lounge on the second floor. There were two men in the lounge room. One of them was Natasha’s grandfather, Andrew Harmon. The other was a burly man who looked about a couple of decades older than Dustin.

The man was wearing a suit that made his muscles bulge. He had a calm expression on his face. It was apparent he was no ordinary person.

“Mr. Rhys, you’re here! Have a seat!” Andrew immediately gestured for him to sit once Dustin entered the room.

“How are you feeling, Old Mr. Harmon?” Dustin asked politely.

“Much better. It’s all thanks to you. If not, I would have lost my life.” Andrew smiled.

“It’s nothing.” Dustin said modestly.

“Mr. Rhys, I would like to introduce someone to you.”

Natasha pointed at the other man. “This is Duane Welch, an expert in medicine. He’s from Millsburg and has a lot of experience. You can ask him if you need anything concerning medicine.”

“I’ve met you before.” Dustin nodded.

“I didn’t know you were going to introduce someone so young to me. I don’t know if he has what it takes.” Duane sized him up disdainfully. He had personally come because he heard there was a famous doctor in Swinton. He hadn’t expect it to be this unremarkable boy.

What a waste of his time!

“Mr. Welch, you can’t judge a book by its cover. I’ve personally witnessed Mr. Rhys‘ skill. He’s on par with other experienced doctors!” Natasha reassured him.

“Is that so? If that’s the case, he should evaluate me and see if he could diagnose anything.“Duane started to get ready for an evaluation. It was obvious he was trying to make things difficult for Dustin.

“There’s no need. I can recognize what disease you have in a glance,” Dustin responded.

“In a glance?” Duane was slightly startled. “Are you joking? You can diagnose me by just looking? Even the senior doctors in Millsburg can’t do that!”

“I don’t know if others can do it. But I can indeed see what disease you have.” Dustin was very certain.

“Alright! Then I would really like to know what you have diagnosed!” Duane joked lightly.

“You have a weak pulse, and you often become breathless. Your chest area especially is infected, and in addition to the internal injuries you suffered before, you are now terminally ill!” Dustin explained in a breath.

“Terminally ill? Ha! What nonsense!”

Duane chuckled coldly. “Young man, don’t you know that I’ve led an active lifestyle since I was young? My body is very strong. Besides, I take a lot of supplements. I’m basically invincible to any disease! How dare you say I’m terminally ill? What a joke!”

“You’re only healthy physically. The real disease is internal. Also, you should stop taking those supplements as they would only make your condition worse. Once it breaks out, there will be no turning back!” Dustin warned.

“What a load of bullshit! I’ve been taking those supplements since I was young and nothing has happened in 40 years. Now you’re telling me they don’t work?” Duane was very unhappy about this.

“I’m just warning you. If you continue, you will have a thyroid infection in three days!” Dustin advised.

“You’re not fooling me! I’ve encountered a lot of scammers like you!” Duane said disdainfully.

“Mr. Welch, Dustin is a skilled doctor. You better not take his words lightly.” Natasha reminded him gently.

“Natasha, I think you have been scammed. I know my body well. I’m not sick at all. He’s just trying to scare us!”

“Since you don’t believe it, why don’t we make a bet?”

“What is at stake?”

“It’s simple. If your disease breaks out within three days, you have to let Dustin pick anything from your collection of valuable herbs!”

“Alright! But what if I’m fine?”

“If you’re fine, you can come to the Harmon family’s treasury and pick any three items!” Natasha offered boldly.

“You stated the rules. Since you’re being so generous, I won’t hold back!” Duane chuckled.

Everything in the Harmon family’s treasury was an extraordinary item. Any three would be a rare collector’s item.

“Mr. Welch, a word of advice, it’s best if you don’t leave Swinton in these three days. If anything happens, I can still save you in time,” Dustin advised.

“What a joke! Who am I? Do I need you to save me? Even if I were sick, I would never ask you to treat me!”

Duane said contemptuously. He wouldn’t even bother talking with this scammer if it weren’t for the Harmon family.

“There’s no point in saying more. The truth will prevail” Dustin smiled faintly without saying another word. He just hoped Duane’s rare herbs collection would have what he needed.
 
Chapter 47

“Mr. Harmon, I have to attend something else. Please, excuse me.”

After a few exchanges, Duane got ready to leave. He had come because of a renowned doctor. He wouldn’t stay long since it was just a sham.

“Mr. Welch, I suggest you listen to Mr. Rhys‘ advice and stay around Swinton for these few days to avoid anything.” Natasha kindly reminded him.

“Natasha, you don’t have to worry about me. You should worry about yourself,” Duane piped up thoughtfully. “I remember your engagement to Tyler Grant is imminent. I don’t think a man like him would like it if you were too close to other men.”

Natasha couldn’t help but frown at these words. He had touched on a sensitive topic.

“It’s just an engagement. We’re not even married yet. At worst, I can break off the engagement,” Natasha answered casually.

“Break off the engagement? That’s the Grant family you’re talking about. Have you thought of the consequences of your actions?” Duane was slightly bewildered.

“What consequences would there be? They can’t do anything to me,” Natasha replied calmly.

“The Grant family might not do anything to you, but I’m not sure about the one next to you. You’re well aware of the Grant family’s ways. The closer you get to him, the more danger he’s in.”

Duane gazed toward Dustin. His implications were clear.

“Hmph! I don’t believe Tyler would cause any trouble!” Natasha maintained an impassive face.

“I’m just reminding you. What you do is up to you.” Duane didn’t say more and left with a smile.

“What Duane says is true. You’d better deal with the matter between you and the Grant family.” Andrew warned.

“Grandfather, I know what to do.” Natasha nodded.

Although they had been engaged since young, she had never fallen for him. How could she marry someone she doesn’t have feelings for? Besides, she despised arranged marriages the most!

“Ms. Harmon, Sir Hummer is requesting to see you,” a bodyguard informed her after entering.

“Edwin Hummer?” Natasha raised an eyebrow. “I was just about to see him. I didn’t expect him to come first. Bring him to the lounge, I’ll be there in a second.”

“Yes, Ms. Nicholson,” the bodyguard replied promptly and left.

“Mr. Rhys, I’m going to see what I can find out from Edwin. You can pretend to be my bodyguard and Improvise.” Natasha glanced at the man beside her.

“Okay,” Dustin agreed and nodded his head.

Today’s ceremony was bait for the prey. Now that the prey was here, he could not pass on this opportunity.

Three minutes later, Dustin and Natasha arrived at another lounge.

Edwin and Fletcher were leisurely enjoying some tea inside. Behind them were a pair of twins.

“Ms. Harmon, congratulations on your grand opening!” Edwin immediately congratulated her.

He seemed like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

They were

“Welcome. Sir Hummer. It’s a pleasure to have you here!” Natasha greeted cheerily. Although they enemies, they had to put on a cordial act.

“I see a few new faces around you. Aren’t you going to introduce them?” Natasha looked toward Fletcher and the other two men.

“Oh! This is an old friend of mine, Mr. Lawson. He helps me with my personal affairs. As for these two young “men, they’re his apprentices,” Edwin introduced them without hesitation.

“So you’re Mr. Lawson. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Natasha smiled.

“Mr. Lawson, I have something to discuss with Ms. Harmon. You can leave the room.” Edwin gave them a look, hinting for them to leave.

“Yes, sir.”
 
Chapter 48

Fletcher threw a glance at Dustin and went out with his apprentices.

“You should go out too.” Natasha gestured for him to exit the room.

Dustin nodded and went out.

They had a tacit understanding with each other, or in other words, they had ulterior motives.

“So, you’re Natasha’s personal bodyguard? You don’t look like much!” The twins sized Dustin up like he was their prey.

“Is that so? You’ll find out soon.” Dustin went down the stairs without another word.

“Liam and Noah, follow him and get rid of him,” Fetcher ordered coldly.

In his opinion, he didn’t need to deal with an insignificant person like Dustin. His two apprentices could easily finish him off.

“No problem!” Liam and Noah grinned and followed him quietly.

Once Dustin went downstairs, he strolled through the garden and entered the underground parking lot. The company had just launched, and the parking lot was still closed, so it was quiet and empty.

“Boy! You really know how to dig your own grave!”

At that moment, Liam and Noah finally revealed themselves. There was nobody here, so they could make a move.

“Don’t you know the prey may sometimes become the predator?” Dustin turned around slowly, as if it was all a part of his plan.

“I don’t know what you mean, but the prey is definitely you!” The two grinned grimly.

However, before they could make a move, there was a thunderous sound of footsteps. A group of thugs armed with machetes and steel pipes rushed in.

“Huh, this is not enough to bruise us!” Liam and Noah grinned, not taking the thugs seriously at all.

Dustin raised his eyebrow. He, too, felt it was a bit excessive. He didn’t need help to fight these two people.

“Dustin! Your time has come!” Chris yelled and walked out of the crowd.

“It’s you! Are you here to join the fun too?” Dustin narrowed his eyes in surprise.

“Join the fun? I’m going to break you today!” Chris said viciously.

“I don’t think I have any beef with you,” Dustin stated calmly.

“You may not, but I do!” Chris cried with resentment. “Who are you to deserve Ms. Harmon’s attention? How am I inferior to you? Why am I getting kicked aside like a dog? Why?”

“You brought people here because of that?” Dustin was slightly confused. He really couldn’t understand how Chris’s mind worked. What was this, jealousy turned into wrath?

“Of course not! You’ve long been an eyesore to me! I haven’t been able to get with Dahlia because of you. Your entire existence is a stumbling block in my lifel” Chris roared. His hatred toward Dustin had slowly grown over time. He always thought he was a nobody, so he never took him seriously. However, he finally acknowledged him as a threat after finding out Natasha’s identity.

He may just be some gold digger, but he would become a threat if he stayed by Natasha’s side and stirred up trouble. Thus, he wanted to act first and destroy Dustin.

He refused to believe Natasha would fall for a useless piece of trash!
 
Chapter 49

“I’d advise you not to do that, or you will regret it.” Dustin remained calm and unbothered. Chris had always been nothing but a joke to him.

“Ha! I know you practice some martial arts, but it’s not enough to defeat the men I hired. They’re all experts in martial arts. Besides, even if you can fight, you’d only get chopped up by my men!” Chris smiled coldly.

It was a completely different matter to fight with hand–to–hand combat than armed combat. He refused to believe Dustin could survive a weapon!

“Hey! I don’t know what grudge you hold against each other, but we set our eyes on him first. You’d better stand aside!” the twins yelled.

“Initially, they thought Chris and his men were Dustin’s backup, but they turned out to be his enemies.

“Who are these two idiots? Step aside, or we’ll deal with you too!” Chris glared at them and roared.

“Deal with us?” Liam and Noah glanced at each other and chuckled, “Haha! We’ve not met someone as fearless as you in some time. Come, let us see what you and your men can do.”

They made some taunting gestures toward the men.

“Fuck! You’re asking for it! Kill them all!” Chris didn’t waste another second and gave the order. The men armed with knives and steel poles immediately stormed forward.

“We should warm up.” Liam and Noah grinned and stepped forward.

What happened next shook Chris to the core.

The twins waved their bare fists around and began to attack his men viciously. They moved at the speed of lightning, and their fists were extremely powerful. Every strike took one man down. Any unlucky fighters would die right on the spot!

Chris realized something frightening. Their hands seemed to be cast from metal. One punch could create a hole through the wall. One kick could bend the steel rod in half.

These people weren’t human. These two were clearly monsters!

In just a few minutes, Liam and Noah managed to defeat all the thugs. Not a single one of them remained.

Their strength was astonishingly overpowering!

“How is this possible?” Chris was so frightened his lips quivered. He never expected these two ordinary men to be so powerful.

“What a bunch of trash! I haven’t even finished warming up!” Both Liam and Noah felt unsatisfied with their battle.

As they spoke, they turned to look at Chris, and he stumbled backward out of fear.

“Coward!” Both of them couldn’t be bothered with Chris and turned around to focus on Dustin. “Now it’s your turn. I hope you can surprise us. Otherwise, this would be too w
easy "

“Bring it on.” Dustin waved his hand with an unwavering expression.

“Liam, let me have at it first!” Noah chuckled and leaped forward.

Chris, who had been frightened earlier, Immediately got excited as he watched this unfold. He could see that their target was Dustin. Although his men were all defeated, he would be glad as long as Dustin got beaten up too. He couldn’t help but look forward to it at the thought of the twins‘ performance just now.

“Dustin Rhys, aren’t you good at fighting? I would like to see how you escape these two monsters!” Chris laughed gleefully.

At this moment, Noah made a move. His body arched up slightly, and there was a sudden force. In an instant, his body sprung forward like a preying cheetah and slammed into Dustin powerfully. Even a cow would fall, let alone a person.

As Chris was gloating at the thought, Dustin suddenly moved. He reached out his hand at lightning speed, grabbed Noah’s neck, and threw him against the wall.

There was a loud explosion as Noah’s body made a hole in the wall.

Noah groaned. He felt dizzy after being hit and had lost all his strength. All his bones felt as if they had shattered, and he couldn’t even move.

Noah had lost all fight in just one move.

Dustin glared at him coldly. He grabbed Noah with one hand like he was nothing.

“Stop it!” Liam cried out in utter shock. He shot up and aimed a punch at Dustin’s back.

A muffled thud followed his punch.

Dustin, who had been hit, stood as firm as a mountain. On the contrary, it was Liam who was sent flying miles away by the burst of energy. He landed harshly on a concrete wall and spat a mouthful of blood before he landed on the ground.

Liam was horrified as he looked down and realized the arm he used to punch Dustin had completely shattered. His internal organs had suffered severe damage. However, he still had surging energy in his body flowing out uncontrollably, like a wildfire that couldn’t be contained. Liam could not bear it anymore and spat out another mouthful of blood.

Chris was dumbfounded by what he saw. It was as if he had seen a ghost. He never imagined that the pair of twins who seemed so invincible Just now would be defeated by Dustin in a blink of an eye. They hadn’t even made any significant moves.

How could this be? This was impossible!

Chris was so shocked his face turned to ash, and cold sweat dripped down his back.

He had been so sure of the twins‘ ability. Liam and Noah were able to easily take down 20 people before. He had never seen such dauntless fighters! Logically speaking. It would be easy for them to deal with Dustin.

How did they fail right at the beginning?

If these two were monsters, then wasn’t Dustin a beast amongst monsters?
 
I wonder if Dustin is not ordinary human. How could he beat 200 men with weapons by himself? If he couldn’t walk in day light I'll be right to assume he is a vampire. There he goes walking on day light having fun😃
 
Chapter 50

“Who on earth are you?” Liam trembled as he dragged himself over. His laidback expression had been replaced by shock and fear. Never did he imagine that his full strength could not even scratch his opponent. Instead, he had injured himself gravely.

Was this man even human?

Fletcher had clearly told them he was just an ordinary martial artist. Why was he so powerful?

“Liam! Run away! Quickly!” Noah, who was pressed against the wall, yelled out at the top of his lungs.

The moment he crossed paths with Dustin, he realized that Dustin was much stronger than they had imagined. He had been able to render him completely useless with one move.

“Ah!” Liam cried out begrudgingly. Reluctantly, he abandoned his brother and ran away. He knew he couldn’t save him. He didn’t even have the power to fight Dustin to his death.

If Dustin was a mountain, they were nothing but ants. His punch just now had completely crushed his will to fight!

“I have to tell Fletcher! This man is too frightening. He shouldn’t be taken lightly, otherwise Fletcher will surely die!”

Liam’s desire to survive pushed him to rush out of the parking lot. He was only focused on one thought. He had to tell his master to leave Swinton and never return!

This man was someone they could never afford to offend!

Dustin didn’t bother to chase after Liam because he knew Liam’s internal organs had suffered fatal damage.

“Who on earth are you? Why are you in Swinton?” Noah was filled with fear, as if he had seen a ghost. If he knew someone so powerful existed by Natasha’s side, he wouldn’t dare to approach her even if he had the courage of a lion.

“That doesn’t matter. I’ll give you a chance. Tell me everything about Fletcher, and I’ll spare your life,” Dustin said coldly.

“You want me to betray him? In your dreams!” Noah glared at him and used his last remaining strength to tap on his amulet.

There was a crisp sound, and Noah bled to death in an instant.

Dustin raised an eyebrow. He didn’t expect Noah to be so determined as to opt for suicide to prevent himself from spilling anything.

Chris cowered in a corner, shivering after witnessing everything.

He quickly ran away without another word. He wouldn’t have provoked Dustin if he knew he was so powerful. Now he had brought trouble onto himself. He was speechless!

At the same time, In the lounge of the Emerald building. Edwin and Natasha were still conversing.

“Ms. Harmon, I have some business at home. Please, excuse me.” Edwin got ready to leave after the chat.

“Goodbye, Sir Hummer.” Natasha did not intend to stop them and watched as they left.

“Mr. Lawson, do you have any news from your apprentices?” Edwin immediately asked once they got in the car.

“Maybe they wanted to have a bit more fun. Don’t worry, Sir Hummer. They will return after they deal with the matter.” Fletcher smiled calmly.

He was very confident in the apprentices he trained personally. They were twins, so they had a deep emotional connection. Their strength doubles once united. They were undoubtedly invincible in Swinton!

“That would be best.” Edwin nodded without another word and ordered the driver to get going.

Soon, they arrived at the Hummer Villa. However, before they could settle down, a bodyguard rushed in and cried, “Sir Hummer! Mr. Lawson! Liam has sustained fatal injuries. I don’t think he will make it!”

“What?” Edwin and Fletcher’s faces immediately fell when they heard this.

“What nonsense are you saying? Liam is invincibly strong. Who could hurt him?” Fletcher was very distressed, and he grabbed the bodyguard by the collar.

“It’s true! Liam is at the door right now. You have to see him now or it will be too late!” the bodyguard pleaded.

Fletcher did not waste any time. He pushed the bodyguard aside and left quickly. However, he lost his cool when he saw the dying Liam when he arrived at the door.

“Liam! What happened to you? Where’s Noah?” Fetcher’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Noah… is dead. We were mistaken! You Leave!”

Before Liam could finish his sentence, there was a splutter, and he spat a mouthful of blood on Fletcher’s face.

His head slumped and he died on the spot!

“Liam!” Fetcher exclaimed, overcome with sorrow. He had carefully trained both apprentices to pass on the mantle. He didn’t expect them to die so suddenly.

“Why? Why did this happen? Who did this?” Fetcher held on to the body and cried.

“I don’t know. Liam was already in this state when we found him.” The bodyguard shook his head.

“Mr. Lawson, Liam was very capable. How did he end up this way?” Edwin walked toward them at this moment.

Fletcher did not respond. He knelt down and inspected the body carefully.

“Broken bones and blood vessels, major organ damage. He must’ve met a powerful opponent!” After the inspection, Fetcher’s expression darkened.

“Are you saying that fellow by Natasha’s side is very powerful?” Edwin frowned.

“His strength must not be taken lightly if he could destroy my apprentices. I made a wrong judgment!” Fletcher said in disappointment.

“Can you defeat him?” Edwin implored.

“Although this man is very strong, he’s still young. He can’t be more powerful than my 40 years of experience. I will kill him and take revenge for my apprentices!” Fletcher swore with determination.

“Mr. Lawson, since you’re proficient in the mystic arts. You should use what you’re confident in,” Edwin reminded him. He didn’t want any more accidents to occur.

“Hmph! This man killed my apprentices by beating them to death! I would return an eye for an eye and kill him myself!” Fletcher gritted his teeth.

If he knew his apprentice died because of his attempt to punch Dustin, he would no longer have had this thought.
 
Gily said:
I wonder if Dustin is not ordinary human. How could he beat 200 men with weapons by himself? If he couldn’t walk in day light I'll be right to assume he is a vampire. There he goes walking on day light having fun😃
Click to expand...
We shall see. More chapters to come means more fun
 
Chapter 51

In a lounge at the Emerald building. Natasha greeted Dustin. “Mr. Rhys, you’re not hurt, are you?” Her eyes scanned him over in worry.

“I’m fine.” Dustin shook his head and continued, “I’ve dealt with the twins. What do you plan on doing next?”

“Those two were some of Edwin’s most useful men. I think he will be very alarmed now that they are dead. We should take things slow lest we scare them away,” Natasha said. She did not want to burn the bridge between her and Edwin. She just wanted to teach him a lesson so he would back down. This was the best option.

“Alright. It’s up to you.” Dustin didn’t say more.

“Oh, yes, you should take cover for the time being. I received news that Trevor’s brother, Travis, is back, and he’s hunting for the murderer.” Natasha’s tone and expression turned grave. She would not pick battles with the military. Travis was a general in the warzone. Even she had to think twice before getting on the wrong side of him.

“Thanks for the advice. I know what to do.” Dustin nodded.

The position of general was a very powerful one. To someone ordinary, he held the power of life and death.

However, Dustin was not so afraid.

Meanwhile, in the Spanner Villa. Travis stood by the coffin’s side with his eyes closed. Outside the living room, members of the Spanner family knelt on the ground. Everyone had their heads down. Not a word was spoken, and the atmosphere was very tense.

Trevor had died out of the blue, the traitor Mason had disappeared, and the murderer was nowhere to be found. The entire Spanner family was reeling from the loss.

“General! We’ve got something!” At this moment, an adjutant walked in.

“Who is the murderer?” Travis opened his eyes with a bloodthirsty look.

“We’re not sure who the murderer is. But, we’ve found someone related to him,” the adjutant explained.

“Be more specific.”

“According to our Investigation, two people went to the Drey Group before Trevor’s demise. One was the Quine Group’s president, Dahlia Nicholson. The other was Hunter Anderson, the president of Swinton’s Business Commerce!”

“You mean they are associated with the murderer?”

“Yes! Dahlia, especially, is the key to everything. Edward was crippled because of her. She must know the murderer’s identity!” the adjutant deduced.

“That’s right! That bitch ruined me! She has someone good at fighting on her side. They must have killed my father!” Edward immediately became agitated.

“Gather the troops! Arrest her immediately!” Travis stood up and said coldly after ordering. “I don’t care who the murderer is. I will destroy his whole family for killing someone from the Spanner family!”

That evening, the Nicholson family were celebrating Dahlia’s newly launched company in a restaurant.

“Sis, I’d like to raise a toast to you. I wish you success in the future!” James grinned and raised his glass.

The rest of them cheered and raised their glasses.

“Dahlia, you must be hiring since the company is newly established. I have a niece who’s a fresh graduate. Can you arrange a job for her?”

“Huh! I almost forgot. I also have a cousin that’s recently unemployed. He has eight years of experience in business management. Dahlia, you should hire him into management. He’s sure to help you out!”

After a few drinks, some women started to chatter.

“Hiring is handled by Human Resources. I usually don’t interfere. Of course, if any of you have a suitable candidate, they can always submit their resume,” Dahlia responded professionally. The company was very against nepotism, and she would usually avoid matters like this. Of course, if it were unavoidable, she would arrange an idle job for them.

“Dahlia, listen to me. I heard that Dustin and Ms. Harmon are very close. If you won’t help us, we’ll ask Dustin!” one of them exclaimed.

“Hmph! Dustin is nothing but a gold digger. He’s not even fit to be in my sister’s shadow!” James snorted coldly.

“That’s right! What can useless trash do for you? Do you really think he could speak up before Ms. Harmon? Stop daydreaming!” Florence also added in spite.

Why would they mention that trash to dampen the mood?

“But I heard Dustin was invited onto the stage at today’s opening ceremony,” the person added.

“So what? He didn’t even say a single word. It was so humiliating!”

“That’s right! It may seem he’s living a glorious life now, but he’s nothing but a tool. Ms. Harmon will kick him aside when she gets tired of him!”

Everyone started nodding along. That was right. What did Ms. Harmon see in a person such as Dustin? In the end, he was nothing but a plaything. Once she got tired of him, she would throw him away. By then, Dustin would be worthless!

“Hard work requires effort. Any man who depends on a woman is useless. The real talented young man is Chris!” James finished and gave Chris a big thumbs up.

Chris’s eyes twitched, and he seemed nervous. In the past, he would definitely scoff in contempt of Dustin. However, after witnessing his power today, he felt Dustin was not someone ordinary.

“Alright, let’s stop talking about this and eat,” Dahlia said, trying to change the topic. She didn’t want to hear

Dustin’s and Natasha’s names mentioned.
Whenever she thought of the two laughing and talking, she would feel strangely panicked.

“Quick! Surround this place. No one can leave!”

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door. Immediately, the door was kicked open with a loud bang.

A group of heavily armed guards stormed in aggressively. The deadly aura radiating from them made everyone’s blood run cold.

“Who is Dahlia Nicholson?” The leading soldier stepped out, his eyes as sharp as a knife.
 
Chapter 52

Everyone was shocked when they watched the guards swarm in. They looked at each other in confusion for some time.

“Officer, what is the matter?” Florence braced herself and asked. She had never witnessed such an occasion as a civilian. Even if she did not do anything illegal, she still felt guilty.

“I’m asking, who is Dahlia Nicholson?” the officer spoke in a somber tone with a hostile look in his eyes.

“I am…” Dahlia slowly stood up and put on a brave face as she asked, “What can I do for you, officer?”

“According to our investigations, you are collaborating with the enemy. You are accused of being a spy planted by the west. Come with us immediately to assist in the investigation!” the officer announced.

“Collaborating with the enemy? A traitor?”

Everyone was shocked at his accusation. That didn’t seem plausible. Dahlia was born and raised in Swinton, she wasn’t mixed in any way. Even her ancestors were all ordinary farmers.

How could she end up being a traitor?

“Officer, is there a mistake? My daughter is a model citizen. She pays her taxes every year and even donates to charity. How is it possible that she’s a traitor?” Florence asked in shock.

“That’s right! My sister is innocent. You shouldn’t spew nonsense!” James slammed the table and stood up unhappily.

“We will find out whether this is a mistake after the investigation!” the guard answered coldly.

“Is there even a need? We can testify!”

“That’s right! Dahlia is definitely not a traitor!” everyone spoke out in support. They were very clear about Dahlia’s conduct.

It would be more plausible that she manipulated the market, but being a traitor to the country was not possible!

“I’m just following orders. Anyone who stops me will be deemed an accomplice!” The officer started to get impatient.

“You wouldn’t dare!” James glared at him. “Do you know who we are? You wouldn’t live to see daylight if you dared touch a single hair on my sister!”

“Huh! There is solid evidence of Dahlia Nicholson’s collusion with the enemy country. Anyone who obstructs the arrest must be an accomplice. If that’s the case, take them all away! Anyone who resists will be shot!”

At the officer’s order, all the soldiers raised their guns one after another. The cold gun barrel aimed at the people in the room felt very menacing.

In an instant, everyone froze.

“You-you…” James wanted to say something but Dahlia quickly stopped him. “Everyone, keep calm. I believe there must be some misunderstanding. I’m sure they will let me go after the investigation.”

The officer snorted coldly at these words. They were the ones who decided whether this was a misunderstanding or not!

“Take them away!” the officer ordered, and everyone was taken to the car.

The car stopped at the gates of the Spanner Villa 20 minutes later.

“Officer, this doesn’t look like a place for investigations,” Florence asked with uncertainty.

“Stop talking nonsense! Go in!” The officer couldn’t bother to say more and forced everyone inside the villa.

Everyone realized something was off once they walked into the courtyard. Two white flags were hung on each side of the door, and in the middle of the living room was a coffin.

Trevor’s portrait greeted them.

“Sir Spanner?” Everyone widened their eyes in confusion.

As for Dahlia, she started to feel uneasy. She realized she must have walked into a trap.

“Is everyone here?” Just when everyone was left wondering, a burly Travis walked out imposingly. His sharp eyes and menacing stance felt so overbearing some couldn’t breathe.

“Sir, everyone related is here,” the officer replied.

“Okay.” Travis nodded, his gaze swept through the crowd, and he continued, “My name is Travis Spanner. I’m from the western war zone with the position of a general. I believe some of you may have heard of me.”

“Travis Spanner? General?” Everyone’s face fell at these words.

Chris was especially fearful. Others might not know it, but he knew very well how scary the western warzone was. Only one who was experienced in battle and had strong military control could obtain this position. Even the Mighty Three had to show their respect in the face of this man. In this world, money and status were far inferior to power!

Rich people did not necessarily have power, but people with power must have money!

This man before him was the prime example of someone with money and power. The point was his power came from the military. He could convict anyone of any crime in just a word!

For example, treason!

“I don’t want to waste time, so I’ll just ask one question. You’ll survive if you answer honestly. Otherwise, you’ll be convicted for the crime of treason!” Travis threatened without beating around the bush.

“General, we will fully cooperate with the investigation!” Florence nodded, her legs trembling with fear. She had no choice. This man’s demeanor was too domineering!

“Alright. Let me ask you, did my brother’s death have anything to do with you?” Travis asked.

The crowd got anxious as soon as he said those words.

“No! It has nothing to do with us! We don’t know anything!”

“Yes! We’re all innocent!”

“General! You must be mistaken! We have nothing to do with Sir Spanner’s death!”

Everyone shook their heads in fright. They would definitely lose their lives if they admitted to such a thing.

“Is that so?” Travis snickered coldly. He waved his hand without another word and ordered, “Edward, take a look at these people.”

“I’m coming!” Edward slowly limped out of the room. As his gaze fixed on Dahlia, he immediately took on a lustful expression. However, his lust quickly turned to resentment. Now that he had become crippled, he wouldn’t feel anything even before this exquisite woman.

‘Since he couldn’t get her, he would rather destroy her!

At this thought, Edward’s face contorted into a nasty look.

“Uncle! It’s her, Dahlia! My dad’s death must have something to do with her!” Edward pointed at Dahlia, then turned around and pointed at Chris, shouting, “And him! He also has a grudge against me! He might be suspicious too!”
 
Chapter 53

Chris was completely dumbfounded to be pointed out by Edward. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Edward to do so. He didn’t do anything, but somehow he got involved.

“Tell me honestly, did you have anything to do with my dad’s death?” Edward glared and shouted.

“No! It had nothing to do with me! I don’t know anything!” Chris shook his head in fear, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

“You don’t know, or you don’t want to tell?” Edward narrowed his eyes menacingly.

“Mr. Spanner, I really have no idea! This is all a misunderstanding!” Chris started to plead, every inch of his body was begging for mercy. Although he knew Edward was taking the opportunity to settle their personal grudge, he couldn’t say a word.

“Huh! It seems like you won’t spill without some pressure. Come, beat him up!” Edward ordered, and two officers immediately took action.

“Wait!” James suddenly stopped them. “Do you know who he is? He’s Chris Nolan of Nolan Pharmaceuticals!

He’s also very close with Mr. Anderson! If you dared touch a hair on him, Mr. Anderson would not let it slide!”

“There! Uncle Travis, you heard it. This guy is related to Hunter Anderson! He must be one of the murderers!”

Edward suddenly became excited, as if he had caught Chris admitting to the crime.

“So you’re Hunter’s accomplice that killed my brother?” Travis glared at him.

There were two main suspects in this case. One was Hunter Anderson, and the other was Dahlia Nicholson.

This man was connected to both of these people, so he was obviously involved.

“No! It wasn’t me!” Chris was slightly startled, and he quickly shook his head. “I have nothing to do with Mr. Anderson! I don’t know anything at all. This whole thing was a misunderstanding from start to finish!”

“Chris, why do you have to be afraid of them? You have Mr. Anderson to help you. They wouldn’t dare to touch you!” James proclaimed proudly.

“Shut the fuck up!” Chris was so terrified he threw his arms around and landed a slap on James‘ face.

Mr. Anderson was nothing! This guy was a general commanding thousands of troops!

Who could stop someone like him if he goes mad?

“Chris… Why did you hit me?”

James held onto his face in pain. “Didn’t you give Mr. Anderson a phone call to save my sister when Sir Spanner was messing with her? Did I say something wrong?”

“Fuck you! How dare you speak nonsense! Shut up!”

Chris was about to cry. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Was this guy an idiot? Couldn’t he read the room?

“We have a witness and physical evidence! I’d like to see you explain yourself!” Edward gloated. He just wanted to take advantage of the situation. He didn’t expect to actually get results.

“Edward, this guy is bullshitting! I didn’t do anything. It was a complete coincidence that Mr. Anderson showed up that day! They were the ones giving me all the credit willingly!” Chris had no choice but to tell the truth as the situation started to get out of hand.

“Huh? Didn’t you help my sister?” James was very confused.

“In your dreams!” Chris berated angrily. “Who am I to request for Mr. Anderson? You should really use your brains! If I had that power, I wouldn’t go bankrupt!”

“What? Bankrupt?” The entire Nicholson family was shocked by his words. They couldn’t react for a moment.

“At this point, I won’t bother to hide anymore. Dustin was right. Nolan Pharmaceuticals is under investigation, and we’re going bankrupt. Now, it’s just an empty shell!”

Chris could no longer be bothered. He would do anything to be set apart from the Nicholson family.

“You’re not joking, are you? You said the company was going public. How could it go bankrupt?” Florence was dumbfounded.

“Going public? That’s bullshit! I just said that to fool all of you! There’s no such thing on earth! I wouldn’t even think of you if the dividends existed! Stop dreaming!” Chris had a grim expression on his face. He was blabbing about everything at this moment. He would do anything to draw a line between himself and the Nicholson family to save his life.

“You mean you’ve been lying to us?” Florence was shocked and in disbelief.

“That’s right! I just wanted to snag some money and run away. Who knew you’d be dumb enough to believe it!” Chris sneered.

“You monster! How could you cheat us of our money? Pay us back!” Florence shrieked and jumped at Chris. That was her retirement money. She had invested everything to get the bonus.

Who knew it would all be in vain? It was as if her whole world had collapsed!

“You sly wolf! We trusted you! How could you cheat us of our money? You’re an animal! Give us back the money!” The others were also agitated and started to protest, but they were quickly forced back by the armed guards. Only Florence was quick enough to leave a scratch mark on Chris’s face.

“The money is gone! Truth be told, I’ve transferred all the funds overseas. You should just give up!” Chris came completely clean. His words were like a knife, stabbed through their chests. They had never felt more regret! If they had known this, they wouldn’t have been greedy and believed in Chris’s nonsense.

“Why would you do this?” Dahlia frowned in confusion. She never expected Chris’s capital increase would be a scam.

Moreover, Dustin was being kind when he tried to tell her the Nolan family was going bankrupt. However, no one believed him.

This was really a big slap in the face!

“Why? Of course, it was for money! I’ll have women when I have money. You should all know this!” Chris snickered.

“So the partnership with the Harmon family had nothing to do with you either?” Dahlia asked tentatively.

“That’s right!” Chris admitted to it plainly. “My dad never called the Harmon family. They made the decision themselves. I just took advantage of the situation! The funny thing was you all believed me without a doubt!”

Dahlia was completely dumbfounded. Everything turned out to be a misunderstanding. Chris never helped her in any way and even cheated her of her money. The worst part was that he had taken credit for everything and kept her in the dark. He had such wild ambitions!

The question was, who had helped her behind her back if it wasn’t Chris?
 
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