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 54

“Could it be Dustin?” Dahlia wondered. She then immediately dismissed this thought.

That was impossible!

They were already divorced. Besides, they were now like water and oil. Why would he help her? Moreover, he wasn’t capable of it.

“Chris Nolan! You’re such a vile and despicable human being! I must’ve been blind to believe in someone like you!”

“Bastard! I even thought of you as family! You’re even worse than that trash, Dustin!” Florence and James cursed at him after knowing the truth. They had put their whole trust in Chris. They didn’t expect him to be a fraud.

“We all have to look out for ourselves! You only have yourself to blame for being so dumb!” Chris mocked scornfully.

“Shut the fuck up! My ears are sore from listening to your bickering!” Edward roared, and everyone fell silent at once.

“What I’m trying to say is, I have nothing to do with the Nicholson family. I don’t know Hunter Anderson either. The Nicholson family was behind Sir Spanner’s death! I had nothing to do with it!” Chris knelt on the floor with a thud and started to beg.

“Uncle Travis, how should we deal with him?” Edward asked.

Travis didn’t say a word. He took two steps forward and declared to Chris, “I don’t care about what you have to do with the Nicholson family. I just want to know who the murderer is! Tell me, and I’ll spare you, or else you face the same fate as them!”

“I’ll tell you everything!” Chris suddenly had an idea and said in a hurry. “I figured it out! It must be Dustin! He must’ve murdered Mr. Spanner!”

“Dustin? What a familiar name.” Edward pinched his chin in deep thought.

“Edward, did you forget? He’s the one who beat you up!” Chris started to blabber.

“It was him!” Edward immediately remembered and added resentfully, “Uncle Travis, Dustin is the most suspicious of all!”

“Where is he?” Travis asked coldly..

“I saw him at the Emerald building this morning. I don’t know where he went after that. Oh, Dahlia is in charge of the Emerald building. She’s also Dustin’s wife. She must know where he is!” Chris pointed at Dahlia and pushed all the blame onto her.

“Bullshit! Dustin and my sister are divorced!” James immediately refuted.

“That’s right! We have nothing to do with Dustin. His mess has nothing to do with us!”

“Yeah! You should look for Dustin. We’re all Innocent!”

Everyone started to protest, afraid of being involved in this matter.

“I’ll decide if you’re innocent or not. Everyone is guilty before we find the murderer!” Travis scoffed coldly.

“That damned Dustin! He’s going to kill us all!”

“This is so unfair! We’ve obeyed the law our whole lives. Why did we meet such a troublemaker?”

The Nicholson family lamented together.

“Leave Dahlia and lock up the rest of the Nicholson family!” Travis gave the order.

“Yes, sir!” The adjutant saluted, and armed soldiers led Florence and the others into the car.

As for Chris, he was shocked out of his wits.

“Where are you taking them?” Dahlia frowned with worry.

“You shouldn’t worry about them. You should worry about yourself.”

Travis slowly inched closer and asked coldly, “Where is Dustin? Are both of you involved in my brother’s death? You’d better be honest, and I’ll end you quickly! Otherwise, your entire family would join you!”

“Sir Spanner’s death has nothing to do with me! I don’t know anything!” Dahlia denied.

“You don’t know?” Travis snorted. “It seems you won’t say anything without some force.”

He waved his hands, and two soldiers came forward and bound Dahlia up and hung her in from the ceiling.

“Let me go! You’re abusing your power!” Dahlia kept on struggling. However, her wrist hurt more with each struggle.

“Abusing my power?” Travis laughed at her statement. “It seems like you haven’t got a hold of the situation. Now, your life is in my hands. I decide if you die or live. I’ll ask you one more time, where is Dustin?”

“I don’t know!” Dahlia shook her head stubbornly.

“Huh! I think you would only give up after facing death! Beat her up until she spills it!” Travis commanded.

A burly underling quickly came forward dragging a barbed whip.

“What are you doing? I… Dahlia’s face paled, and as she was about to say something, the whip landed hard on her back with a crack! With that crisp sound, her clothes tore, and a deep, bloody wound was left on her back.

Dahlia moaned and gritted her teeth, holding in pain.

What quickly followed were multiple whips. The blows landed on her one after another. Dahlia finally couldn’t hold it in and let out a scream. Her body was in such pain it started to tremble. Her pale and smooth back instantly became bruised and bloody!

This whip was a specially designed torture device covered with dense spikes. Even a man couldn’t endure a dozen lashes, let alone a woman.

“Spill!” Travis stood to her side and watched unfeelingly.

Dahlia bit her lip in pain. She was sweating profusely, but her eyes were set with determination. “Don’t stop! Hit harder!”

Travis was losing his temper with her and commanded his underlings to use more strength. As a result, the sounds of the whip and screams began to erupt one after another.

Chris couldn’t bear to watch on. He could only lower his head in silence.

Edward, on the other hand, had a disturbing smile on his face.
 
Chapter 55

After being subjected to the torture, Dahlia finally passed out.

Her back was bloody and horrific to look at. The fresh wounds were still bleeding profusely, her body still twitching uncontrollably even while she was passed out.

“General, she has lost consciousness!” one of his men reported.

“Wake her up and keep going.” Travis spat coldly.

“Uncle Travis, can I have a go?” Edward interjected eagerly. Ever since he was crippled, there had been a tremendous shift in his psychology. The more beautiful a woman was, the more he wanted to destroy her.

“If you want to, go ahead.” Travis nodded in approval.

“Thank you, Uncle Travis!” Edward grinned eerily.

Once Dahlia awakened, he wielded the whip in his hand and struck her.

“Tell me!”

“Just kill me!” Dahlia could no longer endure the pain. Her mind was at the end of its rope. Now, she could only hope they would put an end to her misery.

“Kill you? Not so fast! I haven’t even had enough!” Edward smiled sadistically and continued with the torture.

After a while, Dahlia, covered in bruises, fell into a coma again.

“General, the murderer hasn’t been revealed. If this continues, she will die soon,” the adjutant reminded.

“This woman is so stubborn!” Travis was impressed. This torture device was typically used to coerce confessions. People usually confessed to verything after three whips. Even specially trained forces would not be able to handle a dozen lashes.

Yet, this woman was able to withhold dozens of whips without revealing anything. Even he couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Hang her at the entrance as bait. Call off the surrounding guards and see if Dustin will come to rescue her.” Travis commanded.

“Yes, sir!” the adjutant answered and hung the unconscious Dahlia at the gates.

“Don’t you die on me! I’ll have my fun with you when I capture Dustin!” Edward licked the drops of blood at the corner of his mouth with a perverse smile.

Dustin had just finished his meal at the Peaceful Medical Center when he received a call.

It was Hunter Anderson, and he sounded like he was in a hurry.

“Mr. Rhys, I’ve received news that Ms. Nicholson has been arrested!”

“Arrested?” Dustin frowned.

“It’s Travis Spanner! He arrested Ms. Nicholson and her family for the crime of treason. They are receiving private punishment now!” Hunter explained.

Dustin’s face fell when he heard this. He knew very clearly what type of person Travis was. No ordinary person could bear the torture methods in the war zone!

“Where is Travis?” Dustin was very anxious.

“At the Spanner Villa. Mr. Rhys, Travis has set an ambush for you. You shouldn’t be too impulsive. Wait–

Before Hunter could finish, Dustin had already hung up the phone and rushed out.

When he arrived at Spanner Villa, he saw a woman hanging from the front of the villa doors.

The woman’s hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn, and blood trickled down her body. It was a horrible sight to behold.

Dustin’s eyes widened in shock when he realized the woman hanging there was Dahlia!

Dustin balled his hand into a fist. A murderous aura erupted from him. Suddenly, there was a gust of strong wind that sent the rocks flying. Even the surrounding temperature started to drop rapidly.

Dustin shot up and cut off the rope with one hand. He caught Dahlia, who was covered in blood, and landed gently on the ground.

At this moment, Dahlia had already passed out, and the wounds on her back were an unsightly mess.

The sight of those whip marks and wounds pierced Dustin’s heart like a sharp knife.

“Just kill me,” Dahlia mumbled unconsciously. She must have suffered a lot of pain to ask for death.

“I’m sorry.” Dustin’s hands were trembling. Tears pricked his eyes.

He knew that Dahlia was in this mess because of him. He dragged her into this.

“Haha! Dustin Rhys, you’re finally here!” Edward roared as he and his men walked out slowly.

“You did this?” Dustin raised his head slowly, his eyes fixed on the whip in Edward’s hands.

“So what? What can you do to me at this point?” Edward was not afraid at all.

Although his uncle had withdrawn half the troops, there were more than a dozen heavily armed elites ambushed around. Each of these men could defeat a hundred people. It would be easy to deal with this one man.

“Dustin, is it? Did you kill my brother, Trevor?” Travis asked.

“It was me.” Dustin answered plainly. As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on Edward.

“I’m glad that you admit it. Now, go pay for your sins before my brother’s coffin before I end your life,” Travis said coldly.

“Pay for my sins?” Dustin snorted coldly, “Even your superior, Adam Spanner, would not speak to me this way.

You’re nothing to me!”

“Hmm?” Travis raised an eyebrow.

Adam Spanner was the commanding general in the western army. He was also his superior. Only a handful of people know about his existence.

How had Dustin heard of him?

“You know Chief General Spanner?” Travis was slightly taken aback.

“I’ll give you a chance to take your own life out of respect for Adam. This way, your body might still be intact!”

Dustin demanded.

“Keep my body intact?”

“Before Travis could respond, Edward guffawed loudly. “Are you out of your mind? Open your eyes and recognize your place in this world!”

As he spoke, the other hidden elites immediately revealed themselves. Each armed soldier looked very threatening and menacing.

However, Dustin didn’t even pay any attention to them. His eyes were focused on Edward as if he were already a dead man.

“His body could stay intact, but you would have nothing left but bones!” Then, Dustin immediately made his move.

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Chapter 56

Dustin took a step forward and leaped into the air. He moved as fast as lightning.

“Quick! Kill him!” Edward immediately tensed up and yelled when he noticed Dustin make a move.

However, before the armed elites could react, Dustin had already leaped forward. Dustin reached out and kicked one of the armed elites, who flew away like a piece of paper. A hole was pierced through the bulletproof vest on his chest. Even his bones were shattered!

Before he could land, Dustin swerved before another person and kicked him in the neck.

After killing two people in a row, Dustin did not stop and continued his attacks frantically. Anything he touched was destroyed in mere seconds. No one could stand in his way.

These armed elites could not even react to his speed and strength. In a short time, they were defeated one after another.

Their guns couldn’t keep up with his speed. Not even a single shot had been fired.

The entire time Dustin had been holding on to Dahlia and attacking with his feet!

Edward was dumbfounded as he watched what unfolded. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

These elites were experienced in battles and each one were heavily armed. It should be effortless to defeat Dustin. How come they were the ones on the chopping board? What was happening?

“Is he a martial arts expert? No wonder he’s so full of himself!” Travis narrowed his eyes in surprise. It had not been easy for him to obtain his current position. He was also quite skilled and knowledgeable in martial arts.

All the elites in the army have to be trained in martial arts.

With the exception of intelligence agencies, proficiency in martial arts greatly affected the ranking of military personnel. The skills displayed by Dustin easily qualified him to be a highly ranked officer!

“General, this man is quite powerful, should we retreat?” the adjutant asked in a low voice.

“There’s no need. It’s rare to come up against such an expert. I want to personally fight him!” Travis loosened his muscles. That burly body of his carried the strength of a panther.

“Your turn!” When the last person fell, Dustin’s eyes once again fixed on Edward.

“Uncle Travis! Save me!” Edward stumbled back in fear.

“Nobody would be able to save you today!” Dustin stepped forward and headed toward Edward.

“Your opponent is me!” Travis roared and leaped toward him.

He threw a punch at Dustin.

Dustin didn’t even look at him as he severed Travis’s leg without any hesitation.

As Edward was calling out for help, Travis landed his fist on Dustin’s back.

There was a loud explosion. Dustin was unmoved, but his clothes tore open, revealing his muscular body.

Travis, on the other hand, was taken aback by the impact and spat a mouthful of blood as he stumbled to the ground.

“General!” The adjutant was overcome by worry and he quickly helped Travis up.

Travis coughed violently, feeling a surge of blood rising inside. His fist, especially, was trembling uncontrollably, as if it had lost all senses.

“This is not possible!” Travis was shocked as he stared at his trembling arms. His eyes were filled with shock.

Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Dustin’s body would be so impenetrable. His full strength did not even make a scratch on his opponent, yet he had sustained multiple internal injuries.

Dustin was an absolute beast! Who on earth was this man?

Travis raised his head in confusion and doubt. In an instant, he stood there dumbfounded as if struck by lightning because he realized that there was a large tattoo on Dustin’s sturdy body.

It was an animal with a dragon’s head, an ox’s tail, a tiger’s back, a bear’s waist, and a snake’s scales.

It was a black beast!

The tattoo of the beast was so realistic that, as Dustin breathed, it looked as if it was coming alive.

It looked so majestic and ferocious! It was so daunting!

“A kirin tattoo?” Travis was stunned, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

He looked terrified.

His surname was Rhys, with a tattoo of a black beast, and he knew the commanding general. Could he be the Rhys family’s Kirin?!

No! That wasn’t possible!

Why was the man that stirred up the whole of Chouxe and disappeared for ten years here?

“Are you of Chouxe descent?” Travis asked tentatively, his lips quivering.

“Oh? You finally figured it out?” Dustin slowly turned around with a blank expression. There was no harm in him knowing as he was going to die anyway.

“It really is you. Why are you here?” Travis was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. His confidence from before completely dissipated. There was nothing but fear on his face.

No wonder he knew Adam Spanner. It turned out he was the legendary Kirin!

Travis was done for! He had angered someone that made even Sergeant Adam uneasy!

“General? What’s wrong?” The adjutant was horrified. He had never seen Travis with such a terrified expression. He could remain calm even on a mountain of corpses on the battlefield. He had always been fearless in the face of danger.

What happened to him now? How could a tough guy like him be trembling from fright?

Who was this man Dustin?

“We’re done for.” Travis fell to the ground with a thud dejectedly. He knew he would die today. The only difference was if he would die in one plece.

“General! I’ve called for backup. They’ll be here soon! Hold on!” the adjutant tried to encourage him.

“There’s no use.” Travis shook his head as if he had been exhausted of all strength.

“General, what’s wrong?” The adjutant started to panic.

Travis trembled as he pointed at Dustin and stammered, “He’s the Kirin of the Rhys family, Logan Rhys!”

The adjutant froze when he heard this name. His face was as pale as ash.

They were done for! The dead had come back to life.
 
Chapter 57

Who was Logan Rhys exactly? The hurricane that had stirred up the city of Stonia! The demon that had disturbed the peace of the people!

He was also the one behind the tragedy in Osnal ten years ago.

No one had ever expected that a 15–year–old could cause so much destruction.

Thus, it was no wonder Travis was horrified to see him. Who would’ve guessed that the man who was standing in front of them was the stuff of legends who had disappeared from the face of the planet ten years ago. THE Logan Rhys!

The adjutant’s legs instantly gave out, causing him to crumple to the ground with a thud. His mind was drawing a complete blank at the moment.

After Dustin gave Travis, who was behind him, a glance, he started walking toward Edward.

*Help me, Uncle Travis! Uncle Travis!” Cradling his broken leg. Edward kept screaming his head off as he wriggled on the floor like a maggot, trying his hardest to evade Dustin.

“I told you, I’ll make sure you won’t even have a corpse left after I kill you!” Dustin declared as he picked up a long whip covered in spikes from the ground, then delivered a swift blow to Edward’s face mercilessly.

“Argh!” Edward cried out in pain. The skin of his face was torn apart down the middle, and blood started spurting out of the wound.

Dustin didn’t hold back and delivered another swift blow to another part of his body.

As a crunching sound rang out, Edward’s skin and flesh, along with his clothes, got torn to shreds.

“Gah!” he yelped miserably once more and resumed crying for help. “Hurry, Uncle Travis! Please save me!”

Even though he witnessed all this happening, Travis didn’t move a muscle. It was as if he didn’t hear a thing. All while Dustin showed no mercy, delivering blow after blow onto Edward’s battered frame.

Every blow caused blood and flesh to spurt out, and the man kept screeching in excruciating pain.

“S–stop hitting me! I fucked up! I know I really fucked up this time!” Edward begged for mercy profusely as he knelt on the ground.

However, his cries fell on deaf ears, and Dustin continued to whip him, his eyes devoid of mercy.

This was for all the pain Dahlia endured up until now. I’ll make sure you pay it back ten, no, a hundred–fold!” Dustin exclaimed to himself.

“Good, good! You’d better whip his ass to death!” Chris Instigated from a corner of the room with a mischievous look.

The saying went that the wicked always got what was coming to them. This was proven true by Edward, the amateur evil mastermind, who ended up abused and beaten up by mega supervillain Dustin Rhys.

Just as Dustin was in the middle of exacting his revenge, a long procession of cars suddenly drove toward them and halted right in front of Spanner Villa. A large number of armed elites swarmed out of each car to seal off the entire premise.

The armed elites, who were all clad in black suits and body armor, each carried with them a gun on their backs. All of them looked intimidating. Even if they were just standing there quietly, they still gave off a very menacing feeling.

Plus, this was more than a step up compared to Travis‘ men last time!

“So… it was Rhys who sent them!” Travis thought and immediately felt a pang of despair after looking at the army of elite forces.

The last trace of hope he had in his heart vanished that very second!

At that moment, the door to a Rolls–Royce suddenly opened, and Hunter Anderson got out of the car.

“Mr. Anderson?”

The moment the badly battered and bruised Edward laid his eyes on Hunter, he felt as if his savior had arrived. He immediately perked up and started clawing his limp body toward Hunter, frantically begging him for help.

“Help me, Mr. Anderson! This kid is trying to kill me! Q–quickly, arrest him for me! As long as you help me now, half of the Spanner’s fortune will be yours!” Edward offered without hesitation, fully intent on luring him into saving him with his obscene riches.

After all, wasn’t life more important than all the riches in the world?

The whipping he’d endured had already scared him shitless. He knew very well that if the whipping didn’t cease, he would get beaten to death sooner or later.

“Is that you, Edward Spanner?” Hunter asked as he gazed upon the bloody figure before him. He had to examine him for a bit before recognizing him.

“Yes, it’s me! You must save me on behalf of Sir Hummer, Mr. Andersin!” Edward pleaded as he lay on the ground, clutching Hunter’s pant leg with a deadly grip.

“Fuck off!” Hunter growled in response as he kicked him away and ignored his pleas.

Instead of helping him, he quickly walked over to the other side of the car, bent over slightly, and opened the car door to reveal an old man clad in a dated suit. He got out of the car and started walking nonchalantly using a cane.

“Sir Francis, you’d better be more careful…” Hunter cooed and reached his hand out to prop the old man up. Edward was dumbfounded after witnessing him act all respectful and humble like that.

It was known for a fact that the person standing in front of him was the President of the Swinton Group, one of the three major groups in the city.

He was even the type to laugh and joke around with someone of such high standing as Sir Hummer.

So, who exactly was this old man who managed to bring out his humble side?

What the hell was going on?!

Then again, he wasn’t the only person who was surprised at this turn of events.

Chris, who was still hiding in a corner, also had a bewildered look on his face.

In his eyes, Hunter Anderson was an influential man whose standing was at the top of Swinton.

So, who was this person able to reduce him to the demeanor of a mere servant? What was the identity of this man clad in such a dated suit in front of him?

“Sir! Please help me, sir!” After coming out of a daze, Edward immediately limped over to the old man in the suit and kept bowing his head to him, disregarding the fact that he had no idea who the old man was.

It was obvious to him that this man was way more influential than he thought, judging by the fact that he regarded Hunter Anderson as his grandson.

Heck, he might even be a government official from Stonia for all he knew!

Thus, as long as this mammoth of a man was willing to lend him a hand, he’d be able to reverse his fate and even turn his life around!

Hearing Edward’s plea for help, the suited old man merely shot him a glance before withdrawing his gaze. He then proceeded to tidy his hair and straighten his clothes. After making sure that he looked immaculate and presentable, he started walking toward Dustin.

Then, to the utmost shock and dismay of everyone at the scene, he dropped to his knees on the floor and knelt before Dustin.

“My sincere greetings to you, Mr. Rhys!” he proclaimed.
 
Chapter 58

Silence ensued.

The atmosphere was so quiet, one could hear a pin drop. Everyone was stunned and dumbfounded the moment the elderly gentleman in the suit knelt down in front of Dustin Rhys.

No one had remotely expected that such an influential man with the power to make Hunter Anderson grovel in front of him would kneel in front of Dustin! It was almost like he was a slave who was greeting his master.

What the hell was going on here?!

“Uh-..” Chris hummed and froze on the spot, his face full of disbelief. He had thought that Dustin was only good at fighting, but who knew that this man turned out to be more powerful and influential than he thought?

Hunter Anderson was already an influential figure in his own right, wasn’t he? So why did he have to grovel and act meekly in front of the older gentleman in the suit?

Surely, the older gentleman in the suit was even more powerful, right? So why on earth was this big shot kneeling in front of Dustin Rhys?!

How dare that bastard. This was simply too humiliating!

The scene in front of him clearly showed him how terrifying the man he despised, Dustin Rhys, truly was. “No… that’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!” thought Edward, who was scared shitless at this point.

From the moment he witnessed the older man in the suit kneel, his spirit had been utterly shaken!

This instantly shattered his remaining hope for survival. Now, only despair and fear were left in its place.

Who would have thought that his perceived lifeline would turn out to be Dustin’s servant of all people?

Shit, what kind of monster had he gotten himself tangled with this time? He was just way too different from Chris and Edward.

At this moment, Travis felt his death looming on the horizon…

He reckoned that it was his fate that he would not be able to leave this place alive today the moment he found out about Dustin’s true identity.

If he put up a fight, he, along with his entire family would be eradicated!

“Dustin, it’s been ten years. I can’t believe I finally found you!” Sir Francis said as he knelt on the ground. Tears streamed down his face profusely, but he didn’t give a shit what other people thought of him at the time.

Dustin, on the other hand, didn’t even flinch at this. Instead, he looked at him indifferently, as if he was a complete stranger.

“Fuck off!” he screamed as he averted his gaze from Sir Francis before walking up to Edward.

His intent to kill was at its peak now!

“P–please don’t kill me… Please don’t kill me. Just spare my life, I’ll do anything!” Edward whimpered In fear, pissing himself in the process. Even so, he didn’t stop bowing his head and begging for mercy.

“If I don’t kill you now, I won’t be able to let go of this hatred in my heart!” Dustin growled maniacally as he put one foot forward to stomp on Edward’s chest, which caused the latter’s eyes to widen, and look up at him with resignation and fear.

So much for a peaceful death.

“Mr. Rhys! I’m willing to accept death as my punishment, but please spare the lives of my puny subordinates!”

When Dustin’s gaze landed on Travis, they immediately knew that their time on this earth was up. Without another word, the both of them took out their knives and slit their necks simultaneously.

No one had the privilege of negotiating with Dustin at this point.

After seeing the two corpses fall to the ground, Dustin said nothing as he left the scene immediately with Dahlia in his arms.

Sir Francis let out a long sigh, his expression conflicted. Although he’d already found him, seeing how turbulent his heart was now, he wondered if he’d ever return to normal.

“How should we go about this, Sir Francis?” Hunter asked with his head lowered.

Standing before the older man, his status and reputation were like pieces of paper that could be torn into shreds at any time.

“Don’t let the news get out. As for everyone related to this matter, dispose of them all,” Sir Francis replied Indifferently.

The cavalier manner in which he said it made Hunter’s heart quiver in fear.

Does he not know the number of people who would have to suffer because of this?

“P–please don’t kill me! I’m friends with Dustin!” hollered Chris, who had been hiding all this time. He ran out in a panic the moment he saw that the elite forces surrounding him were preparing to burn down the house.

“You’re a friend of Dustin’s?” Sir Francis asked as he looked him up and down.

“That’s right, that’s right! We’re best buds! We even had dinner together before!” Chris nodded profusely, akin to a chicken pecking rice off the ground.

At this point, he’d do anything to stay alive.

“Is that so? Then can I trouble you to ensure the he doesn’t stay out too late?” Sir Francis requested, his tone softer now.

“Yes, of course, I’ll definitely tell him that!” Chris immediately assured him.

“Someone please drive this gentlemah.” Sir Francis gestured.

“N–no, no, it’s fine… You don’t have to! I can go back by myself!” Chris replied while waving his hands in the air frantically.

How could he still have the nerve to get in someone else’s car when he was already this scared?

Sir Francis didn’t pursue the matter further and merely waved his hands to let his team know to disperse.

“I–I’ll get going then…” Chris murmured before fleeing as if he’d just escaped from prison. He thanked God for his quick wits, which helped him save his skin just now. However, he reckoned that he couldn’t stay in Stonia for much longer. He decided to leave once he’d saved up enough money.

“Sir Francis, I’m convinced that man just now wasn’t very honest with us,” Hunter remarked respectfully.

“It doesn’t matter, he’s just an ant to us, so it doesn’t matter if we kill him or let him live.” Sir Francis said nonchalantly.

It was evident to him that Chris was lying the whole time, but he did not dare take the risk, as he feared that Dustin would not take too kindly if he involved himself in his matters too much.

He certainly didn’t want to make himself an enemy of the Kirin!

Half an hour later, over at the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin felt his heart shatter as he gazed at the bloody gash on Dahlia’s body. Although the two were divorced, it wasn’t easy to shrug off three whole years of feelings toward one another.

Some emotions simply could not be contained, it seemed.

After taking a deep breath, he took off her clothes and began carefully cauterizing the wound for her.

Although his movements were subtle, when touching certain wounds, her unconscious body would still twitch from the pain involuntarily. This prompted him to be more careful in handling her.

Whether it was cleaning up, disinfecting, putting on ointment or badges, he made sure to be extra cautious every step of the way.

Once everything was done, he breathed a sigh of relief, not noticing that a film of sweat had formed on his forehead.

Just as he was about to up and leave, a slender hand suddenly reached out to grab his wrist.

“Don’t go… don’t go. Don’t leave me here…” In her unconscious state, Dahlia looked as if she was experiencing a nightmare. Her tightly closed eyes kept rolling from side to side as she kept muttering inaudibly.

Dustin fought to control his rising emotions. “I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here.” He slowly moved to sit next to her, holding her hand with both of his hands.

“D–don’t go. Dustin… Seeming as if her sense of security had returned, her murmurs slowly became softer, and she started to calm down.

However, she held on to his hand for dear life and refused to let go.

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled as he felt the force behind her fingertips. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of heartache at this.

In the past, she had never shown him her soft side and always insisted on being a strong, Independent woman.

However, after today, he realized that the icy businesswoman lying in front of him was also a woman who needed someone to care for her.
 
Chapter 59

Two days later, at the Peaceful Medical Center, Dahlia finally woke up.

The first thing she noticed was that she was in a very plain room that contained a table, two chairs, and a hospital bed.

She thought everything looked vaguely familiar, as if she had been here before.

“You’re up?” Dustin quipped as he appeared at the entrance of the room.

He was carrying a bowl of chicken soup in one hand. Even though it wasn’t the most flavorful dish, the soup looked tantalizing to her as she hadn’t eaten anything for the past two days. So much so that her stomach began to growl non–stop at the sight of it.

“Were you the one who saved me?” she asked first to break the awkward tension between them.

“You were injured and unconscious on the roadside, so I patched you up,” he answered plainly.

“You patched me up?” she repeated with furrowed brows. A split second later, she hastily asked, “Oh, right! How long have I been unconscious? What’s the situation with the Spanners now? Are my parents in danger?”

The sudden barrage of questions made his head spin.

“You were unconscious for two days and two nights. Your family is safe and sound. As for the Spanner residence, it has been engulfed in flames,” he answered each of her questions calmly.

Upon receiving news that her family was safe, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, it didn’t take her long to ask another question in surprise. “Engulfed in flames‘? What happened?”

“I don’t know the specifics, but I heard that there was a gas leak, so all 20 to 30 people inside the Spanner residence got burned alive inside,” he said.

“A gas leak? Do you suppose it was a coincidence?” she asked in a confused manner.

“The wicked reap what they sow. The Spanners have done many evil deeds and always sought to harm others. Seeing them fall from grace like this, I suppose this was just karma coming for their ass in a way.” Dustin said.

She nodded in response, feeling a sense of relief on the inside.

With the Spanner household destroyed, she surmised she did not have to worry about being their target anymore in the future.

“Alright, stop letting your mind wander. Have some soup first,” he said as he handed her the chicken soup.

“Thanks,” she replied. Since she was hungry, she didn’t refuse his kind gesture and happily started digging into the soup. She managed to finish the entire bowl shortly after.

However, she still felt hungry after finishing her food and considered licking the bowl.

“I’ll get you another bowl,” he said after noticing her expression and served her another bowl of chicken soup.

Without a word, she devoured the second bowl of soup as well.

Now that she was having the chicken soup, she soon felt a pleasant warmth in her stomach, which made her feel so content it was hard to describe in words.

Although the two bowls of soup may not look like much, he was the one who cooked them precisely because he was aware that they were very good at speeding up the recovery process.

“Still hungry?” he asked.

At that moment, she couldn’t stop herself from letting out a small burp.

She realized that she might come across as improper to him, so she tried to swallow the air back into her stomach.

“I guess you’ve already had your fill then. Be sure to get lots of rest, and I’ll come back later.”

Before he could leave, she called out to him and said, “Wait! I have something to say to you!”

“What is it?” he said, as he stopped in his tracks and looked back at her.

“It’s about Chris. I’m sorry for accusing you,” she muttered.

After hesitating for a second, she clenched her teeth and continued, “That guy wasn’t a good person to begin with. I can’t believe he managed to trick us out of such a large sum with his silver tongue. If only we had listened to your advice in the beginning.”

“What’s wrong with you today? Did the great Ms. Nicholson just apologize to someone?” he teased.

“What do you mean? Do I seem like such an unreasonable person to you?” she shot back, clearly offended by his remark.

“I’m kidding! So what if I got accused again? It’s not like this is the first time anyway, so forget about it,” he said and shrugged his shoulders.

“Why does it sound so wrong coming from you?” she retorted while wrinkling her brows.

“Alright, let’s just forget about the past, shall we? Now, take off your clothes…” he said casually.

“Huh?” Her expression instantly changed and she subconsciously shielded her chest with her arms. “What are you planning to do to me?” she exclaimed.

“No need to get so worked up, you have injuries, so I’m just helping you change your bandages,” he answered as he lifted up a bottle of ointment in one hand.

“You want to change my bandages for me?” she repeated.

As if she had just realized something, she hurriedly quipped, “Were you the one who changed my bandages for the past two days?”

“Who else?”

“Then, I… You’ve seen everything by now?!” she cried, her eyes wide as saucers.

“So what if I’ve seen everything? It’s not like I haven’t seen them before, so what’s the big deal?” he said easily.

“You get your ass out of here right now!” she screamed in response, her face flushed from the shame and anger.

She couldn’t believe the nerve of this man. How dare he undress and touch her body without her consent. How despicable!

“I can still scram if you want, but I’d advise you to give it some thought. Although the injuries on your body have healed, the scars are still there. So, if not treated in due time, I’m afraid you won’t be able to get rid of them in the future,” he patiently explained.

She bit her lip and began to feel somewhat conflicted on the inside.

“Fine, since you obviously don’t care about that, I won’t help you anymore. You’d better not regret it when you see yourself covered in scars in the future,” he retorted with his hands across his chest before turning around and beginning to leave.

“Wait!” she hollered, finally heeding his advice. It was simply a woman’s nature to take care of her appearance. Even she wasn’t an exception. The thought of her body being covered in scars was worse than the idea of getting killed!

“What, changed your mind?” he asked as he turned back to face her with an amused look.

“Help me change my bandages, but with your eyes blindfolded!” she ordered, then threw a random piece of clothing that was lying next to her at him, as if to vent her frustrations. However, her whole body froze when she realized what she had thrown at him.

It turned out the item of clothing she just threw at him was her underwear!

“You sure have weird tastes. I refuse to use this as a blindfold, if you don’t mind,” he remarked as he threw the panties back to her.

“S–shut up!” she stuttered in embarrassment, her face turning pinker by the second.

Her pretty face was similar to a ripe peach covered in morning dew now. He was tempted to touch her.

“Fine, I’ll only apply the ointment on your back while you apply the rest on the front yourself,” he finally relented, for fear that she would storm out of the room.

“Hmph!” She pouted.

It was only after multiple bouts of hesitation that she finally agreed to his plan.

Her injuries needed to be healed, but it wasn’t like she could take care of the scars on her back properly without external assistance.

“I’ve already finished applying the ointment on your back evenly…” he trailed off before continuing in a cold voice.“… Now, on to your butt—”
 
Chapter 60

After struggling to get away from him, Dahlia’s face was as red as a tomato. Beads of sweat trailed down her body. Her sultry eyes looked as if they could drill a hole into Dustin’s skull.

Didn’t he just apply some ointment on her? So why was she giving him such an embarrassed look?

“Haven’t you seen enough? Get out!” she screamed as she pulled up the blanket to cover her body.

Her slender waist and upturned hips were a sight to behold indeed.

“Just apply this ointment for three to five days, then your scars will disappear,” he said bluntly. He then put down the ointment before leaving the room sheepishly.

After about ten minutes, Dahlia exited the room fully clothed.

Compared to the woman full of rage and shame a moment ago, the woman in front of him now was her usual, cold self.

She pretended as if nothing had happened between them at all

“Lend me your phone. I have a call to make,” she ordered as she rushed over to him while he was sipping on some chicken soup with her hand outstretched.

He didn’t make a peep as he handed his phone over to her without hesitation.

“What’s your lock screen password?” she asked.

“Your birthday,” he answered without even lifting his head.

His answer made her stiffen and a small corner of her lips turned upwards for a short while before disappearing again.

“Hmph!” She pouted, feigning disdain.

After unlocking his phone, the first number she dialed was her family, to update them on her whereabouts.

Following that, she dialed Lyra’s number.

So good to finally hear from you again, Ms. Nicholson! Where have you been for the past two days? How come there weren’t any updates at all?” Lyra asked anxiously.

“Something came up, so a few things had to be put on hold. How’s the company doing now?” she asked.

“The new company just opened shop and is currently doing well. And with the Harmon family’s backing everything is in order. However, the Jackson Group managed to get itself into some hot water the past two days, I’m afraid.” Lyra explained.

“What kind of hot water?” she asked, feeling a little uneasy.

“We had a hard time recouping our funds as several partners have not paid back their share of the money yet, so the company was unable to break even. It’s a good thing that you still have that reserve fund of 80 million dollars, just enough to save the company.” Lyra chuckled.

“Reserve funds?” she repeated while her expression twisted into a frown. “I’m afraid that the money is gone,” she admitted.

“Gone? What do you mean gone?” Lyra spluttered.

“I trusted the wrong person. I was fooled by Chris,” she answered honestly, without trying to conceal the truth.

She then gave Lyra a quick rundown of the events that transpired.

Upon reaching the end of her story. Lyra exploded in a fit of rage. “That bastard Chris is certainly a piece of work! How dare he cheat us of our money when we put all our trust in him! Let’s get him arrested right away!”

“There’s no point. He’s probably fled the country by now,” she mumbled as she let out a soft sigh.

“What should we do now, Ms. Nicholson? The company has no liquidity, so it’ll be hard to run operations normally.”

“I’ll think of something…” she trailed off in reply.

“Oh right, don’t we still have the Harmons? Since we’re their partner, the Harmons can definitely help us if only you give them a call,” Lyra suggested hurriedly.

“The Harmons?” she asked with wrinkled brows.

She would’ve thought of doing that had she not learned about Natasha before this, but it was impossible to ask her for help now.

Dahlia had her pride as a woman too, so she absolutely refused to bow down to Natasha Harmon!

“I’ll take care of this, so you go busy yourself with other matters now,” she directed. After exchanging a few more words with her secretary, she hung up the phone.

“What’s this about the company being in hot water?” Dustin looked up and asked.

“Drive me to Eastern River Bank. I have something to do there,” she ordered without giving him an explanation

" Your wish is my command,” he said with a nod before finishing his soup in one gulp.

He then drove the both of them in his car to Eastern River Bank.

Upon her arrival at the bank, Dahlia was quickly ushered into a private office.

As for Dustin, he was instructed to wait outside.

“Oh? Isn’t this Ms. Nicholson from the Jackson Group? What brings you here to my office today?”

Sitting inside the office was a balding man with a fat head and big ears. He perked up the moment he laid his beady eyes on her.

“Mr. Chansey, my company has encountered some problems with our capital turnover, so we need a loan from you with the same interest rate as before,” she explained concisely.

“A loan? How much?” he asked while stroking his chin. His lecherous eyes looked her up and down.

"80 million dollars,” she answered without flinching.

“Heh, you are aware that this isn’t a small sum of money, right?” he shot back with a pained expression.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve worked together, Mr. Chansey. You should know where my company stands by now,” she retorted.

“I’m afraid it’s no longer a matter of credibility, but my mood, Ms. Nicholson,” he said slowly.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, puzzled.

“We’re both smart, so I’ll say it outright. I’ve taken a liking to you for quite some time now, Ms. Nicholson, so I’m proposing that if you sleep with me for one night, be it 80 million or 300 million dollars, I’ll make sure to lend all of it to you!” he said, leering.

“Do you have any idea what you just proposed, Mr. Chansey?” she shot back, her brows furrowed.

“I said what I said. I’m well aware that your company is in a crisis right now and that you need money fast. So, I don’t suppose your company could get through these tough times without my funds, right?” he said amusedly.

“Are you threatening me right now?” she asked as her expression darkened.

“No need to phrase it like that, think of it as a mutual exchange. You want my money, and I want you for one night. If you manage to satisfy me, I’ll lend you the money. Isn’t this a mutually beneficial situation for everyone?” he explained while stretching his hands outward.

“You’re absolutely shameless!” she snapped. She didn’t want to give him any more of her time, so she got up to leave.

“You’d better stay right where you are!” he bellowed before continuing. “The minute you step out of my office, I’ll make sure to blacklist you! Then, good luck finding another bank in Stonia that’s willing to lend you your funds! Thus, you’d better listen to me if you know what’s good for you!”

“I refuse to make such a dirty deal with you even though I’m short on cash! Furthermore—just the sight of your pig face makes me want to vomit!” she spat coldly.

“What the fuck did you just say to me?!”

As though she managed to hit a nerve, he instantly got out of his seat and started yelling. “For a married woman, you sure are great at acting like a virgin! You should be glad that I laid eyes on you! So, how dare you turn me down like that! Believe it or not, I can make you go bankrupt with one call!”

“You? Bankrupt me? I’d like to see you try,” she snorted.

She was not in the least bit afraid.

“Fine! Since you’re so fucking sure of yourself, don’t blame me if I use a few tricks up my sleeves! When the time comes, I’ll have you sucking on my toes!” he bellowed.

“Go to hell!” she yelled.

She was so pissed she flung a cup of hot coffee directly onto his stupid face.

It was so hot it made him screech like a bitch and his face soon turned bright red.

Now he really looked like an actual pig roasting on a stick.
 
Chapter 61

“Bitch, I’ll fucking kill you!” Mr. Chansey screamed as he touched his scalded face. He was so furious he started pouncing on Dahlia.

Her quick reflexes allowed her to deliver a swift but deadly kick to Mr. Chansey’s crotch.

“Argh!” he cried out in pain immediately and started rolling on the floor with his hands over his bruised member, his face turning a darker shade of purple by the second.

“You disgust me!” she spat before turning around to leave the room.

This caused her to bump into Dustin, who had been eavesdropping by the door the whole time. “What are you doing here?” she asked angrily.

“Nothing, I was just making sure you were doing okay in there,” he replied while shrugging his shoulders.

His eyes instantly perked up at the sight of Mr. Chansey, who was writhing in pain on the floor.

It was a good thing that she’d managed to mess him up, because if he’d stepped in, he’d surely make sure that Mr. Chansey won’t be using his hands ever again for the remainder of his life.

“We’re done here. Let’s go,” she snapped without any explanation, then started strutting out of the room in her high heels.

She was in a sour mood.

“You fucking stop right where you are now!” Mr. Chansey suddenly bellowed with a fierce expression before continuing. “Running away like a coward after beating someone up? What do you take me for?!”

Under his orders, several security guards immediately started forming a human barricade in front of the main door to prevent the two of them from leaving.

“You bitch! How dare you kick me? I’ll make sure you never see the light of day again!” he yelled as he stormed up to her with a hand raised, ready to strike her.

Dustin intercepted his blow without much effort.

“Who do you think you are? How dare you meddle in my affairs? You’d better get away from me if you know what’s good for you!” Mr. Chansey hissed.

“You’d better apologize to her now before I rip your mouth open!” Dustin threatened with an icy expression.

“Like hell I will!” Mr. Chansey spat, his rage growing by the second. He swung his fist at Dustin, but Dustin managed to dodge it and delivered a heavy slap to his face instead.

This caused Mr. Chansey’s humongous frame to stumble several feet.

The blow had disfigured his face, and when he opened his mouth, some of his teeth fell out.

Everyone at the scene was dumbfounded that Mr. Chansey was sent flying. No one had expected Dustin to be So vicious.

To think that he had slapped Mr. Chansey In front of everyone. Dld he have no idea that this man was the manager of Eastern River Bank?

An influential man with power, money, and a vast network! To offend such a person was simply asking for trouble!

“H–how…dare you hit me?”

Upon noticing the few loose teeth in his palm, Mr. Chansey’s face twisted into a scowl.

“So what if I just beat you up? Do I have to make an appointment first?” Dustin said indifferently.

“Do you even fucking know who my backers are, you little shit? It’s the Spanners! The nerve of you to even lay a finger on me, do you want to die so badly?!” Mr. Chansey screeched before pulling out his phone to call for backup.

“Hmm?” Dahlia frowned slightly before making a call herself.

15 minutes later, Florence brought a team of security personnel and made her entrance in the flashiest fashion imaginable.

Standing beside her was a handsome man in a clean suit. The man seemed graceful and elegant and had an aristocratic air to him.

“Matt Laney?” Dahlia gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at him in shock.

He used to be her upperclassman in school and had even tried to court her for a short while in the past. But when he’d left the country, the two stopped seeing each other for a long time. She hadn’t expected him to return so soon, much less with her mother.

“Dahlia! How are you? You’re not hurt, right?” Florence asked worriedly the moment she entered through the door. She was scared that her daughter had gotten hurt.

“I’m fine, Mom. There’s no need to worry,” Dahlia replied as she shook her head slightly.

“Long time no see, Dahlia,” Matt greeted first, as polite as ever.

“Yeah, long time no see,” Dahlia responded with a small nod.

Although she was still somewhat taken aback by his sudden appearance, she decided to regard him as a school friend for now.

“I heard that you came across some trouble lately, so that’s why I rushed all the way here with your mom. So if there’s anything you need our help with, just let me know,” he said with a grin. His words were calm but full of confidence.

“I know, right? Nothing is impossible with Matt around!”

“I don’t suppose you caught wind of the incident where our family got arrested. Thanks to Matt, we managed to get out safe and sound,”

“Not only that, but he also caught that bastard Chris and recovered all the money we were cheated out of!”

“Just look at him. He should be the first person that comes to mind when you think of a capable man!” Florence yammered on, praising him every other sentence.

Dahlia could only muster a strained smile upon hearing all of that. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

“It’s no biggle. No need to make me sound so great,” Matt grinned.

“What are you doing here, Rhys?” Florence quizzed as she shifted her gaze to see Dustin standing next to her. She looked somewhat disgusted upon seeing him.

“Mom, it was Dustin who saved me,” Dahlia explained.

“He was the one who saved you? Hmph, it was more likely that he hurt you instead!” Florence’s expression and gaze turned cold as she said, “If it wasn’t for this man who offended Mr. Woods, our family could’ve avoided all that undeserved misfortune in the first place!”

“Mom, this whole thing started because of me. It has nothing to do with Dustin,” Dahlia corrected.

“I can’t believe you’re still taking his side even now. You will regret it sooner or later!” Florence exclaimed, almost losing her cool.

If not for Matt standing beside her, she would have flung all sorts of expletives at her already.

“Hey, hey, hey… Where did you guys come from again? Do I look like I’m invisible to you all?”

At this time, Mr. Chansey, who was standing in a corner, finally lost his cool.

“Who are you?” Matt asked while glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

“I’m the manager of this bank!” Mr. Chansey barked as he shot him a glare. “I demand that these two people pay the price for offending me today!”

“Do you know who I fucking am? How dare you speak to me like that?” Matt spat in response as his expression grew cold.

“I don’t care who the hell you are! As long as your nose is in my business, I’ll make sure you never see the light of day too!” Mr. Chansey threatened viciously.

As soon as he finished saying that, two black cars drove up to the entrance of Eastern River Bank.

Immediately after, an army of buff thugs rushed into the building, their leader being an intimidating man who wore a trench coat and held a cigar in his hand.

The way he walked made him look mighty imposing.

“Heh… My backer has finally arrived. None of you will be able to escape today!” Mr. Chansey guffawed wickedly.

It wasn’t like he had any connections or a good background, so how dare he act so cocky?

“Holy shit! Isn’t that Sir Zims? What is he doing here?” someone whispered.

“Sir Zims? The new chairman of the Drey Group?” another piped up.

“It’s him! I heard that he was the one who was ruthless enough to kill Sir Spanner in order to climb to the top!” one exclaimed.

“That guy’s dead meat. I can’t believe he got involved with Sir Zims,” another gossiped.

Whispers erupted from the crowd after everyone got a look at the man in the trench coat. Some even gave Dustin a few sympathetic looks afterward.

Sir Zims‘ infamous name could be heard everywhere these days, up to the point where the mere mention of his name was enough to make anyone turn pale.

“Hmm?” Dustin hummed. He couldn’t help but get an odd feeling in his stomach upon looking at the imposing man in front of him.

And that was because he just realized that Mr. Chansey’s supposed backer was his own newly acquired follower, Mason Zims.
 
Chapter 62

“Who dares to stir up trouble on my turf? Do they have a death wish?” Mason Zims bellowed as he strutted with a cigar in his mouth.

Everywhere he went, the crowd dispersed as they were all afraid of provoking him.

Even Dahlia’s expression turned grave upon laying eyes on him.

Although Trevor Spanner was dead, Mason Zims managed to inherit all of his power and was glowing in his element. With Edwin Hummer behind his back too, not many had the privilege of offending him.

“You escape through the side door. I’ll cover for you!” Dahlia ordered as she stepped forward to shield Dustin. She was an influential figure herself, so even if Mason was batshit crazy, she knew he didn’t have the balls to do anything to her. It was a different story for Dustin though, for he wasn’t an influential figure or anything. So, if he were unfortunate enough to fall into Zim’s clutches, he would end up dead or disabled, at the very least! “You want him to escape? Where to? As long as Sir Zims is here, even if Jesus came down from Heaven today. He won’t be able to save you! Your death is imminent!” Mr. Chansey huffed before cockily strutting up to Mason. “You’ve finally arrived, Sir Zims! Just take a look at my face. Look how it got beat up!” Mr. Chansey lamented.

“What happened here?” Mason asked with an eyebrow raised.

“The story is, this woman approached me for a loan just now. But when I noticed that she had bad credit, I refused to lend her any money. Who knew she’d be so shameless as to start seducing me on top of toying with other men? And just because I didn’t want to give in to her mind games, she beat me up! Can you believe this?” Mr. Chansey lied through his teeth, spewing out bullshit the whole time.

“Oh, she’s a wild one, I see? Did you mention my name?” Mason snapped. He didn’t look like he came here to make friends.

“Of course I did! But they didn’t bat an eye at the mention of your name and even boldly proclaimed that they’d just fight you if you showed up!” Mr. Chansey instigated.

“Good–no, excellent! If I don’t flex my muscles once in a while, people will start thinking I’ve lost my touch!” Mason guffawed wickedly. He had just taken control of the Drey Group and was worried he’d have no opportunity to push his weight around.

It was about time a few people who weren’t afraid of death came up to him today!

“What a load of crap!” Dahlia exploded after holding herself back for so long. She took a few steps forward and started explaining. “Sir Zims, I was the one who approached him to take out a loan, but not only did he deny me a loan, he even tried to make things difficult for me! All those accusations about seducing him and toying with other men were totally made up and untrue, to say the least. He was lying the whole time.

But before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a wave from Mason’s hand. “What makes you think that I care about the truth? I don’t give a shit about who was right or wrong. The fact of the matter was that you picked a fight with someone on my turf, which meant that you were indirectly disrespecting me as well! So, for everyone who disrespects me, whether it be Tom, Dick, or Harry, I’ll have them kneel in front of me to beg for forgiveness.”

Dahlia couldn’t help but frown upon hearing that. She didn’t expect him to be so unreasonable.

“Heh, didn’t you hear what he just said? Hurry up and kneel on the ground and beg for your life to be spared!” Mr. Chansey snickered. He was well aware of Mason’s character, which was why he dared to act so cocky and reckless now.

“Tell me…Who was the man who hit you just now? Let’s see if he can escape with his hands intact today!” Mason twirled a knife in his hand. He vowed to make an example of someone today, no matter what!

“Sir Zims, he was the little shit who beat me up!” Mr. Chansey stretched out a finger and pointed.

As Mason chewed on a cigar hanging from his mouth, he raised his chin and turned his head around to see who it was. However, the moment his gaze met Dustin’s, it was as if his whole body was struck by lightning and he became frozen on the spot!

The steel knife in his hand also fell to the ground and clattered on the floor.

“Oh, my God, why him of all people?!” Mason thought nervously. His body stiffened upon gazing at Dustin’s familiar face. Cold sweat immediately broke out on his face. He was so scared his legs started to buckle.

Even after all this time, that image of Dustin wiping out an entire building by himself was still as fresh in his mind as ever. It still gave him nightmares to this day. He became even more frightened after hearing about Travis Spanner’s disappearance and the destruction of Spanner Villa two days ago.

That was because he knew very well that it was all Dustin’s doing. Somehow, Dustin had managed to make Travis Spanner, a general of the western warzone, disappear without a trace in just one night.

That just solidified how terrifying the man standing in front of him was!

“Fucking pig! Why’d he have to get me in this mess!” he grumbled to himself.

“Weren’t you barking like a rabid dog just now, you little shit? Why aren’t you saying anything now that Sir Zims is here?” Mr. Chansey, who still didn’t get the memo, continued taunting Dustin as if he had nine lives.” Let’s see if you dare slap me again. I’ll see to it that you die a horrible death today!” The moment he finished speaking, Mason saw a chance to redeem himself and rushed forward to slap the living daylights out of Chansey!

The sound of a crunch came, followed by a staggering Mr. Chansey, who looked like he was about to collapse any second. A red handmark could clearly be seen on his face.

“Sir Zims? A–aren’t you beating up the wrong person right now?” Mr. Chansey mumbled as he used his hands to cover his somewhat shocked expression.

“Me, beating up the wrong guy? But you’re the guy I’m supposed to beat up!” Mason roared furiously, and without skipping a beat, he lifted a hand to slap Chansey a few more times before throwing him onto the ground.

As if that did not quell his rage, he started to punch and kick Chansey again, cussing him out as he went.

“You fat pig! I feel like throwing up whenever I see you! Why would such a stunning woman like Ms. Nicholson seduce you? Do you even know what you look like?! How fucking dare you spread my name so casually like that! How dare you make a fool out of me, I’ll see to it that you stay dead!”

The more he cursed, the fiercer he became and the more blows he delivered.

At this point, Mr. Chansey had been beaten up to the extent of crying like a little bitch, screaming for his parents, while he cradled his head and begged for mercy at the same time.

“What the hell is going on here?” someone whispered from the crowd.

The sudden turn of events left the crowd stunned. No one had expected the tables to turn so drastically. Wasn’t Mason, who arrived like a hurricane minutes before, supposed to be on Mr. Chansey’s side? So why was he beating up his own teammate instead?

Who was on whose side now actually?

“Um…” Dahlia trailed off as her eyes widened. She was speechless at Mason’s sudden shift in attitude.

“Just a second ago, he paraded around like a cocky motherfucker, acting so domineering and unreasonable but now he was pretending as if he had a halo on his head, and was putting on a righteous front.

More importantly, she could obviously make out that there was a trace of fear on his face.

However, that was the part that got her stumped. Could one still be fearful of anything or anyone after assassinating someone so powerful as Sir Spanner?

Looking around the room, her gaze eventually landed on Dustin.

Come to think of it, Mason’s sudden shift in attitude seemed to have something to do with his encounter with Dustin.

Was it possible that Mason was terrified of Dustin?
 
Chapter 63

“No! That’s impossible!” Dahlia thought.

She denied the notion as soon as it emerged. Apart from his good looks, Dustin was just an average man. There was nothing special about him.

She denied the notion as soon as it emerged. Apart from his good looks, Dustin was just an average man. There was nothing special about him.

Mason, on the other hand, had not only taken over Sir Spanner’s position and had authority over the Drey Group, but he also had hundreds of henchmen at his beck and call. Why would he be intimidated by a small fry like Dustin?

She must be delusional.

Mason’s kicks and punches rained down on Mr. Chansey unceasingly, causing him to spit blood.

He saw no other way to it than to give Mr. Chansey a good beating for fear that Dustin would do him in out of wrath.

“I’m sorry, Sir Zims, I was wrong! Please stop, I’m begging you, please stop!” Mr. Chansey cried out between wails.

Mason only stopped after he sneaked a glance at Dustin and saw that his countenance was much calmer than before. He counted himself lucky that there was a scapegoat. He would have been in a bad spot otherwise.

“A fat lot of use apologizing to me! If Ms. Nicholson does not forgive you, you will not see tomorrow!” Mason scolded harshly.

“I’m terribly sorry, Ms. Nicholson! I was wrong, it was all my fault. This will never happen again. Please forgive me!” Mr. Chansey was on his knees as he begged for forgiveness. Long gone was his unbridled arrogance.

“That’s enough. Don’t ever let me see you again!” Dahlia uttered frostily.

“Yes, I’ll get lost right this instant!” He nodded incessantly and dashed for the exit. He did not even stop to retrieve his shoe that fell off on his way out.

“My apologies, Ms. Nicholson. The blame is on me. He offended you because I have not disciplined him well. I will reflect on my mistakes.” Mason smiled apologetically. He was a smart cookie. Knowing that Dustin always maintained a low profile, he did not blow his cover.

“How fair and just you are, Sir Zims. I’m impressed.” Dahlia gave a slight smile.

“Oh no, I’m only doing what’s right,” Mason replied with a guilty conscience.

“Hmph, at least you know where you stand!” Matt announced haughtily. “Had Dahlia been harmed in the slightest today, I would not have let you off the hook!”

“No, I wouldn’t dare,” Mason continued with the same apologetic smile. He had no idea who Matt was, but seeing that he was with Mr. Rhys, Mason was sure he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

“Take your men with you and scram. Such eyesores!” Matt said condescendingly.

Mason dared not retort. He peeked at Dustin for a brief moment before taking his leave. In no time, all his lackeys dispersed.

“Once again, Matt saves the day!” Florence’s eyes lit up as she smiled excitedly. “Dahlia, did you see that? Wasn’t Sir Zims cocky earlier on? But once he saw Matt, he got so scared that he was just short of peeing his pants! And that’s how powerful the Laneys are!”

As soon as she said that, the realization dawned on the crowd.

“No wonder Sir Zims was terrified. We have a big shot here!”

“I wonder who that attractive man is. It’s amazing how he scared SirZims off like that!”

“He’s handsome and he’s powerful. How does one even resist a man like that?”

A few ladies in the crowd fawned over how charming Matt was.

“The Laneys are, after all, a powerful family of the nobility. I think we have a say on what goes on around here.

Dealing with a mere thug is no big deal.” Matt smiled, feigning modesty.

“It’s no big deal to you, but it would definitely not be an easy feat for some people.” Florence then looked at

Dustin out of the corner of her eye and said cynically. “Hey Rhys, Matt here just saved your life. Are you not going to thank him?”

“Why should I thank him?” Dustin could not seem to fathom it.

“Why? Well, had Matt not dealt with Sir Zims, do you think you could get out of this unscathed?” Florence asked as she crossed her arms.

“First things first, I did not need his help. Secondly, he had nothing to do with me getting away,” Dustin said.

“Hmph! How stubborn!” Florence then continued, full of disdain, “Matt just saved you, and not only are you unappreciative, but you’re also boasting so shamelessly. Have you no conscience?”

“Precisely! What’s wrong with him? That is so rude of him!”

“He’s not even thanking the person who saved him! Should have left him to fend for himself!”

A few girls crowded around were outraged by the injustice toward Matt. From the way they saw it, Dustin was plain ungrateful.

“Forget it, it’s just a small matter. Let’s not make a fuss.” Matt said with a wave of his hand, trying to look magnanimous.

“Oh, Matt, you’re just too kind! Ungrateful bastards like this one here deserve to suffer!” Florence was indignant.

“I simply saved him for Dahlia’s sake,” Matt smiled slightly and turned to look at Dustin. “Speaking of which, I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for taking care of Dahlia in my stead for the past three years.”

Matt appeared to be thanking Dustin, but his words seemed to carry a different meaning. From what he said, he had staked his claim on Dahlia, making her his.

“Well, if you’re thanking me, why don’t you kneel before me? That’s not too much to ask for, is it?” Dustin challenged.

Matt was at a loss for words. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “I was just playing nice. Does he really think I’m easy?” he thought to himself.

“Hey Rhys, I’m warning you, you better watch your mouth!” Florence was furious.

Dahlia remained silent, but her brows furrowed too. She thought that Dustin had crossed the line too. After all, Matt had helped him out of a dire situation. Even if he wasn’t grateful, he should at least be polite.

“Dustin, you were able to win her hand back then because I went abroad. But now that I’m back, you will not have the chance anymore.” Matt lowered his voice as he approached Dustin.

“Is that so? I beg to differ.” Dustin shrugged.

“You should know where you stand. You and I, we’re in totally different leagues.” Matt straightened out his suit and looked down his nose at Dustin with scorn. “Can you even begin to comprehend how vastly different we are in social standing? Everything that you dare not even dream of having is within my grasp. And that is the difference between us!”

He spoke in such low tones that his words were only audible to the both of them.

“I do not know where you got your inflated ego from, but if there’s one thing you should know, it’s that you do not mess with me.” There was no trace of emotion on Dustin’s face.

Matt sniggered meanly. “Very well, we shall see then.” He reached out to pat Dustin on the shoulder when he paused midway, reconsidering his decision and retracting his hand slowly as though the act would soil his hand. The simple gesture itself was packed with a ton of humiliation.

“Alright, alright. Let’s not waste time conversing with the likes of him. How about I treat you to a good meal at Hillview Hotel to celebrate your return?” Florence suggested with a smile.

“I would be honored.” Matt turned around and his innocent facade was back in place again, a smile plastered on his face.

“Come on, let’s go then.” Without another word, Florence led Dahlia away. Dahlia turned to speak to Dustin but failed to find the right words to say.
 
Chapter 64

Natasha was enjoying her coffee with Duane at Java Joys.

“Do you still remember our bet, Natasha? Three days are up, and I’m still fit as a fiddle. Isn’t it time for you to make good on your promise?” Duane asked with a smile as he sipped on his coffee.

“Why aree you so impatient, Uncle Duane? We’ve got half a day left before time is up.” Natasha said collectedly.

“Hah! You can’t really be buying what that little swindler said, can you?” Duane found it ridiculous. “I’ve been practicing martial arts for years. How would I not know my own physical condition? Look at me! Does it look like there’s anything wrong with me?”

“I don’t know if you look like anything, but I trust Dustin’s judgment.” Natasha smiled.

“Hmph! I wonder how that little swindler brainwashed you. Why do you trust him so much?” Duane wondered aloud.

“Who knows? Maybe this is just how things were meant to be.” The corners of Natasha’s lips tugged upward as she thought of Dustin. “Anyway, half a day is left before time is up. If you’re still fine before the sun sets, I’ll make good on my promise!“

“Fine! Half a day it is, then! When the time is up, I’ll show you what a liar that little swindler truly is!” With that, Duane left with his bodyguards in tow.

Once they were out the door and got into their car, one of Duane’s trusted bodyguards couldn’t resist asking, “ I don’t get it, sir. Ms. Harmon is such an exceptional lady. Why would she fall for that little swindler?”

“She never plays by the book. When you find an opportunity, look into Rhys‘ background.” Duane instructed.

“Yes, sir!”

The bodyguard started the car after answering him. As the car drove on, Duane leaned back to relax. Not a moment later, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He dismissed it initially, but as time went on, the pain became increasingly acute and unbearable.

It felt like a knife was stabbed into his chest and twisted around continuously. As tough as he was, the pain caused him to gasp.

“It can’t be! Could it be that the little swindler was telling the truth all along?” he wondered. Duane clutched at his chest as he broke out in perspiration.

“What’s wrong, sir?” His bodyguard was quick to notice his discomfort.

“Quick! Send me back to Java Joys immediately!” Finally, Duane could bear it no longer. He ordered his bodyguard to turn back.

Flooring it the entire way, they were back at Java Joys in a flash.

“Uncle Duane, what’s wrong? Do you need to use the washroom?” Natasha raised her brows at the sight of

Duane, who was drenched in sweat.

“Who said anything about using the washroom? Can’t you see that he’s in pain?” His bodyguard huffed.

“Hmm? And who are you to run your mouth here?”

The bodyguard immediately lowered his head as Natasha shot a glare in his direction. In a split second, his blood ran cold.

“Natasha! My chest hurts! Get that little swindler here to help me, pronto!” Duane said with agony written all over his face.

“Uncle Duane, it seems to me that Dustin was right. He said you’d get an attack within three days, and he wasn’t lying. Doesn’t seem appropriate that you’re still addressing him as a little swindler, does it?” Natasha remarked impassively.

“Fine, fine! He isn’t a swindler, I was wrong to call him that. Now can you get him here?” Duane gritted his teeth.

“Uncle Duane, you’re the one asking him for a favor. It’s not nice to make him come here, don’t you think?” Natasha commented with a vague smile.

“You!” Duane was on the verge of rage, but in the end he chose to restrain himself. “Where is Dustin? I’ll go to him

“Hang on, let me give him a call to see where he is.” Natasha smiled as she dug around for her phone to make the call. Once she got Dustin’s location, she announced, “Peaceful Medical Centre.”

“Move it! Get to Peaceful Medical Centre right away!” Duane dared not dally any longer. He rushed to the medical center. What should have been a 30–minute journey took them only 15. They ran multiple red lights along the way.

“So you are here, you rascal!” Duane made his way in covered in sweat. He spotted Dustin, who was reading, the moment he entered. “Damn it! I’m suffering in such agony, and here you are, happily reading?” Duane cursed internally.

“Uncle Duane, why are you here?” Dustin was taken aback for a brief moment, but he quickly came around.

From the looks of it, he must have suffered an attack.

“Tell me! I’ve been well all along. Why am I suddenly experiencing pain in my chest? Have you got something to do with this, you brat?” Duane questioned through clenched jaws. He had little faith in Dustin to begin with. And now, he was really suffering within three days, just as Dustin had predicted. It was only natural that he would suspect that Dustin was behind everything.

“Uncle Duane, what are you implying? Are you saying that I did this to you?” Dustin’s brows knitted together showing his displeasure.

“Forget it! I don’t care who did it! Just get over here and treat me!” Duane said impatiently. The pain in his chest was getting unbearable. Every second that passed was pure torture to him. His priority was to get relief.

“Why the hell are you still standing there? Get your ass here right this instant! If my boss‘ condition gets any worse, I’ll make you regret the day you were born!” Duane’s bodyguard, who was by his side, threatened.

Dustin’s expression froze over when he heard those words. They were the ones who needed his help, but this was the kind of attitude they came with? Who did they think they were?

“If this is the attitude I’m getting, then you’d better find someone else to heal you. I’m not the person to help you,” Dustin declared flatly.

“What did you just say?” Duane stopped for a moment before his expression turned malicious. “You bastard! I only came here because of Natashal Don’t be so full of yourself!”

“Is that so?” Dustin scoffed. “Truth be told, I’m only addressing you as Uncle Duane out of respect toward Ms. Harmon. If not for her, you are nothing to me. Also, it would do you good to figure out how things stand right now. You are the one who came to me, asking for help. Not the other way around! Now, please get the hell out of here!”
 
Chapter 65

Dustin’s words took everyone by surprise. No one had expected him to be so audacious as to disregard them.

“You brat! Are you even hearing yourself?” Duane’s jaws were tightly clenched and his expression was slightly distorted from the anguish. He was a person of prestige in South City, much less a small place like Swinton. And now, this little scoundrel dared speak to him like that? How impudent!

“I know very well what I’m saying. You, however, do not seem to fathom the severity of the situation at hand. I am the only one who can help with your condition,” Dustin spelled out coldly.

“You rascal! Don’t go around thinking that you’re some miracle worker just because you’ve got some medical tricks up your sleeves! You better know what’s best for you before I lose my temper!” Duane bellowed.

“That’s right! I’ll break your face if you don’t cure my boss!” Duane’s bodyguard threatened.

“You’ll break my face? I’d like to see you try.” Dustin sneered.

“I guess this one wouldn’t be afraid until death stares him in the face!” The bodyguard was angered. He took a step forward and threw a punch at Dustin’s face. His fist was on the target, and it came on fast. It was evident that he was a skilled fighter.

Before the punch made contact with his face, Dustin grunted and gave the bodyguard such a strong slap that it sent him sprawling backward.

The bodyguard did not even have the chance to make a sound as he passed out on the spot, face disfigured.

Duane’s face fell. It never occurred to him that Dustin was proficient in martial arts too.

“What’s the matter?” Natasha came strolling in at her own pace, looking haughty and carrying an air of authority. Even without knowing what was going on, she instinctively stood by Dustin.

“Natasha! This insolent rascal not only refused to heal me, he even beat my man up! Tell me, how do you think this should be handled?” Duane asked with hostility.

“Uncle Duane, I believe Dustin would not have attacked your man without being provoked. That being the case, your man brought it upon himself!” Natasha responded firmly.

Duane’s brows furrowed. “So, you’re adamant about taking his side?”

“Of course!” Natasha lifted her chin. “Dustin is my friend. If you have any problem with him, you may come to me.”

“Hmph! You’re turning against me for an outsider? Have you considered how you’re going to tell your parents about this?” Duane roared.

“That’s not something you should worry about, Uncle Duane. I’ll deal with them myself.“Natasha then continued stonily, “But you, Uncle Duane, look like you’re in serious pain. I think you’d better seek help. Don’t wait till it gets any worse.”

“You! Very well! Let’s go!” After giving them a spiteful glare, Duane left in a huff. Natasha’s reaction was not what he expected. But considering her status, he had no intention of crossing her, so he had no choice but to walk away.

“Will you be in any sort of trouble for helping me out?” Dustin asked. Though he was not intimidated by Duane, he was still grateful to Natasha.

“Trouble?” Natasha chuckled. “Well, they used to call me Black Widow. Venomous and deadly, apparently.

What’s this trivial matter got on me?”

“Well, isn’t that phenomenal?” Dustin raised a brow.

“But of course! Are you interested in finding out?”

“Finding out? How?” Natasha chuckled yet again. With a sultry grin, she leaned into Dustin and whispered into his ear. “Come over to my room tonight. I’ll show you.”

And then, she pulled away, biting her lower lip. That was no mistaking it for anything but seduction.

Dustin kept quiet and pretended not to hear her. His eyelid twitched. This woman was really something.

seducing him in broad daylight.

Meanwhile, Duane’s chest was hurting so much that he rushed to the hospital as quickly as he could.

“Quick! Get a doctor!”

Following Duane’s bodyguard’s rude barks, a group of doctors rushed to the emergency ward to tend to him. However, after going through a series of tests, the doctors came to the astonishing conclusion that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Duane. He was perfectly fine.

“Sir, are you sure that you are experiencing pain in your chest?” a doctor asked.

“Why the fuck would I be lying about it?” Duane replied none too kindly. “Fuck it! I’m so close to spasming from the damned pain! Why would I be lying?” he thought.

“Well, the thing is, we are unable to diagnose the issue. Why don’t you get a consultation from another hospital?”

“You bunch of worthless morons!” Duane left after spewing profanities. Without a moment to waste, he hurried to two other renowned hospitals. Still, their conclusions were the same: He was perfectly healthy and nothing was wrong with him.

“How could this be?” Duane grabbed at his chest, pale–faced with sweat running down his face. The worst part was that the pain was intensifying as time went on. It was as though he would never see the end of it. He had been practicing martial arts for many, many years, and he believed himself to be tough and resilient. But the excruciating pain he was going through was simply intolerable. He thought that he might lose his mind if it carried on any longer.

“Sir, even the hospitals can’t help. What do we do now?” Seeing Duane in so much pain, his bodyguards were at a loss.

“Could it be possible that the rascal is the only one who can help me?” Recalling Dustin’s words, Duane gritted his teeth. Ultimately, he had no choice but to give in. “Head to Peaceful Medical Centre. Get that rascal to help.”

Duane’s men dared not question his decision. They immediately sent him back to Peaceful Medical Centre. This time around, they lost all the contempt and arrogance they had before.

“Well, if it isn’t Uncle Duane? What’s got you coming back so soon?” Natasha, who had been biding her time, rose to greet him with a smile.

“Natasha, I acted rashly and said some rubbish earlier on. Please don’t take it to heart. Can you please get Dustin to help me?” Duane tried to put on a smile.

“Uncle Duane, there’s no use telling me that. It’d be better for you to say it to Dustin.” Natasha gestured at Dustin behind her. He was reading leisurely, taking no heed of the few men who had just entered.

Duane cleared his throat before starting, “Hey, Rhys, I’m really sorry. I was in such agony that I was rash with my words and offended you. Please do not mind me. I’m really sorry, I apologize.”

Duane chose to yield to him. Seeing that Dustin was ignoring him, he offered, “Hey, if you help me, you can have your pick out of my collection of treasured herbs.”

Dustin finally lifted his head when he heard that.
 
Chapter 66

Dustin had no interest in wealth or riches. But at the moment, he had a pressing need for rare herbs. The old drunkard’s condition had gotten worse day by day. He might not even make it through the year. He needed to gather five types of rare herbs to be able to treat him.

“I am extremely fussy when it comes to herbs. Your collection might not necessarily be useful to me,” Dustin voiced out.

“I can get you whatever herb you need!” Duane guaranteed immediately.

“Do you have the Gozoraberry?” Dustin queried.

“Uh… no.” Duane shook his head.

“Flower of Crimson Gem?”

“I don’t have that either.”

“What about Cherusia?”

“Rhys, I’ve never even heard of these herbs you are naming.” Duane’s expression turned bitter.

“How about aged Panax root and ancient Heliotrope? I’m sure you’ve heard of those.” Dustin’s eyes narrowed.

“Yes, I’ve heard of those! I know those herbs!” Duane nodded. Those two herbs cost a king’s ransom, but at least he’s heard of them.

“And do you have them?” Dustin asked.

“I’m not sure about the ancient Heliotrope, but I can get you the aged Panax root. But it’ll take a few days.” Duane answered.

“Fine, then come back when you have them.” Dustin said with a wave of his hand.

“Oh, come on, Rhys! My chest is aching so badly! I can’t stand it anymore! Please help me first! I promise I’ll send the Panax root in a few days!” Duane lost his cool.

Dustin kept quiet and turned to look at Natasha beside him. He did not trust Duane. What if he went back on his word once Dustin cured him?

“Natasha, please, persuade him. You know I never go back on my word. I always make good on my promises!” Duane begged.

“Of course, Uncle Duane. I know that you never go back on a promise. But I think we can do better than just at Panax root,” Natasha bargained.

“What else do you need? I’ll try my best to get it.” Duane quickly got the picture. It was obvious that Natasha was trying to raise the price now that they were in control. But he was in no position to haggle.

“Uncle Duane, I heard that you’ve got quite a number of properties in Swinton. Hillview Hotel, especially, is doing exceptionally well. Why don’t you give it to Dustin as a gift?” A vague smile crept up on Natasha’s face.

“What?” Duane’s lips twitched. Damn it! Hillview Hotel was his golden goose! If he were to sell it, he could easily get up to a billion dollars for it! This woman was demanding quite a lot!

“Are you unwilling to part with It?” Natasha raised a brow.

“Of course not! As long as Rhys will save me, a hotel means nothing to me!” Duane forced a smile. He had no other alternative than to comply with their demands.

“Dustin, seeing how Uncle Duane is being so nice, why don’t you help him this time?” Natasha turned to him and winked.

“Alright, then.” Dustin nodded. He then pulled out a black pill and tossed it to Duane. “You’ll be fine after eating this.”

“What’s this?”

The pill looked too much like a turd. A frown formed on Duane’s face. Did he lose close to a billion dollars just for this?

“If you do not believe me, you can opt not to eat it.” Dustin did not pressure him to consume the pill.

“Of course I do!” Steeling himself, Duane swallowed the pill. He had to try it to know if it worked.

The pill dissolved very quickly, and soon Duane felt a warm feeling spreading over his body. As the warmth spread out, the pain in his chest began to dissipate. In mere minutes, the sharp, agonizing pain miraculously disappeared altogether.

“It actually worked?” Duane was pleasantly surprised.

He patted himself all over to make sure that he was really alright. Finally, he heaved a long breath of relief.
 
Chapter 67

“So, Uncle Duane, what do you think of Dustin’s medical skills? Are you impressed?” Natasha asked with a smirk, evidently proud. After all, this was the man she had taken a liking to.

“Who knew that a single pill could work such wonders?” Duane’s eyes lit up as he said. “Rhys, may I know what this pill is? Can I have a few more? I’ll pay for it. Just name your price!”

"This is Gemiphen. It’s a confidential prescription. And because the ingredients are too valuable, the pill that you just had was my only one,” Dustin replied, aloof.

“That’s okay, just sell me the prescription then.” Duane was not one to give up easily. He was a tycoon in the medical industry. He knew how immensely precious such miraculous medicines are. If he could manufacture them in bulk, he would have struck gold!

“I told you, the prescription is confidential. There’s no way I’m selling it.“Dustin stopped himself before he continued, “Of course, if you could find me another rare herb, I can give you the prescription for the Gemiphen. No charges.”

“Well…” Duane appeared reluctant. It was hard enough to get him the aged Panax root. How much harder would it be to get the ancient Heliotrope? As for the Gozoraberry, the flower of Crimson Gem, and the Cherusia, he had never even heard of them, much less know where to get them.

“There’s no rush, Uncle Duane. We can continue discussing this after we get the Panax root.” Natasha smiled as she rubbed her stomach. “I’m suddenly feeling quite hungry, Uncle Duane. Why don’t we go for a meal at Hillview Restaurant? You can also transfer the ownership of the hotel to Dustin while we’re there.”

Duane’s eyelid twitched. This was one impatient lady! Though it pained him to do so, there was nothing else Duane could do other than agree. After all, he had made a promise, and he couldn’t very well go back on it. So, after some small talk, they made their way to Hillview Hotel.

Hillview Hotel was situated in an excellent location, right by Lake Vestine. It was famous for its rooftop restaurant, which was Hillview Restaurant. Because of its geographical advantage, it had an extraordinary view overlooking half of Swinton. The night view was particularly breathtaking. With exemplary service and exquisite food, it was no wonder that Hillview Restaurant was patronized by many of the rich and famous.

Furthermore, they only served VIPs, so regular folk were not allowed to set foot there.

Once they reached Hillview Restaurant, the three got a private room to themselves and ordered some of the signature dishes. They soon began to dig in.

Meanwhile, a Mercedes–Benz SUV stopped in front of the main entrance to Hillview Hotel. The car door opened and Florence stepped out of the car.

“Matt, Hillview Restaurant is a wonderful place. Since you’ve helped us out so much, I’ll treat you to a nice dinner today. Dahlia will be here soon. She’s on her way. Let’s head in without her.” Florence led Matt and James into the hotel, but when they reached the highest floor, they were stopped by a waiter.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid you can’t come in.”

“What? We’re not allowed to enter?” James glared at the waiter, displeased. “Do you know who we are? How dare you stop me?”

“You’re running a business here! Aren’t you supposed to serve guests? What do you mean we can’t go in? Who are you to look down on us?” Florence asked mastily.

They had anticipated having a good meal there, but they ended up being denied entry. Peeved was an understatement.

“My apologies, but we only serve VIPS,” the waiter answered respectfully.

“What’s so great about a VIP? We’ll just apply to be a VIP then!” Florence scoffed.

“May I please know if you’re applying for a regular VIP or a Deluxe VIP?” the waiter asked with a smile.

“Of course we’re going for the Deluxe VIP! Do we look like we can’t afford it?” James asked arrogantly as he lifted his chin.

“Yes, we only go for the best!” Florence whipped out her card.

Matt was watching them. She couldn’t afford to embarrass herself in his presence.

“Sure. You’ll have to put in a deposit of five million dollars for the Deluxe VIP.” The waiter was still smiling.

“What? Five million?”

Both Florence and James were bewildered when they heard what the waiter said. Florence, who had her card in her hand, immediately withdrew her hand.
 
Chapter 68

“Are you kidding me? Five million dollars for Deluxe VIP?” Astonishment was written all over James‘ face.

Exactly! This is daylight robbery!” Florence flew into a rage to cover up her embarrassment. She was lucky she drew her card back in time, or she would have maxed out on her card.

“These are rules set by our proprietor. If that’s too much for you, you can opt for the regular VIP.”

“And— how much would the regular VIP cost?” Florence probed.

“A deposit of one million dollars will make you a regular VIP.” the waiter informed them.

“One million? That’s not much better!” Florence frowned. “We’re just here for a meal. It won’t cost so much. Can’t you just let us in? I’ll make sure you get handsomely tipped!” Had she known that Hillview Restaurant charged such exorbitant prices, she would never have chosen to go there in the first place!

“I’m sorry, but we only serve VIPs.” The waiter put on a professional smile.

“Hey! Why are you so inflexible? Get me your manager! I’ll talk to him personally!” Florence could no longer hold in her temper.

“I’m sorry, but our manager is currently serving three other distinguished guests. I’m afraid he doesn’t have the time.” The waiter’s smile was slowly fading away.

“You!” Florence was exasperated.

“Mom, forget it. Why don’t we just go somewhere else?” James prompted. As lovely as Hillview Restaurant was, it was way too pricey.

“We’re already here! We’ll make a joke of ourselves if we leave now!” Florence glared at him.

“Allow me, Mrs. Nicholson.”

Matt smiled as he stepped forward, gracefully producing a gold card and handing it to the waiter. “I am a Gold VIP, so I get 20% off on all my spending here.”

“Gold VIP?” That gave Florence quite a shock. “How much did that cost you?”

“Not too much, just ten million dollars.” Matt smiled.

“Ten million?”

Florence and James‘ eyes widened. Was he joking? Ten million dollars, not too much? They had thought thatthey were pretty well off, but it seemed like they were nothing compared to Matt!

“Please step inside, honored guests!” In a flash, the waiter’s attitude changed and became exceedingly welcoming after verifying that the card was valid.

“Shall we?” Matt gestured courteously for them to go first.

“Hmph! Bootlicker! My friend Matt here is a Gold VIP! See that?” James strutted in pompously after giving the waiter a dirty look.

Feeling very pleased, Florence sashayed in with her chest puffed up and head held high.

Just then, Dustin emerged from one of the private rooms. He had been on his way to the men’s room when he bumped into them.

“Rhys? What are you doing here?” James scowled at the sight of him. He was still very much hung up on being slapped a while back.

“If you can be here, then so can I,” Dustin answered coldly.

“Hah! What makes you think we’re on the same level? We are Gold VIPs here,” James declared snobbishly.

“That’s right! This place is exclusively for VIPS, requiring a deposit of one million dollars for even the most basic VIP. Can you afford that?” Florence remarked condescendingly.

“Indeed, I do not have a million dollars,” Dustin admitted. It was true that he did not have much. But it would not be hard for him to get the money.

“Then what are you doing here if you do not have the money? Get out! Do not lower the standards here!” James expression was one of contempt.

“Exactly! Go look at yourself in the mirror! Who are you to appear in such a posh restaurant?” Florence sniggered.

“Oi! You there! Come here and get this guy out! He’s ruining our appetite!” James waved a waiter over to kick Dustin out of the restaurant.

“I’m sorry, he is one of our guests too.” The waiter smiled apologetically.

“So what? We are Gold VIPs! Is he more distinguished than us? I am telling you to get rid of this person! This is an order!” James barked.

“Um…” The waiter looked uneasy.

“What? Are you going to disregard a Gold VIP? With such service, you better watch out. I have quite a mind to lodge a complaint against you!” Florence threatened.

“My apologies, but we do not have such rules here.” The waiter had his hands tied.

“Hmph! If you can’t make the call, get your manager here!”

“That’s right! Get the manager here! I’d like to see if he prioritizes this miserable man over his Gold VIPs!” Florence and James pressed unforgivingly. They were making a big show out of having a Gold VIP card. Even the other diners were throwing them dirty looks.

Under their persistent demands, the waiter dared not say more and rushed off to get the manager.

“Mom, what are the both of you doing?” Dahlia called out as she arrived. She was surprised to see Dustin. Why are you here?”

“I’m here for a meal, of course. Why else?” Dustin shrugged.

“This is quite a pricey place for a meal,” Dahlia reminded him.

“Oh, so you think I can’t afford to have a meal here too?” Dustin raised a brow.

“I didn’t mean that…”

Just as Dahlia was about to explain herself, the waiter rushed back with the manager.

“I’m the manager here. Is anything the matter?”

“So you’re the manager? Great! There’s a man who sneaked in. I’m ordering you to get him out of here immediately!” James was swollen with arrogance.

“Sir, you must be mistaken. We have very strict security here. No one is able to sneak in,” the manager explained.

“And I’m telling you, there is! I’m warning you, we are Gold VIPs! If you do not want trouble, you best do as I “say!”

“That’s right! He’s affecting me and seriously ruining my appetite. I don’t care what you say, just get him out of here!”

Florence and James were throwing their weight around, not bothering to play nice.

“Could you please let me know who you are referring to?” the manager inquired.

“It’s him!” James pointed at Dustin.

The manager’s expression clouded over when he saw that. “Excuse me, sir, please do not try to play the fool!”

“What? You’re defying me? We are Gold VIPs!” James glowered. He sounded like a broken tape recorder.

The manager simply scoffed at that. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a Gold VIP. Even if you were the President of Stonia himself, it wouldn’t matter. Because this man here is the owner of Hillview Restaurant!”

The whole room fell into a breathless silence.
 
Chapter 69

“What? He’s the owner?!” James was stunned by the twist in events. He couldn’t believe his ears.

“You must be joking! How could he be the owner of this restaurant?” Florence exclaimed in disbelief.

“Why would it be impossible? I have never seen such arrogant and snobbish patrons as the two of you. How dare you try to make a scene here?” The restaurant manager replied in disgust.

Earlier, he had seen Duane, the preceding owner, handing over ownership of Hillview Hotel to Dustin in the private booth.

“This can’t be! Dustin is as poor as a church mouse. Where did he get the money to buy a restaurant?” Astonishment was written all over James’s face.

“That’s none of your business. The only thing you need to know now is that the restaurant belongs to me. I have the authority to kick you out instead,” Dustin answered calmly.

At this, the expressions on both their faces turned black with anger and humiliation. They had planned on upstaging Dustin by shoving their privilege as a Gold VIP into his face. Who would have thought that he was the owner of Hillview Hotel? What a disgrace!

“Mr. Rhys, should we remove these troublemakers from the restaurant?” The manager spoke up.

“No need for that. We should provide good service to our customers. Furthermore, they are still our privileged customers. Send them a bottle of red wine on the house,” Dustin replied.

“Very well, sir.” The manager nodded.

“What a showoff. Frankly, he only knows how to leech off women!”

“That’s right! He thinks that he is such a big shot when in fact, he is just a freeloader!”

Florence and James grumbled, cursing under their breath. They were not happy about how things turned out.

“Thanks for the offer. However, I would have to decline your gift,” Matt cut in suddenly. With a winsome smile on his face, he caught the attention of the other women around with his charm and attractive features.

Florence took this opportunity to boast. “Dustin! For your information, Matt is an overseas graduate. Not only is he from an elite family, but he is also extremely talented. He is better than you by leaps and bounds!”

“Precisely! With your measly net worth, you don’t even deserve to be his slave!” James chimed in.

The humiliation they faced just now was instantly forgotten with the support of Matt. What was the big deal? Dustin was only the owner of a restaurant. Moreover, it was not from his labor. In comparison to Matt’s noblebackground, he was nothing!

“Florence, you are too kind. I was just lucky.” Matt brushed her praises off lightly. However, there was a cocky smile on his face.

“Look at that! See how courteous and gentlemanly he is. Between you and him, it’s like night and day!” Florence declared, gushing over Matt.

By now, Dustin was done. Turning to leave, he replied calmly, “Please enjoy your time here. Excuse me as I have other obligations.”

“Wait a minute!” Dahlia caught up to him. “Is this restaurant really yours? Where did you get so much money from?”

“I don’t have any money. The restaurant’s a gift from a friend,” Dustin answered.

“A friend? Don’t tell me it’s Natasha?” Dahlia continued with a frown on her face.

“You don’t need to know who it is. Instead, spend that energy on catching up with Matt over some wine. Isn’t he your beloved senior?” Dustin huffed before striding away.

“You…” Dahlia clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was only treating Matt to a meal. Furthermore, her brother and mother were present. Why was he being such a prick? Where was his gentlemanliness?

Returning to the private booth, Dustin seemed a little down. He couldn’t help but feel frustrated when he saw Dahlia and Matt standing side by side. Matt had the looks and the background. To top it off, they almost got together as a couple before this. It was easy to be suspicious of their relationship. Above all, Dahlia was being extremely guarded. He couldn’t guess what was going through her mind at all.

“Mr. Rhys, what’s wrong? Your face has been downcast since you returned. Is something on your mind?” Natasha said, lightly teasing him.

“It’s nothing. I met up with some acquaintances outside.” Dustin forced a smile..

“Acquaintance? Is it Dahlia?” Natasha’s ears pricked up.

“You’re right. It is her. Besides, there’s another guy named Matt Laney,” Dustin replied honestly.

“Matt Laney?” Natasha shot him a mischievous smile. “Mr. Rhys, you should stay away from this person!”

“Do you know him?” Dustin was a little surprised.

“Not personally, but I’ve heard of him.” Natasha took a sip of red wine and laughed. “Matt is notorious among the rich ladies. He is famous for being a real playboy. Not only does he have the looks and the personality, but he is also extremely generous with his money. Who wouldn’t like him?”

“What, are you also interested in him?” Dustin asked hesitantly.

“Of course not! He is not my type and is only good at leeching off women. Besides, with you around, who else would I be interested in anyway?” Natasha winked at him playfully.

Seeing that Dustin was ignoring her advances, she continued with a charming smile. “To be fair, Matt is from a family of aristocrats. However, his family’s Influence went down the drain recently, making him a broke aristocrat. Being brought up with a golden spoon, he had to find unscrupulous ways to maintain his lifestyle. Thus, he is now making a living off the support of rich older women. Many women have been blinded by his lies and lost all their wealth. His modus operandi is to use the wealth of his previous victim to gain the trust of his current target, and the cycle continues. Furthermore, he is meticulous in his deception. Many of his victims are still being strung along by his charms. If he has his sights set on your ex–wife, you must be very careful. In the end, she may not only lose her wealth, but her life may even be in danger!”

When Dustin heard about this, he frowned. “Who would have known that he is just a swindler!”

“Anyway, you should have your guard up when dealing with people like him,” Natasha concluded.

“Thanks for the tip.” Dustin nodded thoughtfully.

“Mr. Rhys, you seem to be concerned about Dahlia. Could it be that you still have feelings for her?” The expression on Natasha’s face was a little dejected.

“No. Even though she is my ex–wife, I don’t wish for her to be hurt in any way.” Dustin shook his head.

“I hope that is true!” With a smirk, Natasha declared in a bossy tone, “Regardless, even if you still have feelings for Dahlia, I don’t mind having a fair fight with her. Once I have my eyes set on you, no one else can come between us!”

With that, she pompously stuck her nose in the air.
 
Chapter 70

Seated by the window, Florence and James were still cursing Dustin.

“Who would have guessed that an incompetent oaf like Dustin could be the owner! What has our world come to?” James complained loudly.

“He is nothing but a leech! If it weren’t for Ms. Harmon’s recommendation, he would never have this opportunity!” Florence snarled.

James had a look of pure jealousy on his face. “That’s right! Once she loses interest in him, Dustin will be discarded like rubbish. Let’s see how arrogant he can be!”

“Nothing will come out of being a freeloader like Dustin. Conversely, Matt is the epitome of a real man. Not only is he young and talented, he is also an intellectual!” Florence praised Matt effusively.

“What a pity. Matt, if you hadn’t gone overseas for your studies, you would have been my brother–in–law by now!” James tried to butter Matt up.

“Absolutely! Just so you know, after you left for your studies, Dahlia has been pining after you for a long time!” Florence chimed in as well.

“Mom! Where did you get this idea?” Dahlia frowned in annoyance.

“I’m telling the truth! If it weren’t for Matt going overseas, you would never have married Dustin!” Florence said stubbornly.

Before Dahlia could retort, Matt cut in, “Alright, alright. Let bygones be bygones. We should have our meal before it gets cold. The food here is delicious.”

Florence and James shut up and tucked in voraciously.

“James and I are going down to get some groceries. The both of you can take your time.” In the middle of the meal, Florence stopped eating and gave James a knowing look.

“Oh, yes! I’ll accompany Mom.” James understood his assignment, and they left the table quickly.

Clearly, they were trying to give Dahlia and Matt some private time.

After Florence and James left, Matt spoke up, “Dahlia, I am very sorry for leaving you without any warning. It’s all my fault. Please give me a chance to redeem myself.”

“It’s all in the past now. You don’t have to be concerned,” Dahlia answered nonchalantly.

She had moved on from Matt long ago, so she couldn’t care less.

“That’s great. You have grown more mature since the last time we met.” Matt shot her a charming smile.

“Please excuse me, I need to go to the washroom.” Dahlia patted her lips gently and left the table as well.

Staring at her shapely figure, Matt gave an evil smirk. He took out a small packet of white powder, poured it into Dahlia’s wine, and swirled the glass.

Coincidentally, the restaurant’s manager witnessed everything Matt had done. Without further delay, he quickly went to Dustin’s booth and divulged Matt’s evil plan.

“He spiked her drink? Are you sure?” Dustin’s brows furrowed together when he heard this.

“Yes, I’m positive. I personally witnessed it!” the manager affirmed.

“Who would have expected that he revealed his true colors so quickly?” Natasha narrowed her eyes.

Duane spoke up. “Dustin, you should not let this slide. Do you need me to teach him a lesson?”

“No, I will handle this myself.” Dustin got up and left the booth immediately.

At that moment, Dahlia had returned from the washroom. Matt passed her the glass of wine. “Dahlia, this is a token of my apology. Cheers!” Matt lifted his glass with a smile.

“Alright. After this drink, I need to go home as tomorrow will be a busy day at the office” Dahlia said with resignation.

“Sure, let’s make a move after this.” Matt did not pressure her further and downed his drink.

Just as Dahlia was about to take a sip, Dustin’s voice stopped her.

“I would not drink that if I were you.”

“What?”
 
Chapter 71

Dahlia looked over her shoulder and saw Dustin walking toward her. “What do you mean?”

“Your drink has been drugged. You would be in danger if you had drunk it because it renders you defenseless,” Dustin warned.

“Drugged?” Dahlia frowned and turned to Matt, whose expression stiffened for a split second. However, he composed himself immediately.

“Dustin, you must be sorely mistaken,” Matt said coolly.

“You would know best whether I am mistaken,” Dustin retorted coldly.

“Dahlia, do you really think that I’m such a malicious person?” Matt asked with a disarming smile.

Dahlia was taken aback by the sudden question. After some deliberation, she asked, “Dustin, do you have any evidence to support your claim?”

“The restaurant’s manager saw what happened. He could be my witness,” Dustin answered.

“That’s right! It was clear as day. He spiked your wine with some powder!” the manager pointed an accusing finger at Matt.

“Everyone knows that both of you are in cahoots with each other. It would be impossible for me to deny it.” Matt shook his head, acting aggrieved.

“Dustin, do you have stronger evidence for your claims? Do not judge someone based on unfounded accusations!” Dahlia had a serious look on her face. Based on her knowledge of Matt, he wasn’t someone who would do such a thing.

“I already have a witness backing me up. What evidence do you need? Would you rather believe him over me?” Dustin frowned, anger building up within him.

“I…” Dahlia didn’t know what to say. Matt was from the noble Laney family. As an aristocrat, it was unthinkable that he would carry out such a vile act. However, Dustin seemed so sure of himself. He wouldn’t lie either.

At that moment, she didn’t know who to side with.

“Dahlia, Dustin seems to have some prejudice against me. That’s fine, I can prove my innocence. Didn’t he claim that I drugged your drink? Let’s exchange drinks,” Matt said. He took Dahlia’s wine glass and downed the contents.

This simple action wiped away every doubt from Dahlia’s mind. If he did drug her drink, he wouldn’t have drunk it himself.

“Dustin, I don’t remember doing anything to offend you. Why are you hellbent on insulting me like this? If you have a grudge against me, I sincerely apologize,” Matt said personably, tilting his head.

With his charm and courteous words, Dahlia was convinced that Matt was every inch a gentleman.

“Dustin, what do you have to say for yourself?” Dahlia turned to Dustin, her eyes boring into him.

“If I’m not mistaken, he must have taken the antidote prior to this.” Dustin was adamant.

“Nonsense!” Dahlia’s expression was dark. “Dustin, you are going too far! Matt has proven his innocence. Why are you still being so difficult?”

“I’m telling the truth.”

“Well, I just think that you are making up stories!” There was a hint of anger in Dahlia’s voice.

Evidently, Dustin felt hostility toward Matt. However, that was no reason to drag Matt’s name through the mud. It would be wrong to do so!

“If you still don’t believe me, then check his pockets. There must be some evidence of white powder on him!” Dustin tried turning Matt’s pockets inside out to prove his point, but this was the last straw for Dahlia.

“That’s enough!” Dahlia splashed the rest of the wine on Dustin’s face. “Have you not done enough damage for one day? Why are you as stubborn as a mule? Being a gentleman, can you not be so petty? If you are jealous of Matt, upgrade yourself and compete on the same level. Don’t use despicable tricks or baseless arguments to ruin his reputation. Your actions will only make me think that you are pathetic!” Dustin was dumbstruck by Dahlia’s words.
 
Chapter 72

Dustin was stunned by Dahlia’s hurtful words and furious outburst. Drops of wine rolled down his cheeks and to the ground. He was in a miserable state. Apparently, it was wishful thinking that their relationship had improved. In actual fact, there was nothing left between them.

“What? So you thought that I was falsely accusing him?” Dustin’s brows were deeply furrowed as he stared at Dahlia. “Am I that despicable of a person in your eyes?”

“Yes!” Dahlia blurted out. She felt a tinge of regret immediately. Yet, she could not take her words back now.

She had too much pride for that.

“Finally! You have spoken what you truly thought of me.” Dustin had a disappointed look on his face as he put on a wry smile.

“I have overstepped my boundaries. Who knew that after so many years, you still have feelings for Matt.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Dahlia frowned as well.

“Am I wrong? You said that you would not contact him anymore. Having said that, here you are having wine with Matt. Aren’t you being too hypocritical?”

“…” Dahlia was about to explain herself when Dustin interrupted her.

“Maybe you aren’t even worried about Matt drugging your drink. In actuality, you hoped that he would do so as this would give both of you a legitimate excuse to get together again. Am I correct?”

It was Dahlia’s turn to be stunned by Dustin’s words. Her face was a mix of disbelief, disappointment, and regret. Never would she have thought that Dustin would say such words. Did he genuinely think so lowly of her? Regardless of the past three years of marriage, there wasn’t a shred of trust left between them.

“Dustin! I’m utterly disappointed in you!” Dahlia gritted her teeth. As she walked away, she struggled to control her emotions.

Dustin stood rooted to the ground. He could feel the anger and hurt washing over him.

At this moment, Matt came over. The charming smile that had been on his face just now was replaced by a smirk.

“Dustin, everything you said was correct. I spiked Dahlia’s drink and drank her wine to get rid of the evidence. I already took the antidote in advance,” Matt whispered into his ear coldly.

“Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter anyway. Who would believe you now? Dahlia’s smitten with me, and she will support me. There’s nothing you say that would change the outcome. What? Are you burning with anger and frustration right now? Sadly, your hands are tied. Besides, I have to thank you for strengthening our relationship with this incident. I believe that she will fall in love with me before long and willingly go to bed with me. However, don’t worry. Once I’m tired of her, I’ll return her to you soon enough.” With this, Matt threw his head back and cackled maliciously.

His true colors were finally revealed. Compared to his gentlemanly disposition earlier, this side of him was cruel and sinister like a venomous snake!

Burning with anger, Dustin cracked his knuckles to prevent himself from punching Matt in the face as he left. Dahlia was obviously still in love with Matt. Even if his intentions were good, Dahlia had no need for his help. Since his actions would only be seen as a hindrance, there was nothing he could do. Although Dustin could convince himself logically, he couldn’t help but be aggravated by their relationship.

“Mr. Rhys, what’s happened?” At that moment, Natasha and Duane walked out of their booth.

“Forget it. I was just poking my nose where it didn’t belong.” Dustin said mockingly.

“Matt is notorious for sowing discord and stirring up trouble. Don’t be affected by him,” Duane continued.

“The main problem is not with Matt but with Dahlia.” Dustin shook his head. It would be useless to change her mind if she continued to be obstinate.

“Dustin, don’t be hung up over a woman! It’s no big deal, women are easy to find,” Duane said confidently. “As long as you are rich, women will flock to you. So, shall we get down to business?”

“What business?” Dustin asked with a tilt of his head.

“Of course it’s about the Gemiphen!” Duane smirked. “I’ve personally tried the miracle pill. A single pill could be worth a fortune! Since you are in need of herbs, why don’t we work together? I’ll deal with the rest of the business if you give me the prescription. Once I make a profit, we will split it evenly. What do you think?”

“I’m not changing my mind. I don’t mind helping you out, but you have to give me some rare herbs in exchange for the prescription. Otherwise, it’s a no.” Dustin shook his head again.

“Dustin, it will be some time before I get my hands on the herbs you want. Can’t you be more flexible?” Duane pleaded.

“Let’s talk about this after you have them in your possession.” Dustin was immovable.

Duane frowned when he heard the resolve in Dustin’s tone. This young man was as stubborn as a mule.

Initially, he wanted to start a mutual partnership with Dustin. However, it wasn’t going as smoothly as he thought. It seemed like he needed to pull out some of the tricks up his sleeve.

“Ms. Harmon! There’s bad news!” A bodyguard dressed in a suit ran into the restaurant hurriedly.

“Yes? What is it?” Natasha asked, surprised.

“It’s Ms. Ruth! She has been kidnapped!” the bodyguard reported.

“What did you say?” Natasha’s expression turned dark. “Didn’t I instruct you to protect her at all costs? How could this happen?”

“We were keeping an eye on her in secret. However, Ms. Ruth managed to escape and went to a private party. By the time we arrived, she was nowhere to be found!”

“Do you know who is behind this?” Natasha frowned.

“It could be Sir Hummer. The kidnappers left a ransom note instructing Mr. Rhys and you to meet at Hummer Villa.”

“Edwin?” Natasha gritted her teeth in anger. How dare he endanger a member of her family? He had gone too far with the repeated provocations and needed to be taught a lesson!

Contact the Harmon family. I need some strong fighters as backup! Since Edwin seeks a light, I shall give it to him!”
 
Chapter 73

The next morning, they met at Java Joys.

When Dustin entered the cafe, he noticed a burly man standing beside Natasha. His bulky muscles rippled under his clothes, and his knuckles were covered with calluses. This man was obviously an experienced fighter.

“Mr. Rhys, sorry to bother you. I owe you one.” Natasha walked up to Dustin.

“It’s all right, I don’t mind helping out a friend in need. Besides, they had even specified my name in the note. I have no other choice.” Dustin smiled wryly.

Edwin’s men had left a ransom note which had his name on it. He was to go with Natasha to save Ruth.

“Mr. Rhys, let me introduce you to Stephan Chapman, one of the best fighters from the Harmon family.” Natasha pointed toward the man standing in silence.

“Mr. Chapman, a pleasure to meet you.” Dustin nodded in acknowledgement.

“You’re Dustin?” Stephan sized him up. “Was it you who took Liam and Noah Asher down?”

“In a way, yes.” Dustin nodded again.

“What do you mean, in a way? Don’t give such a vague answer. Did you use some shady tricks to win against them?” Stephan stared at him suspiciously.

“Well, as long as it gets the job done.” Dustin said nonchalantly.

“As martial artists, we should win fair and square. What’s the use of winning when you have to resort to despicable tricks?” Stephan scoffed. He deemed people like Dustin, who don’t belong to any martial arts group, as inferior to him.

“That makes sense.” Dustin had no interest in arguing further.

“To be honest, I have defeated Liam and Noah in a match before this!” Stephan boasted. “Don’t be too proud of yourself even if you win against them! They are weaklings compared to me. Once we have a match, you will know that many martial artists are stronger than you!”

Hearing Stephan’s speech, Dustin was lost for words. They were practically strangers. Why was he lecturing him like a child? Who was the one looking down on the other anyway?

“Alright, now that you have made each other’s acquaintance, we will be working together after this. Once we arrive at Hummer Villa, we may need each other’s help,” Natasha cut in.

“I’m sure we won’t need to. With me around, it would be easy to take Edwin down,” Stephan said confidently.

“Mr. Chapman, it’s good to be optimistic, but it’s better not to underestimate the enemy. When will Tilda arrive?” Natasha changed the topic.

Tilda Snider was one of her aunts and was famous for her deadly strikes. She was currently the head of security for the Harmon family. Compared to Stephan, she was on a different level. In this fight against Edwin, she was the key to victory.

“Tilda is on her way. She will be arriving shortly,” Stephan answered.

“Great. Since she is on her way, let’s make a move as well”

On her command, Natasha’s car led the way as the group drove in a file toward Hummer Villa.

Hummer Villa was situated at the top of a hill which was part of the Hummers” private land. As the cars drove up the hill, Edwin’s men kept surveillance on them in the hidden shadows of the surrounding trees.

When they arrived at the villa, everyone got down and entered the back garden.

With a pair of scissors in hand, Edwin was busy arranging a vase of flowers in a gazebo. Behind him, Fletcher Lawson and a group of muscular men were standing guard, staring daggers at them.

“Ms. Harmon, you’ve finally arrived? Have a seat,” Edwin said with a smile, pointing to a chair. He acted as if “they were here for a chat.

“Sir Hummer, I’ve heard that you are holding my sister hostage. Is that true?” Natasha sat down and asked with a poker face.

“To be honest, I only knew about your sister this morning. My men did it at their discretion, so I have reprimanded them,” Edwin continued with a charming smile.

“Is that so? Well, why don’t you let my sister go?” Natasha pressed further.

“Let her go? That would be impossible.” Edwin shook his head. “Ms. Harmon, your sister made a mess at my party, destroyed my antiques, and beat up some of my underlings. If I let her go without repercussions, my reputation in Swinton would be ruined!”

“Then what do you want in return?” Natasha’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s very simple. Repay me double for my loss.” Edwin’s smile was plastered on his face. “I’ve calculated the damage your sister caused and everything amounts to ten billion dollars. As compensation, I want you to hand over half of your business in Swinton.”

“Half of the business? Are you joking?” Natasha raised her voice.

“Ms. Harmon, you are only giving up a small part of your assets. Moreover, your business activities are mainly in Milling. You won’t be affected much by what I’m asking for,” Edwin advised.

“What if I refuse?” Natasha retorted.

“It’s only right to pay back what you owe. If you refuse, I can’t guarantee that your sister will be safe from harm.” Edwin gave her a chilling smile.

“Are you threatening me?” Natasha returned his gaze stonily.

“I’m just giving you a warning. Of course, we can resolve this dispute with a death match. However, the entirety of our assets must be at stake,” Edwin said with a smirk.

“A death match?” Natasha mulled over his offer.

It was an unsaid rule in the business world. A death match was used to settle unresolved conflict between warring families in order to prevent unwanted death and bloodshed. There would be three rounds of battle royale in which the opposing families would send out their representatives to fight on behalf of them. There were no rules and everything was fair game.

“Challenge accepted!” Before Natasha could answer, Stephan spoke up. “Isn’t it just a fight? We will take you on! Show me some real competition!”

Edwin snickered maliciously at Stephan’s words.

This was what he had hoped would happen!
 
Chapter 74

“Mr. Chapman, what are you doing? Why did you interrupt?” Natasha frowned in annoyance. She hadn’t even made her decision, but Stephan had accepted the challenge without consulting her. He was overstepping his boundaries!

“Ms. Harmon, there’s nothing to be afraid of! I’m sure I can handle anything they throw at me,” Stephan said confidently. He was utterly unaware of his mistake.

“What if we lost the death match? Have you thought about the consequences?” Natasha narrowed her eyes.

“You must be joking! It’s impossible that they will defeat me. Just watch, I’ll put on an amazing performance later!” Stephan patted his chest assuredly.

“Ms. Harmon, there are only two choices. You can either pay the ransom with half of your business, or you bet on the deathmatch with all your assets at stake.” Edwin repeated his conditions.

“I will accept the death match. However, let my sister go first,” Natasha said coldly. Even though she knew that she was walking into Edwin’s trap, there was nothing else she could do. Thankfully, she had come prepared.

“Of course.” Edwin gestured to his men, and they brought Ruth out, bound up tightly with ropes. Thankfully, despite the ordeal, she seemed none the worse for wear.

“Ruth, are you injured?” Natasha quickly cut the ropes away.

“Sis! Thank God you are here. This time, it’s not my fault. I fell into Edwin’s trap!” Ruth whined.

“It’s alright, go and have a rest. I’ll handle this.” Natasha nodded.

“Ms. Harmon, now that I have released your sister, isn’t it time to sign the agreement for our death match?” Edwin already had a document prepared, and a servant brought it to Natasha.

The document was both a signed consent and agreement stating the terms and conditions of the match. The loser had to comply with all the conditions of the bet, which everyone would witness.

“Since you insist on a death match, I’ll take up the challenge!” Natasha signed her name on the document without hesitation.

“Alright! I admire your decisiveness!” Edwin smirked triumphantly as if he had already

“I’ll be your first opponent!” Stephan stepped forward confidently. He taunted Edwin’s men on the opposing side. “Who wants to fight me? I’ll send you all to hell!”

“Wolverine, you are up.” Edwin pointed toward a hulking, muscular man with tanned skin who stepped forward as well.

“Mr. Chapman, you must be careful of the Wolverine. He is a Muay Thai fighter and notorious among the underground fighting rings in Swinton!” One of Natasha’s bodyguards whispered to Stephan.

“A Muay Thai fighter? Defeating him would be child’s play!” Stephan scoffed.

Stephan and Wolverine stood in the ring, facing each other off.

Wolverine was obviously used to combat. He stretched his limbs, cracked his knuckles, and struck a stance. His muscles were contracted tensely as he was poised to strike.

On the other hand, Stephan folded his hands behind him and seemed to be at ease.

“I’ll let you have the first move.” Stephan motioned to his opponent.

Wolverine did not hold back. He leaped high into the air and threw a flying kick at Stephan. At this level, his strength could even cause a metal pole to bend.

“Child’s play!” Stephan avoided the attack easily and landed a punch to Wolverine’s chest. Wolverine lost his balance and retreated a few steps, panting heavily.

Stephan did not give him a chance to catch his breath, landing several heavy blows on Wolverine’s arms, abdomen, and legs. After a few minutes, it was clear that Stephan had the upper hand. Wolverine did all he could to fight back, but he could not recover from his injuries. Finally, Stephan landed the final blow, and Wolverine fainted on impact.

The first round went to Stephan!

Seeing the outcome, relief appeared on the faces of Natasha’s men.

“Who would have expected that Mr. Chapman was so strong? It’s no wonder he is the key fighter of the Harmon family!”

“With Mr. Chapman on our side, we will definitely be victorious!”

The audience was whispering in excitement. They were all in awe of Stephan’s fighting ability. Even though he was a little brash, he did have the abilities to back it up.

“Who else wants to fight against me?” Stephan sized up the rest of Edwin’s men.

“This explains why Natasha agreed to the match so quickly. She brought in outside help.” Edwin scratched his chin in surprise.

“Have you all gone dumb? Come up to fight me!” Stephan taunted.

“Mr. Lawson, you are up next to prevent any further surprises.” Edwin turned to an older man, Fletcher Lawson.

“No problem.” Fletcher nodded and stepped into the ring with his head held high.

“Old man! With your thin and fragile limbs, how can you ever dream of defeating me? Give up now and you shall live!” Stephan laughed scornfully.

“Don’t overestimate yourself!” Fletcher replied with a poker face and attacked Stephan immediately. His agile movements were as quick as lightning.

“You are just asking for trouble!” Stephan sneered and rushed toward Fletcher as well.

When they met in the middle of the ring, there was a deafening explosion as both punches landed on their targets. However, after the debris settled, Fletcher was the only person still standing. Not a hair on his head was harmed.

On the other hand, Stephan was lying helplessly on the ground. His arm was obviously broken, and he was bleeding profusely. Fletcher’s immense power had struck Stephan’s body, Incapacitating him.

Fletcher was not done yet. He went up to Stephan and landed two more blows on his chest.

Stephan gave a loud cry of pain as his body was flung against a tree. On Impact, blood spurted out from his mouth.

“How could this be?” Natasha’s men were all dismayed at the sudden turn of events. No one expected Stephan to be defeated so quickly. Fletcher had Stephan Injured and bleeding within three turns. Their difference in prowess was just too significant.

“That’s terrible! How can this old man be so strong? Even Mr. Chapman couldn’t defeat him!” Ruth exclaimed worriedly.

Stephan was one of the Harmon family’s best fighters. It was unthinkable that he couldn’t even withstand three attacks from an opponent!
 
Chapter 75

Who are you?” Stephan’s face was frozen in terror, his body slumped on the ground. There was no hint of arrogance left in his trembling voice. He was soundly beaten after just three attacks. This proved the disparity in their abilities.

How could there be Someone with such devastating powers remaining unknown in a small place like Swinton?

“I’ll be honest with you. I’m Fletcher Lawson, Liam and Noah were my apprentices!” Fletcher said coldly.

“What? You are Mr. Lawson of Klesbridge?” Stephan was dumbfounded at this revelation. His reputation as martial artist preceded him.

Fletcher was not only one of the most prominent fighters in Klesbridge, but he was also a master of poison! There were many tricks that he could use to make someone drop dead without a trace. His mere presence. was enough to make one’s blood run cold.

“You seem to have heard of me!” Fletcher sneered.

When Fletcher revealed his identity, Stephan’s face had turned as pale as a sheet. If he knew that Fletcher was involved, he would definitely not have accepted this task. Fletcher wasn’t someone you would want to have as an enemy. Crossing him would only be inviting death.

“Who will fight in the last round?” Edwin asked loudly.

Natasha’s men looked at each other in silence. If Mr. Chapman couldn’t even land a blow, the rest of them would be easily annihilated. No one dared to volunteer as it meant signing one’s own death warrant.

“Sis, what shall we do? Are we going to lose?” Ruth was fraught with anxiety. Who could be on par and fight against such overwhelming power?

“Punk! Are you game to fight a match against me?” Fletcher directed his gaze at Dustin, his gaze was brimming with hatred and anger.

“Why not?” Dustin gave a careless smile.

As he was about to step into the ring, Ruth pulled him back. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m going to accept his challenge,” Dustin answered.

“Accept his challenge? Do you know how to fight?” Ruth asked suspiciously.

“A little.” Dustin nodded.

“And you dare to accept his challenge when you’re bad at fighting? Are you attempting suicide?” Ruth exclaimed in frustration, “Do you know who that is? Fletcher Lawson is a formidable opponent. Being foolhardy will only bring about your destruction!”

“Don’t worry, I can handle it.” Dustin smiled. Although Ruth’s words were sharp, she had good intentions.

“Bullshit!” Ruth glared at him. “What’s the use of you going up to fight when Mr. Chapman couldn’t even defend himself?

Stung by Ruth’s indirect insult, Stephan chimed in sarcastically, “Don’t overestimate yourself, punk! If you can’t even defeat me, it is impossible for you to fight against Mr. Lawson!”

“Your defeat doesn’t mean I have absolutely no chance,” Dustin said calmly.

“Youngsters like you will be the death of me! Do you think so highly of your abilities?” Stephan was annoyed by his impudence.

“Well, just wait and see.” Dustin didn’t explain further.

“Dustin, are you really sure?” Natasha spoke up suddenly.

“I think I’ll be fine.” Dustin nodded.

“Alright, give it a go but admit defeat if you have to. Your life is of utmost importance,” Natasha smiled as she gave her permission.

“Sis, are you joking? Are you really going to send Dustin to his death?” Ruth couldn’t believe her ears.

“Ms. Harmon! The entirety of your assets are on the line. If this punk loses, you will lose everything!” Stephan was anxious as well.

“I believe in Dustin.” Natasha said with finality. She had full confidence in him.

“Enough with the small talk! I’m going to send you to hell!” Fletcher shouted impatiently. He was dying to get his hands on Dustin and cut him up into tiny pieces.

Dustin ignored Fletcher’s taunts and walked up to him silently. Since Edwin had specifically asked for him to be here, it was obvious that he wanted revenge. If so, Dustin had no qualms about giving him what he wanted.

“This is awful! He is going to die!” Ruth stomped her foot in frustration.

“Ms. Harmon has been taken in by this punk’s overconfidence. What a pity!” Stephan shook his head, sighing. Clearly, he did not expect Dustin to return in one piece.

“Punk! Was it you who killed my apprentices?” Fletcher glared at Dustin with hostility.

“To be accurate, both of them committed suicide,” Dustin answered carelessly.

Noah killed himself because he refused to provide Dustin with information. On the other hand, Dustin hadn’t even touched a hair on Liam’s head. Liam had been the one who attacked him. However, he died from the overpowering recoil. It was only right to say that they killed themselves.

“You still dare to deny it at this last moment of your life? Today, I am going to exact revenge for the death of my apprentices!” Fletcher’s face twisted with hatred.

“Sure, this depends on your abilities.“,Dustin was unaffected by Fletcher’s threats.

“Arrogant punk! I’m going to wipe you from the face of the earth!” Fletcher roared. He concentrated the force in his feet and sprinted toward Dustin with a burst of sudden energy. His movements were as fast as lightning.
causing large cracks to appear on the ground.

“That’s crazy!” Stephan exclaimed in awe. Fletcher had not even revealed his full strength when he was fighting against Stephan before!

“Go to hell!” Fletcher summoned his energy and unleashed a powerful punch in Dustin’s face. The vibrations from the attack formed a torrent of energy that swirled around them and sent debris flying around! Everyone took a few steps back to avoid getting injured in the aftermath.

Just when everyone thought that the outcome was decided, Dustin made his move. He stretched out his arm slowly and gave Fletcher a firm, tight slap on the cheek. The impact on Fletcher’s face created a loud cracking noise.

At that moment, Fletcher seemed like he was hit by a moving train! His body was flung several yards away like a dirty rag and crashed into a wall, creating a deep crater.

There was absolute silence as everyone was dumbfounded at the extraordinary turn of events.
 
Chapter 76

The crowd gaped as Fletcher hung limply on the wall. They never imagined that the mighty Fletcher Lawson, who had just trounced Stephan Chapman, had been defeated with an effortless slap.

What the fuck was going on?

“H–How could this be?” Stephan’s eyes were wide with disbelief that someone as powerful as Fletcher, the strongest fighter in Klesbrige, had been defeated with a single blow.

Was this kid a monster?

“No way! Dustin actually won?” Ruth couldn’t believe it either. At first, she’d been so certain that Dustin would lose. Instead, he had won the match in a breeze. With just one slap, he sent Fletcher flying. His strength was unheard of!

“Fletcher… lost?” Edwin was shaken and astonished. He was very familiar with Fletcher’s strength. Even in Swinton, there was hardly anyone who could be his opponent. Yet somehow, someone as impregnable as him hadn’t been able to withstand a single blow from Dustin.

Unbelievable! Had Fletcher underestimated his opponent, or was it a fluke?

Or maybe… it had been Dustin’s true strength.

“It seems that I underestimated you,” said Natasha, smirking. Her face wore surprise, delight, and also a hint of pride. She knew Dustin was powerful but never expected it to be to this extent. She hit the jackpot this time!

“I think I’ve won.” Dustin dusted off his hands and nonchalantly walked off the arena.

At this moment, everyone looked at Dustin as though he was a monster. Especially so for Stephan, who gazed mockingly but now looked at Dustin in awe. It was obvious how strong Dustin was if he could subdue Fletcher so effortlessly.

“Dustin, didn’t you say that you barely know martial arts? How are you so powerful?” Ruth asked tentatively.

“It might just be that he’s too weak,” Dustin answered.

“Really? But he was the one who defeated Mr. Chapman!” Ruth exclaimed.

“Um…” Stephan’s face twitched as they touched a sore spot.

“Sir Hummer, we’ve already won three matches out of five. What else do you have to say?” demanded Natasha, her focus on other matters.

“I admit defeat. I have nothing to say.” Though Edwin seemed upset, he appeared resigned.

“Well then, until we meet again!” Natasha smiled. With that, she left with a group of people trailing after her.

“Sir Hummer, are we supposed to let them go like this?” his subordinate asked unhappily.

“As if. Do you think they can leave so easily after entering my territory?” Edwin sneered. “I still have a present waiting for them.”

Sometime later, the sun began setting behind the mountains. Natasha and her convoy were traveling through a fork in the road when a large bus came barreling toward them.

The bus driver hit the brake and drifted to a horizontal stop, blocking the entire road.

A bunch of assassins covered in black immediately swarmed out from both sides of the woods, quickly encircling the convoy of cars.

“It’s an ambush! Protect Ms. Harmon!” The Harmon family bodyguards reacted instantly and formed a ring around Natasha’s car to protect her.

“Kill them!”

The assassins were fearless as they cut through flesh and knocked down cars.

“Edwin Hummer is such a despicable man! How dare he ambush us!” Ruth was shaken but furious.

“The corporate world is a battlefield. The moment a fight breaks out, things are bound to get messy.” Natasha responded calmly, this not being her first rodeo.

Ruth humphed angrily. “He better pray that he never falls into my hands, or he’ll regret it!”

The sound of the battle was getting more heated outside the car as numbers from both parties dwindled.

Fortunately, despite winning in numbers, the assassins were still no match to the Harmon family’s men in terms of skills. Soon, they began losing the bloody battle, and many who hadn’t been killed chose to flee.

The battle finally ended when the last assassin fell to the ground with a thud.

More than half of Natasha’s men had been killed, but she and her sister were unharmed.

Dustin got out of the car and studied the bodies of the assassins. He realized that each of them had a snake shaped tattoo on their body.

Ruth humphed furiously. “Thank God our men are strong, or we’d be dead today thanks to Edwin Hummer!” Natasha then ordered her men, “Do a quick clean–up and let’s leave.”

They were still close to Edwin’s territory and she couldn’t be sure if he still had anything else up his sleeve, so it was best they leave as soon as possible.

As her men cleared the place, two MPVs with foreign license plates headed toward them and blocked their path.

“No way. Don’t tell me there’s more?” asked Ruth, annoyed. She watched intently as the car door opened and a dozen men dressed for battle got out of the car.

Leading them was a beautiful lady in her 30s. Besides her good looks, she also had a voluptuous figure that flaunted her curves as she walked, an air of authority following her wherever she went.

“Tilda?” Ruth exclaimed excitedly and rushed forward to greet her.

Everyone was relieved to see that backup had arrived.

“What happened?” Tilda Snider frowned when she saw the bodies littering the ground.

“They’re Edwin Hummer’s men! They tried to ambush us!” Ruth grumbled.

“He ambushed you? There’s no way this is a coincidence. No outsider knows about the route you are taking, so how could he have planted these people here in advance?”

“You’re right! How did he know we were going to take this route?” Ruth was puzzled.

“Tilda, do you mean to say there’s a mole among our people?” Natasha was quick to react.

“That’s right!” Tilda’s expression was grave. “I have reason to believe someone has been selling us out!”

“Tilda, everyone here are people I trust. I doubt any of them would betray me,” countered Natasha, shaking her head.

“People you trust?” Tilda studied the crowd before her gaze landed on Dustin. “I see some unfamiliar faces “that don’t belong to the Harmon family!”

“Oh, he’s my friend,” explained Natasha.

“Friend? Humph! Friends are the least trustworthy people. I reckon that he’s the spy! Someone get rid of him at once!” Tilda commanded.

Two subordinates standing behind her immediately pulled out their knives, ready to fight.
 
Chapter 77

Dustin narrowed his eyes at the sight of the swinging blades. They had chosen to accuse him of being a traitor without even trying to get the full picture.

“Tilda, there must be a misunderstanding. There’s no way Dustin is the spy!” Natasha objected.

“We’ll know whether it’s a misunderstanding after doing an investigation.” Tilda shouted icily. “Tie him up! Kill him if he tries to resist!”

“Kill me?” Dustin frowned. “You’re making such extreme decisions when the investigations haven’t even begun. Aren’t you going a bit too far?”

Tilda humphed. “For the good of the Harmon family, I can do anything!”

“How can you be sure that I’m the spy?” Dustin retorted.

“I don’t need to be sure. You are the spy if I say so!” Tilda responded domineeringly.

Seeing how unreasonable Tilda was being. Dustin’s expression hardened. He had been trying to reason things out peacefully the entire time, yet Tilda accused him of being the mole without any proof. She had gone too far!

“Tilda, there’s no solid evidence yet. Don’t you dare mess around!” Natasha uttered, voice rising.

“I’m your head of security, which makes me responsible for your safety. This man is obviously treacherous and evil!” shouted Tilda.

“Tilda, there must be some misunderstanding. Dustin saved my life. Without him, we wouldn’t have been able to leave the Hummer Villa,” explained Ruth from the side.

“Hmph! He’s just acting. He’s fooled all of you!” Tilda retorted.

“But-”

Tilda cut Ruth off sharply before she could say another word. “No buts! When it comes to your safety, it’s better to kill wrongly than be sorry afterward!”

“I don’t understand. We have nothing against each other, so why are you being so aggressive towards me?” Dustin questioned.

“Stop acting! You may have fooled them, but you can’t fool me! You better yield if you don’t want to die!” Tilda snapped.

“And if I refuse?” questioned Dustin..

“Then I’ll have no choice but to force you!” Tilda glanced at her subordinate.

“Kneel!” Two men immediately brought their blades to Dustin’s neck.

“Don’t make me fight you,” Dustin warned hostilely.

“So what? What are you going to do about it? Get onto your knees. Now!” One of the men roared before sweeping a foot toward Dustin’s knee.

Dustin didn’t even budge. Instead, the man was pushed back two steps from the force.

“You fucker…” Embarrassed, the man was about to give another blow when Dustin suddenly shot out his hand and slammed it down on the man’s crown.

With a loud noise, the man’s head burst apart, and he died on the spot.

“What?” Everyone exclaimed, their expressions changing after seeing the scene unfold before them. No one expected Dustin to be such a ruthless man, killing without a word. He didn’t give a damn about the Harmon family.

“Fuck you!” Furious, the other man slashed his blade at Dustin.

“He is the spy! Kill him!” Tilda immediately ordered, ruthless.

At her command, the rest of the men immediately charged toward Dustin with blades in their hands.

The look in Dustin’s eyes hardened, and he charged into the awaiting mob and began wiping them out. Within seconds, all of Tilda’s subordinates were laying on the ground, motionless. With clean and decisive moves, he managed to kill all of them with a single blow!

“You bastard! How dare you kill the Harmon family’s best men? You’re done for!” Going ballistic, Tilda pulled out a sword from her waist and lunged at Dustin with incredible speed.

With a blank expression on his face, Dustin tilted his head sideways to avoid Tilda’s attack and in a flash, gave the woman a punch in the abdomen.

Tilda screamed in pain as her body soared through the air and landed heavily on one of the MPVs.

Instead of standing down, Dustin darted forward, grabbed Tilda by the neck, and lifted her.

The woman gasped as breathing became difficult, and she felt her strength draining away. Like a sitting duck, she was now completely at Dustin’s mercy.

“Dustin, please let her go! She’s family!” Ruth cried.

“Mr. Rhys, You can kill anyone but Tilda, or the consequences will be dire!” Stephan was terrified as well

“I’m Natasha’s elder as well as the backbone of the Harmon family. To kill me is to make yourself the number one enemy of the Harmon family!” Tilda taunted with a vicious humph.

As soon as she said that, Dustin put more pressure, and a crisp crack sounded as Tilda’s head went slack; the woman was now dead.

Tilda’s countenance was frozen in a myriad of emotions. Shock, dismay, even disbelief! She never expected

Dustin to be unreasonable enough to kill her without caring about the Harmon family.

“Wha-“Everyone stood motionless, frozen in shock as they stared at the limp body on the ground before exchanging looks of dismay and disbelief with one another.

This was Tilda Snider they were talking about! Natasha Harmon’s elder and the most important elder in the Harmon family! And she was gone just like that?

Dustin must be mad!

“Rhys! Are you crazy? You killed Tilda? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Ruth demanded with wide eyes, dismayed.

“She was going to kill me first, so of course, I had to kill her first. Was I supposed to just stand there and let her kill me?” Dustin snorted.

“You-” Ruth was so furious that words caught in her throat.

“Mr. Rhys, you’re in trouble now!” Stephan shook his head sympathetically.

“Dustin Rhys! You killed our family’s pillar! Wait ‘til the Harmon family hears about this!” a bald guard yelled furiously. “This bastard must be out of his mind! Killing Tilda is like launching an attack on the entire Harmon family!” he thought.

“Ms. Harmon, what do you think?” Dustin turned his attention to Natasha.

He wanted to take this opportunity to understand what Natasha was thinking about.

“Mr. Rhys was defending himself. I see nothing wrong with that.” Natasha quickly regained her composure.

Dustin was relieved to hear her reply and decided that Natasha was a friend worth making.

“Ms. Harmon, I was not killing carelessly. Take a look at her body,” said Dustin, and he yanked at Tilda’s shirt.

On her wrist there was a tattoo shaped like a snake.

“Huh? Isn’t this the same symbol as the ones on those assassins? Why would Tilda have one too?” Stephan was dumbfounded.

On the other hand, Ruth had a look of horror as she cried, “No way! Tilda was the spy?”
 
Chapter 78

“That can’t be. Tilda was the mole?”

Everyone was shocked at Ruth’s words. However, the crowd’s expressions hardened when the assassins‘ clothing were peeled off, revealing the same tattoo on their bodies.

This was obviously not a coincidence.

“You can’t prove anything with just a tattoo, can you?” objected the bald guard.

“Maybe it would have been less persuasive if there was only one tattoo, but what if everyone had the same tattoo?” Dustin walked up to Tilda’s deceased men and yanked off all their clothing.

“Soon, everyone realized that each of the men wore the same tattoo as well. This made things so much more apparent. It was safe to say that they’d found the traitor!

“No wonder Tilda immediately started kicking up a fuss the moment she arrived. She was the traitor all along!” Stephan was disgruntled. As one of the Harmon family’s men himself, he hated nothing more than betrayal like this.

“But why? The Harmon family has always trusted her so why did Tilda betray us?” Ruth asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Nowadays, not many can resist the temptation of money and power. That’s why betrayals happen easily. Without Mr. Rhys‘ keen observation, we would’ve been in danger!” Stephan shivered, thinking about what could have happened. After all, having a mole was like a ticking bomb. No one could tell when they might get stabbed in the back.

“What should we do now, sis?” asked Ruth, at a loss.

“There’s definitely more of them hiding among us. I must let Father know immediately so he can start digging into it.” Natasha announced with a grave expression. Having a traitor was no small matter. It was much more serious than being attacked by outsiders.

After all, a small leak will sink a great ship. The effects might be devastating if this matter was neglected!

“You’re right! We must get to the bottom of this! Traitors are nothing but an abomination!” Ruth nodded her head repeatedly.

“Ms. Harmon, I don’t believe Tilda would be a careless person, so there should be a couple more of them hiding among our ranks right now.” Dustin began surveying the crowd with eyes like a hawk before his gaze landed on the bald guard.

“Why are you looking at me? Do you think I’m the mole?” The guard narrowed his eyes.

“We’ll know for sure when you take off your clothes,” Dustin replied nonchalantly.

“Why should I? Who are you to order me around?” The guard began to lose his cool.

“Do as Mr. Rhys says. Take off your clothes.” Natasha commanded.

“Ms. Harmon, I’ve worked for you for so many years. Don’t tell me you’re suspecting me,” the guard said incredulously..

“Strip!” Natasha commanded.

“Fine! Since none of you believe me, I’ll just have to prove my innocence!” snapped the petulant guard, looking as though he had been wronged.

However, when he moved to remove his clothes, his face suddenly twisted into a sneer. He flung out his hand and two black objects flew out of his sleeve and hurled toward Dustin and Natasha.

No one around them reacted in time since everything happened so quickly.

Swiftly, Dustin reached out and effortlessly grabbed the object coming toward him with his fingers. Upon closer inspection, the object turned out to be a poisonous black snake the width of his finger.

“Ms. Harmon!” someone began shouting.

Without anyone realizing it, the second snake had bitten Natasha on the thigh.

“Grab that traitor!” Pissed, Natasha crushed the snake with a harsh stomp.

“Get him!” The rest of her men rushed toward the guard and instantly subdued him.

“I’ve always treated you well, so why did you betray me?” Natasha trudged toward him with a cold glare, a murderous aura surrounding her.

“Ms. Harmon, you must know that a man would do anything to become rich. What they offered me was too tempting to resist. You can’t blame me for accepting!” the guard sneered.

“Who instructed you to do this? Who’s the mastermind behind this?” Natasha grilled.

“Ms. Harmon, I’ll die alone if I keep my mouth shut. If I answer, my whole family will be doomed!” the guard retorted.

Natasha was about to say something when a wave of nausea hit her. Suddenly, her body went lax, and she fell backward, but before she hit the ground, Dustin managed to grab her waist. He pulled up her shirt and discovered that the area where the snake had bitten her was turning purplish black.

What a venomous bite the snake had!

“Give me the antidote!” Dustin slammed his foot onto the guard’s head, scowling.

“Only if you let me go. Or else, Ms. Harmon will be going down with me!” the guard responded with a sardonic sneer.

“Are you threatening me?” asked Dustin with narrowed eyes.

“I know you’re an incredible doctor, Rhys! But this venom was created by an expert and cannot be cured without the antidote!”

“You bastard! I’ll kill you if you don’t give us the antidote!” Furious, Ruth charged forward and began beating the guard up.

“Go ahead! Once I’m dead, Ms. Harmon will be following me, too"

Ruth instantly halted her attack.

“Don’t say I never warned you. She’s been poisoned by a powerful venom. She’ll be dead within half an hour.” the guard stated menacingly.

“Give me the antidote and I promise to let you live,” vowed Dustin with a cold expression.

“Why should I believe you?” The guard frowned.

“You don’t have a choice. If she dies, I’ll make your life a living hell!” Dustin glowered.

The guard hesitated and pondered for a moment before suddenly asking. “If I tell you the cure, will you let me go?”

“I’m a man of my word,” answered Dustin.

“Alright. I’ll trust you this time!” The guard gritted his teeth. “Actually, there isn’t an antidote for this venom. The only way for her to live is if someone sucked out the venom using their mouth. However, the person who does it will most likely lose their life. So, it depends on whether you have the guts to do it.” The guard sniggered.

“Thanks for the advice,” Dustin nodded. Immediately, he slammed his foot onto the guard’s chest, crushing the man’s ribs and caused his internal organs to burst out with a splat.

Blood burst from the guard’s mouth as his eyes widened in disbelief. “Y–You said you wouldn’t kill me.”

“Sorry. I changed my mind,” Dustin answered nonchalantly.

“Y–you have no honor…” Before the guard could say anything else, he suffocated and died.

“So what?” Dustin asked the dead body.

Everyone was dumbfounded by his cavalier attitude. Suddenly, they realized that this innocuous person might be quite the barbarian after all.
 
Chapter 79

After killing the traitor, Dustin carried the weakened Natasha to the car.

The area where the snake had bitten her had turned black and purple, and as the venom spread through her body, her entire leg turned numb.

“How troublesome.” Dustin inspected the wound, his expression turning grave. He could have treated her easily if this was any regular snake venom. However, this venom was particularly potent. Since Dustin lacked his medicinal herbs and acupuncture needles, he had nothing at his disposal but his skills. It would be difficult for him to treat the wound.

It seemed the only option left was to suck the venom out.

“Roth Harmon, give me a hand!” Dustin hollered.

“I’m Ruth! Ruth Harmon!” Ruth corrected him, quickly getting into the car. She asked, “What do you need me to do?”

“Take off your sister’s pants,” he directed.

“Hey! What are you trying to do? You better not play around!” Ruth sounded like she was speaking to a pervert.

“Your sister has been poisoned with a potent venom. I have to suck it out,” Dustin explained.

“What?” Ruth was stunned for a moment before an odd expression took over her face. “B–but the wound is on her thigh! You aren’t trying to take advantage of her, are you?”

“What are you even thinking about right now? Her life is on the line!” Dustin snapped. “Haven’t you heard that gender doesn’t matter when treating patients?”

“Oh, right.” Ruth stood there stunned.

“Why are you still standing there? Take off her pants!” Dustin rushed.

“Oh, right.” Ruth quickly pulled off Natasha’s pants, exposing the snake bite.

Dustin cleared his mind and got to work.

Although it went against proper etiquette, saving Natasha’s life came first. Dustin began sucking out the venom. A moment later, he spat out a mouthful of dark blood and returned his mouth to the wound without hesitation.

Slowly, Natasha regained consciousness.

“What are you doing?” Natasha had a confused expression on her face as she gazed at him passionately.

“Sucking out the snake venom,” Dustin said, keeping his tone calm.

“Are you done?” Natasha asked softly.

“Almost,” he answered truthfully.

Natasha bit her lip as she frowned, her every gesture alluring. Dustin gulped and lowered his head again.

Dustin finally stopped after some time when the wound had lost its dark purplish bruising.

"is it over?” Natasha asked with a resentful look.

Dustin cleared his throat and answered awkwardly, “Um, you should be in the clear for now, but there’s still some leftover venom in your body. It’ll be safer if you visit the hospital.” He moved to get up, wanting to leave the car. As he stood up, his vision darkened as he fell into Natasha’s arms, unconscious.

“Oustin! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” Natasha’s expression changed.

“Sis. the traitor said that anyone who sucks out the venom will die instead! Is Dustin going to die?” Ruth cried, astonished.

“What are you talking about, you idiot? Hurry! Let’s get him to the hospital!” Natasha ordered.

“Okay!“Ruth did not hesitate and gave the order. The convoy pulled out of the parking spot immediately.

Unbeknownst to them, shortly after they had left, several cars descended the mountain and swarmed the area where their convoy had been.

A car door opened, and Edwin Hummer stepped out. Upon seeing the corpses of Tilda and her men, his jaw crocced.

“How could this be?” Edwin exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.

It was worth noting that Tilda had been planted in the Harmon family to turn the tide during crucial moments like this. But instead, she had gotten caught up in the mess herself. It was a double whammy!

“This is bad!” Edwin frowned, displeased.

Besides the mission failing, he had also lost a valuable line on his enemies. If he did not give the higher–ups a satisfactory answer soon, he could kiss his position goodbye!
 
Chapter 80

That evening. Dustin finally woke up after hours of sleeping and found that he was in a hospital room. A shocked voice rang out the moment his eyes opened.

“Huh? You aren’t dead, Rhys?”

Dustin’s gaze followed the source of the voice and landed on Ruth sitting beside him with a dazed expression as she looked at him.

“What? Disappointed to see me alive?” Dustin snapped.

“Ahem. Um, I’m just surprised.” Ruth grinned bashfully.

“Where’s your sister?” Dustin asked, changing the topic.

“Oh, she went to get your medicine.” Ruth examined him and said, “I heard that the venom is something called the Deadly Slither. It’s extremely poisonous and can kill a person quickly! It’s a miracle that you’re still alive!”

“You’re right. The venom is potent. It even managed to knock me out for a few hours. No wonder it’s one of the world’s top ten most poisonous venoms,” Dustin marveled.

“Why does that sound weird?” Ruth was puzzled.

Before Ruth could come out of her daze, two people entered the hospital room.

One was Natasha, while the other was a curvaceous lady dressed exquisitely. The two women resembled each other. Not only were they both very well–dressed, but they both had a powerful air to them.

“Dustin, you’re finally awake! How are you feeling?” Natasha’s face lit up as she rushed toward him.

“I’m feeling better now that I’ve gotten some sleep.” Dustin smiled.

“Here, take this. It’s a secret medicine I got you. Take it with some water, and you’ll be fine in no time.”

Natasha pushed a small white bottle into his hand and poured him a glass of warm water.

“Secret medicine? What is it?” Dustin asked curiously.

“Don’t underestimate it. It’s the result of three years of dedicated research and experiments by Dr. Rowan Cross. It can treat all kinds of venom,” Natasha urged.

“Rowan Cross?” Dustin was surprised.

“You know him?” asked Natasha, with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ve met him once.” Dustin did not deny it. He had met Rowan a few years before when Rowan’s enemies were hunting him down and Dustin had saved the poor man. The antidote had been Dustin’s gift to him.

“It’s always been difficult getting ahold of Dr. Cross‘ whereabouts and even harder to see him in person. You should take it before anything happens,” Natasha urged.

“There’s no need. My body’s already free of venom. You can take it back.” Dustin declined politely.

“It was difficult getting my hands on this baby. Why would I ever return it? Just keep it even if you’re fine now.

It’ll come in handy in emergencies,” Natasha insisted, stuffing the bottle into Dustin’s pocket.

Dustin accepted it. After all, she did it out of kindness.

“Oh, right. There’s something else I should mention. I think I saw Dahlia Nicholson at the hospital entrance,” Natasha said abruptly.

“Huh? What’s she doing here?” Dustin was puzzled.

“I heard her grandfather is critically ill and receiving emergency treatment.”

“Critically ill?” Dustin immediately became worried. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. Or Dahlia wouldn’t be downstairs right now,” Natasha replied.

“I’ll take a look.” Dustin got up and left the room.

Henry Nicholson had treated Dustin like his own, so there was no way he would do nothing while the old man was ill

“Natasha, you wasted one of the Harmon family’s favors just for him?” The woman beside her finally spoke. She was Natasha’s mother, Jessica Ballard.

“I’ll pay Dr. Cross back myself. It has nothing to do with you,” Natasha replied indifferently.

“Do you like that kid?” Jessica frowned.

“So what if I do?” Natasha raised her chin defiantly.

“You should remember that the two of you will never end up together. He’s just a nobody while you’re the daughter of a wealthy family and the heiress to the Harmon family. Your statuses are worlds apart!” Jessica reminded.

“I don’t care,” Natasha responded coolly.

“But I do!” Jessica’s tone was firm. “You can make up your mind about anything except your marriage! Don’t forget that you’re already engaged to Tyler!”

“Sorry. I’m not interested in Tyler Grant all” Natasha quipped.

“You have no say in this matter! You are the eldest daughter of the Harmon family. With wealth and power comes responsibility!” Jessica chided.

“Responsibility?” Natasha scoffed. “Do you mean using marriage to climb the ranks?”

“This is for your own good and the entire family’s! Tyler is an impressive person. He’s already a Major General despite his young age. He has a bright future ahead of him. He’s the perfect choice for marriage!” Jessica lectured.

“If you like him so much, you marry him then! I have no intention of doing so,” Natasha retorted bluntly.

“Why are you so stubborn? If you don’t marry into his family, you will never become the head of the Harmon family! Why don’t you understand this?”

“It doesn’t matter since I was never interested in becoming the head of the family, to begin with,” Natasha replied matter–of–factly.

“Is your entire future worth sacrificing just for that kid?” Jessica spat.

“Of course! I don’t think Tyler is better than him anyway!”

“You have that much faith in him?” Jessica’s expression hardened.

“That’s right!” Natasha announced proudly.

Jessica paused when she heard her daughter’s answer. Resolute, she inhaled before declaring with a cold voice. “Fine! Since you’re not going to give up, I’ll give you one chance. If that punk can pass three tests, I’ll never bring up the topic of your marriage to the Reeves family again!”

“What kind of tests?” asked Natasha with a raised brow.

“First, he must defeat Edwin Hummer to prove his strength!” Jessica demanded.

“Edwin has Boulderthom to back him up! It’s it a bit unreasonable to ask Dustin to defeat him?” Natasha frowned.

Jessica snorted. “If he can’t even defeat Edwin Hummer, why should I accept him into our family? What right does he have to fight Tyler? Well, I’m giving you both a chance. If he fails, you better return to Millsburg and get married!”

Jessica turned and left the room.
 
Chapter 81

Meanwhile, in a nearby hospital room, Dahlia’s grandfather lay unconscious, his face ashen.

Florence and several members of the Nicholson family gathered together as they discussed countermeasures hushedly.

“How peculiar. Old Mr. Nicholson has always been fine. Why did he suddenly fall ill?”

“Exactly! He’s always looked so strong and healthy. Who would’ve guessed that this would happen if he fell ill.”

Everyone sighed with pity for the old man.

“How’s Granddad?” Dahlia bolted into the room in her heels. She had been in a meeting when she received the news of her grandfather falling ill and rushed over as fast as possible.

“Dahlia, the doctors think that he might not make it,” Florence mumbled, shaking her head.

“What?” Dahlia’s face paled. “How could that be? Wasn’t he fine yesterday?”

“I think it’s weird too! But maybe this is his fate.” Florence sighed.

“Where’s the doctor? Doctor!” Dahlia called, distraught.

“It’s futile. All sorts of doctors have checked him. They say his symptoms are too weird. There’s no way for them to find the root cause of his condition, and the only thing left to do is wait for his death.”

“I–impossible!” shrieked Dahlia as she began to panic. She couldn’t imagine her grandfather, who loved her so dearly, passing away.

“Dahlia, I know a fabulous doctor. He might be able to do something.” Matt, who had been standing nearby, finally spoke.

“A fabulous doctor? Who? Can they really save my grandfather?” Dahlia perked up instantly.

“His name is Dr. Ross Leister. He just arrived from Millsburg, and his medical skills are top–notch. He’s able to cure all sorts of illnesses! He also happens to be Dr. Rowan Cross‘ apprentice,” Matt replied.

“Dr. Cross‘ apprentice?” Everyone’s expressions began to brighten when they heard that.

Dr. Cross was well–known. Even people in South City were familiar with his accomplishments. He was on par with Dr. Watkinds and Dr. Peay, who were both already at the top of the pyramid when it came to medicine! His skills were so good they had already reached perfection. As his apprentice, Dr. Leister’s skills must be outstanding!

“Can you really get him to examine Granddad?” Dahlia asked, her tone hopeful. This doctor was her grandfather’s only shot now.

“He’s my friend. He’ll come if I ask him to” Matt nodded.

“That’s wonderful news! If Old Mr. Nicholson gets well, the Nicholson family will be in your debt!” Everyone agreed.

“This is nothing. Let me ask for him.” Matt smiled and left the room.

As soon as Matt had left, Dustin entered the ward but was stopped in his tracks by Florence.

“What are you doing here, Rhys?” she snapped.

“I heard that Granddad’s sick. I’m here to visit him.” Dustin’s face was sombre.

“Visit him? Who do you think you are? You’re no longer my son–in–law. We don’t welcome you here!” hissed Florence as she glared at him.

“What’s wrong. Mom?” Dahlia rushed over when she heard the commotion.

“This bastard is pretending to care and wants to visit your grandfather. I bet he knows your grandpa’s time is almost up, so he’s here to try to get a piece of the family fortune!” Florence mocked.

Everyone in the Nicholson family knew that Henry Nicholson had always treated Dustin like his own grandson. It would be no surprise if the old man left Dustin something to take over!

“You’ve got it all wrong. I’m just worried about Granddad’s condition,” Dustin explained.

Still suspicious, Florence scoffed at him, “Who knows what your true intentions are?”

“Mom, just let him in. He’s just showing his love for Granddad.” Dahlia quipped.

“Dahlia, this kid-”

“I’ll take responsibility if something happens.”

Florence was about to say something else but swallowed her words and stepped aside reluctantly.

“Thank you.” Dustin gave a nod of thanks and walked straight into the ward.

The sickly old man was ashen. He looked as though he had just experienced a stroke.

Dustin reached out to touch Henry’s hand. He was shocked to discover that, although his limbs were cold, an extreme heat emanated from under the pale skin.

“The Flaming Frost Poison?” Dustin pondered as he narrowed his eyes, silently coming up with treatment methods.

The Flaming Frost Poison caused the strangest symptoms. On the outside, the patient would be freezing cold while their insides were actually burning hot. Treating either symptom would be ineffective and could even backfire if the medication used was too strong. This explained why the doctors could not do anything to treat Henry.

“Dahlia, bring me some hot water,” Dustin ordered.

“Whatever for?” Dahlia was puzzled.

“Granddad’s weak, and he can’t hold on for much longer. I need to treat him now,” he explained grimly.

“You?” Dahlia frowned. “What nonsense are you spouting now? Do you even know anything about medicine?”

“A little.”

“And you dare to show off? What in the world are you thinking?” Dahlia asked, visibly annoyed.

This was a person’s life they were talking about, not child’s play!

“Do you even know what you’re saying. Rhys? What makes you think you can cure him? Will you take responsibility if something goes wrong?” Florence chastised.

“Exactly! Old Mr. Nicholson’s already suffering enough, so why are you causing more trouble? Just stay out of the way!”

Everyone was unhappy as Dustin was nothing more than a self–absorbed punk in their eyes. How could he, a mediocre white–collar worker who had been fired and had achieved nothing outstanding in the past three years, know anything about curing diseases and saving lives?

“If I’m saying it aloud, it means I have faith in myself that I can cure him. Let me try,” Dustin responded in a determined voice.

“Dustin, will you stop messing around?” Dahlia snapped. “You’re neither a doctor nor are you medically certified. How can you say that you can save him? I let you in to visit grandpa, not to boast!”

“Can you just trust me this once?” Dustin pleaded, upset. If he wasn’t sure he could do it, there was no way he would meddle with Henry’s life.

“This has nothing to do with trust. The fact is, you cannot do it. I won’t let you play around with Granddad’s life!” Dahlia refused bluntly.

After three years of marriage, they both knew each other like the backs of their hands. There was no way Dahlia could know whether Dustin could do it.
 
Chapter 82

“Who said I can’t do it? Fine. Then, who else can save Granddad if not me?” Dustin growled. He realized that it was impossible trying to reason with women using logic!

“The only one who can save Grandpa now is the incredible Dr. Ross Leister!” Dahlia answered with a grim expression.

“That’s right! Matt’s already gone to call the doctor. If Dr. Leister agrees to help us, we can save Old Mr. Nicholson. There’ll be no need for a quack like you.”

“Dr. Ross Leister? Who’s that?” Dustin asked.

“He’s Dr. Cross‘ apprentice who specializes in treating rare diseases. He’s way better than you are!” Florence stated proudly.

As soon as the words left her mouth, two people entered the room. The first was Matt. He was followed by a man in his 30s in a white coat and a pair of glasses, with a haughty and pretentious expression on his face.

“Matt! Did you manage to get Dr. Leister?” Florence rushed over.

“Of course!” With a gentle smile, Matt introduced the man, “This is Dr. Leister.”

“So you’re Dr. Leister! What an honor!”

“You’re a talented doctor indeed, Dr. Leister. You managed to become Dr. Cross‘ apprentice at such a young age. How amazing!”

“That’s right! With Dr. Leister’s help, Old Mr. Nicholson will recover!”

Everyone began singing praises at Ross, especially since he was Dr. Rowan Cross‘ apprentice. They had to make a good impression in case they needed his help in the future.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have bothered coming here if it weren’t for Mr. Laney. After all, everyone who asks me to treat them is either a high–ranking official, an aristocrat, or a wealthy person,” said the man in glasses. He raised his head, peering down at everyone else in the room.

“Of course! It’s an honor to have you here!” Florence and the others agreed, their faces showing signs of flattery.

The man in glasses soaked up the attention, pleased. “That’s enough. I’m a busy man, so let’s not dilly–dally and get this over with. Where’s the patient?”

“Over here!” Florence led the way to Henry’s bed.

“Hmm…” The doctor nodded and proceeded to take Henry’s pulse. “So it’s Havaska? Well, this might be slightly troublesome, but no big matter. A bowl of hot medicine will do the trick.”

“Really? That’s great!”

Everyone was overjoyed. As expected, they found the right man for the treatment.

“Doctor, aren’t you mistaking something?” Dustin asked.

“What?” The man in glasses frowned and gave Dustin a look over. “And who are you? How dare you question me!”

“If it was Havaska, a bowl of hot medicine would take care of it. However, what Granddad has Isn’t Havaska but the Flaming Frost Poison!” Dustin asserted.

“What do you mean Flaming Frost Poison? I’ve never even heard of it!” The man glared at Dustin and asked, Who are you to criticize me?”

“Dr. Leister, this is a misunderstanding. This piece of trash knows nothing. Please pay him no mind.” Florence smiled at the man before turning to Dustin. “You better stop running your mouth, Rhys! You’ll be done for if you offend Dr. Leister!” she snapped.

“I’m just stating facts. If he hasn’t even heard of the poison, I have reason to question his skills,” Dustin replied, shaking his head.

“Boy, do you have any idea who I am? How dare you talk to me like that!” the man demanded furiously.

“I heard that you’re Rowan Cross‘ apprentice. However, you’ve still got a long way to go. If anyone’s doing the treatment, it should be him,” Dustin said calmly.

Henry’s condition would only worsen if the man in glasses provided treatment meant for Havaska. Naturally. Dustin doubted this man’s skills.

“Hey! Are you done yet? Who do you think you are? What makes you think you’re worthy of asking for my mentor’s help, you fucker?” the doctor roared.

“Dustin, Dr. Cross is away on a retreat and isn’t so easily invited. Even Dr. Leister doesn’t dare disturb him,”
Matt warned.

“Mr. Laney! I came because you asked me personally. Yet instead of thanking me, someone decides to question me. If this is the thanks I get. I’m done treating this patient!” The man turned around to leave. causing an instant frenzy in the room.

“No! Please, Dr. Leister! This idiot is speaking nonsense. Please don’t get mad!” Florence pleaded, pulling him back while she turned to curse at Dustin, “Rhys, shut the fuck up! How dare you criticize Dr. Leister’s way of treating patients. Get out!”

“That’s right! Who the fuck are you to point fingers at Dr. Leister?”

“Dustin Rhys! How could you be so cruel? Are you going to drive Dr. Leister away so that Old Mr. Nicholson dies?”

Infuriated, everyone began swearing at Dustin. A man like Dustin, who only cared about showing off and had no regard for the lives of others, was disgusting!

“Enough of this nonsense. This punk is pissing me off. Throw him out, or I’m not treating the patient any longer!” threatened the man.

“Yes, of course!” Florence apologized profusely. She turned to Dustin and spat, “Didn’t you hear what Dr. Leister said, Rhys? Get out of here!”

“Yeah! Get out! Don’t worsen Old Mr. Nicholson’s condition any further!” chimed the others.

“I’m just acting in Grandpa’s best interest. This person isn’t trustworthy.” Dustin tried to defend himself.

“Shut up!” Dahlia roared. “Dustin, it’s fine if you don’t have the skills, but please don’t make things worse. Get out right now!”

“You don’t believe me either?” Dustin frowned.

“You’re a pathological liar, so why should I?” Pointing at the door, Dahlia commanded, “Get out this instant. Don’t bother Dr. Leister!”
 
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