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 139

“What?” Julie’s mind went blank when a pair of swords were held at her neck. She was unable to process what was happening.

From the assassins‘ forced entry to Dustin framing her, everything happened too quickly. When she finally regained her composure, she was already in danger.

“Rhys! How could you do this to me!”

Seeing as she was about to be held hostage, Julie panicked. “Wait, it’s a mistake! I’m not Dahlia, you’ve got the wrong person!”

“Do you think we are stupid? This man told us you are Dahlia Nicholson!” The assassins‘ leader retorted.

“He’s spouting nonsense! Don’t believe him!” Julie said, cold sweat running down her forehead.

She never expected Dustin to exact his revenge on her in such a despicable manner!

“According to our intel, Dahlia is in this hospital room. If you aren’t Dahlia; why would you be here?” The leader demanded fiercely.

“I–I was just passing by-!” Julie stammered.

“Fuck! How dare you lie to me? You must be tired of living!” Julie was violently slapped on the cheek by the leader, making her ears ring.

“What are all of you doing? Take her away!” He ordered.

Some of his men immediately dragged Julie towards the door.

“It’s not me! It’s really not me! Rhys, you asshole, you framed me! Are you even human?” Julle burst into tears and wailed loudly.

She knew that if she were to be taken away, she would definitely suffer inhumane abuse.

“Dustin! I’m sorry! Please save me, I’m begging you! I’ve learned my lesson! On account of Dahlia and Old Mr. Nicholson, you can’t sit back and do nothing! You have to save mel” Julle broke down and apologized profusely.

At this moment, only Dustin could save her.

“Shut the hell up, you bitch!”

Julie’s cries for help got on the nerves of the assassin leader. He gave her a few more slaps on the face. Julie staggered and fell to the ground, blood flowing from her lips.

When Dustin felt that Julle had been punished enough, he spoke up, saying, “Guys, I’m sorry for the confusion. I’ve made a mistake, she is not Dahlia.”

“What did you say?” When they heard this, the assassins froze.

"Punk! How dare you trick me?” The leader narrowed his eyes threateningly.

“I guess you could say that.” Dustin nodded.

“You bastard!” The leader was furious. He rushed towards Dustin with his heavy blade and swung it using his full strength.

By the agility and power of his movements, the leader was obviously a martial artist. His skills were far superior to those of a normal person.

However, Dustin did not dodge. He blocked the attack with his bare hands and landed a kick on his opponent’s abdomen.

The leader screamed in agony as he flew out the door.

“How dare you hurt our leader? You are dead meat!”

The other three assassins threw Julie aside as they turned to attack Dustin simultaneously.

However, before they could get close enough, Dustin gave all three of them a flying kick and knocked their heads together.

Without another word, they fainted on impact.

“Fuck, who is this monster?”

The last assassin, who was guarding the door, saw what happened to his teammates. Fearful for his life, he ran away as fast as his legs could take him.

Four of his friends were dead. He wasn’t sticking around to find out what was going to happen to him.

“Dustin, you…” Julie’s eyes were as wide as saucers.

She never knew that Dustin was such a good fighter. In the blink of an eye, he single–handedly defeated four assassins. She breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Dustin was around to save her.

On second thought, she remembered that it was because of Dustin that she was mistaken for Dahlia.

Julie’s anger blazed to life again.

“Confess to Dahlia regarding today’s incident. Remember, there is no next time,” Dustin said with a condescending glare.

“I’ll let you off today, Rhys! However, don’t be too proud! Edwin will come after you now that you have beaten up Ms. Hummer! You will be hounded out of Swinton!” Julie gritted her teeth in anger.

“You must be sorely mistaken. It’s not the Hummers” who will be coming after me, but me going after them. The Hummers‘ must issue a public apology regarding the assault” Dustin said breezily

“Public apology? You must have lost your mind! What right do you have to demand an apology from the Hummer family?” Julie scoffed.

“Whatever, it’s up to you whether to belleve it or not. Dustin shrugged.

“Let’s see how long you can fake it! Hopefully, you won’t be wetting your pants in front of Edwin Hummer!” Julie scoffed again and turned around to leave.

Dustin couldn’t care less about her. He dragged the leader of the assassins into the hospital room.

“Did Edwin send you?”

“What’s it to you?” Through gritted teeth, the leader answered rudely.

“How many of you are there?” Dustin continued calmly.

“The White Dragon guild is full of skilled lighters and martial artists. Five of us were sent to scout ahead. If you desire to live, it would be best to surrender immediately!” The leader threatened.

“Ive never heard of the White Dragon guild.” Dustin shook his head.

“That’s because you’re being ignorant! The leader smirked.

“Punk, if I were you, I would flee Swinton right now. Otherwise, you will be sitting ducks when our guild master arrives personally!”

“Really? I’ll be waiting for him, then.” Dustin smiled.

With a loud crack, he twisted the assassin’s leader’s neck. He died on the spot.

At this moment, a group of menacing bodyguards appeared at the end of the corridor.

Stephan was leading the way!

“Greetings, Mr. Rhys!” Stephan walked up to Dustin and bowed slightly..

“Ms. Harmon ordered us to assist you. If you need our help, just ask for it.”

“Thanks for the kind thought, Mr. Chapman.” Dustin nodded in return. “There are a few unconscious assassins. here who have been defeated. Please dispose of their bodies.”

“No problem.” Stephan gestured to his men, and they quickly carried the bodies off.

“By the way, what do you know about the White Dragon guild? Custin questioned.

“The White Dragon guild is regarded as one of the top three guilds in Swinton. Their guild members are mainly ruffians and scoundrels from the underworld. They take orders from Edwin and conduct illegal operations.

Their infamous reputation precedes them,” Stephan explained.

“Oh, I see.” Dustin nodded.

“The White Dragon guild has many skilled lighters, especially the guild master. Dracor Millroy. He is one of the best martial artists in Swinton. It is said that his skin is impenetrable to a sword or blade as he has attained the highest tier of martial artistry. The wise thing to do would be to escape instead of challenging him.” Stephan warmed.

"Thanks for your advice. I know what to do,” Dustin replied nonchalantly.

He was curious to see what it would be like to spar against the best martial artist in Swinton.
 
Chapter 140

The night grew dark as rain poured down. The streets were empty, as there was no one around.

Just then, a fleet of black Hummer vehicles drove in at high speed, splashing puddles of water. The vehicles pulled up at the entrance of a hospital building.

As the car doors opened, a group of burly, muscular men got out. One of them was smoking a cigar.

He was a large and muscular man with a beard, more than six feet tall at least a head above normal men. His arms and thighs were bulging with muscle.

“Guild master! That man is still inside, he never left.” The last assassin pointed to one of the floors of the building.

He had been lying in wait for support to arrive as he spied on Dustin.

“I expected that you could handle this guy on your own. Why do I still have to be personally involved?” The bearded man narrowed his eyes with displeasure.

He was the guild master of the White Dragon guild!

“Guild master, don’t underestimate that guy. He took us down as easily as dominoes!” The assassin reported.

“Alright, surround the building. The earlier we get this settled, the earlier we can rest,” Dracor ordered impatiently.

If it weren’t for Edwin’s orders, he wouldn’t have inconvenienced himself by coming down personally.

“Stop! Who goes there!” A group of bodyguards dressed in suits streamed out of the building. They were the Harmon family’s men.

“What, was there a group of men protecting him? Alright, you boys can use them for practice.” Dracor motioned to his men.

“Yes, guild master!” His disciples behind him grinned evilly and rushed up to fight the bodyguards. They were out for blood like a pack of wolves.

“Stop them!” The bodyguards were not to be outdone. They pressed forward as one to block the guild members.

The scene erupted into chaos.

Although the bodyguards were well–trained, their fighting skills weren’t on the same level as those of the members of the White Dragon guild.

After a while, the bodyguards were forced to retreat, falling under the pressure.

“Who dares to go against the Harmon family? An aggressive roar Interrupted the fight as Stephan emerged with a few of his comrades.

Making his way through the crowd, the guild members were repelled backward by Stephan’s internal energy creating a space around him.

“Oh, is he a martial artist with internal energy? How dare you show off your tricks in front of an expert? Get out of the way!” Dracor had a cold smile on his lips.

Stephan threw fist after fist without stopping, forcing the guild members to fall back. They were no match for him.

“Reckless bastard!” Dracor took a deep breath and released a surge of energy in Stephan’s direction.

The attack sliced through the raindrops and zeroed in on him.

Fortunately, Stephan had a keen sense of danger. He noticed the attack coming and went into a defensive. stance.

“Boom!” An explosive sound was heard as Stephan’s defense was shattered.

He was blown backward about 30 feet away, leaving deep tracks on the ground. Stephan was flung onto a wall like a ragdoll as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Weakling.” Dracor scoffed.

Dracor thought that he had finally met a worthy challenger. Unexpectedly, he couldn’t even withstand a single blow.

“Y–You, who are you?” Stephan furrowed his brows and stared at the towering figure in front of him.

Due to the darkness, he couldn’t identify who the man was.

“How dare you beat up my men if you don’t even know who I am?” Dracor approached him menacingly.

Stephan finally recognized him when his bearded face was illuminated by the streetlights.

“You–You are Dracor Milfroy?” Stephan fixed his eyes on the man as fear spread across his face.

The nightmare he dreaded really came true!

“Since you seem to know me, we can settle this easily, Kneel down and beg for your life. If I’m in a good mood, I might let you go.” Dracor laughed mockingly as if he was entertained by Stephan’s fear.

“Both of you, go and tell Mr. Rhys to escape. I’ll hold them back!” Stephan gritted his teeth and prepared himself for a fight to the death.

“Yes, Sir!” The bodyguards behind Stephan ran into the building without hesitation. Their mission was to protect Dustin and they were prepared to do it at the expense of their lives.

“Heh, do you think you could hold me back?” Dracor smirked.

“I’ll do my best to buy him some time!” Stephan was determined.

“Don’t blame me for your death since you were the one who asked for It! Dracor scoffed again.

He flew at Stephan like a streak of lightning.

I’m going all out!” Stephan took a deep breath and faced Dracor squarely.


Both of them collided directly into each other as another loud explosion was heard.

Stephan was thrown back like he had been hit by a truck, His body llew into the air and landed heavily on the ground with a loud thud. Blood spurted out from his mouth and nose. He did not even have the strength to stand up.

“Don’t overestimate your abilities!” Dracor taunted.

Compared to Dracor strength, Stephan’s internal energy and skills were feeble.

“Mr. Rhys, I did my best. I hope I have bought enough time for you to escape, Stephan muttered as he laid in the rain, despair in his eyes.

Dracor was on another level as he had already attained the highest tier of martial arts. In addition, he had trained his body to be as impenetrable as steel.

No wonder he was deemed the best martial artist in Swinton!

Stephan knew that he was no match for Dracor. He couldn’t even put up a good fight.

“It is an honor for you to die at my hands!” Dracor came up to Stephan and stared at him condescendingly, like looking down on a bug.

He lifted his leg to stomp on Stephan’s chest and finish him off.

At that moment, all the glass windows of the hospital building shattered simultaneously.

A dark figure swooped down and landed heavily on the ground. The tough cement crumbled beneath his feet and large cracks propagated from the spot where he landed, like a spider’s web that extended for miles.

“Who is it?” Everyone had bewildered expressions on their faces.
 
Chapter 141

“Who is it?” The sudden explosion caught everyone by surprise.

Initially, they thought someone had committed suicide by jumping off the building.

However, after a good look, they realized the figure who had jumped off the building was still standing tall. In his hand, he was holding a black umbrella as he stood in the rain, giving off an overwhelming and mysterious aura.

“Mr. Rhys! This man’s dangerous, run for your life!” Stephan screamed his lungs out, that the White Dragon guild was here, why did he join the fray instead of escaping? Was he looking for death?

“Punk, are you that Dustin guy?” Dracor sized Dustin up, noting his thin and frail build.

“Yes, it’s me,” Dustin replied.

“You got some guts for not running away from the sight of me, punk!” Dracor smirked.

“Why should I run? I was waiting for you,” Dustin said nonchalantly.

“Really?” Dracor raised his eyebrows.

“Interesting. It’s been a long time since I have last seen an arrogant punk like you.”

“Mr. Rhys, he is too powerful for you! With his impenetrable skin and overwhelming energy, even if we combine our attacks, we are no match for him! Go and get support from the Harmon family while I’ll hold him back!” Stephan scrambled to stand up, using the last ounce of his strength to help Dustin escape.

“Mr. Chapman, it’s alright. Leave the rest to me.” Dustin smiled, touched by his resolution.

It was commendable that Stephan was prepared to die to protect him, even though he was ordered by someone else.

“Mr. Rhys, you’re still unaware of the situation. Not only is this man the guild master of the White Dragon guild, but he is also the best martial artist in Swinton! He is head and shoulders above both of us! Just escape while you can!” Stephan urged.

Although Dustin was a martial artist as well, he could only harness internal energy.

On the other hand, as a high–level martial artist, Dracor already had the ability to manifest his energy externally.

In addition, he fortified his body to be as impenetrable as steel. Even among the high–level martial artists, he was considered one of the best.

Defeating a lower–level martial artist like Dustin would be a walk in the park!

“Mr. Chapman, don’t worry. I can deal with this,” Dustin reassured him.

“Mr. Rhys, you are biting off more than you can chew! You are still young and trainable. If you survive, there is still hope for you to defeat him one day! However, the most important thing right now is to stay alive!” Stephan was getting anxicus.

Dustin couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Were his words that unbelievable? He didn’t even care if he went up against a godlike opponent. Defeating a high–level martial artist was nothing.

“Shut your yapping! Today, both of you will die here!” Dracor snapped his fingers.

At his signal, his disciples swarmed all at once toward Dustin.

“Mr. Rhys, run! I’ll hold them back!” Stephan gritted his teeth and rushed into the middle of the crowd. He had to buy more time so that Dustin could escape.

Although Stephan was badly injured, he was still able to tackle a large number of men by mustering up his remaining energy.

As Dracor’s disciples were defeated one by one. Stephan’s last–ditch effort angered Dracor.

“What a reckless idiot!” Dracor’s expression darkened.

He leaped into the air and dove at Stephan with his palm open.

“Come at me with all you’ve got!” Stephan countered with his fists.

As Stephan’s fist and Dracor’s palm came into contact, a loud blast was heard as their energies repelled each other.

Stephan flew into the air like a punching bag, blood spurting from his mouth.

Before his limp body crashed on the ground, Dustin caught him single–handedly and nullified Dracor’s attack. He placed Stephan down and patted him on the back gently.

After that, Dustin stood up and walked confidently toward Dracor.

“Wait a minute, Mr. Rhys! I know you have some skills, but you are no match for Dracor! He is definitely not an opponent either you or I could handle! He is a monster! Quick, grab this opportunity to escape before it’s too late!” Stephan shouted frantically, ignoring the blood dripping down his face.

“Don’t worry, Stephan. On the contrary, he is no match for me.”

Heavy raindrops splashed on his umbrella as Dustin continued walking toward Dracor.

“Punk, you should have listened to his advice! Now, it’s too late to regret it! You lost your chance!” Dracor laughed menacingly.

He dug his heels into the ground and shot out like an arrow in Dustin’s direction. He was planning to use his momentum and crush Dustin with his body of steel!

“Mr. Rhys, be careful!” Stephan’s lace turned pale.

Dracor was a high–level martial artist and one of the best in Swinton. Going squarely against an opponent of his caliber was just looking for trouble!

Just as Stephan thought that Dustin would die on the spot, a miracle happened!

Even though Dracor had smashed into Dustin’s body like a tank, he did not move an inch. He reached out, grabbed Dracor by the neck, and lifted him off the ground.

Dracor’s muscular body dangled in the air like a chicken awaiting slaughter, his feet kicking frantically.

However, he could not escape from Dustin’s iron grip.

“Mr. Chapman, what were you saying just now?” Dustin turned to Stephan and asked nonchalantly, an umbrella in one hand and Dracor hanging helplessly from the other.

Dustin couldn’t catch what Stephan had said to him just now because of the heavy rain.

Looking at the scene before him, Stephan was dumbstruck. Dracor was dangling helplessly in the air like a puppet.

Never in his dreams had Stephan imagined that the proud and arrogant Dracor Milfroy would be restrained by Dustin with just one hand.

Everything happened so quickly that Dracor had no chance to retaliate.

Besides, it had to be said that Dracor wasn’t an average, run–of–the–mill fighter. He was a high–level martial artist with formidable energy!

How could Dustin single–handedly defeat a martial artist like him?

This was ludicrous!
 
Chapter 142

“Let me go…” Dracor flailed helplessly, his face red as he gasped for air.

At that moment, not only was he bewildered by the sudden twist of events, but he was also filled with dread!

He thought that he was a big fish in a small pond like Swinton. Who knew that he would end up sparring against a divine–level martial artist here?

A divine–level martial artist in his twenties? It was unheard of in all of South City. How could such an invincible lighter appear in Swinton?

“Fuck, this punk is incredible! Even our guild master was defeated by him!” The disciples of the White Dragon guild whispered among themselves in disbelief.

Seeing as their leader had been defeated, some of them slipped away as fast as they could.

“Dracor, seems like your disciples aren’t as loyal to you as you thought.” Dustin smirked.

“Who–Who the hell are you?” Dracor gritted his teeth as his veins popped from the pressure.

He didn’t have the energy to struggle any further.

“That’s not important right now. Go and send this message to Edwin. Tell him to bring his daughter and apologize to me. Otherwise, I will have a personal chat with him!”

With that, Dustin punched Dracor in the stomach. Dracor spat out a mouthful of blood as his internal energy dissipated instantly!

“H–How could you drain my energy?” Dracor widened his eyes in fear.

“Why can’t I? You have lost fair and square!” Dustin swung around and threw him into the air carelessly.

“Guild master!” The remaining disciples ran up to Dracor and helped him up.

Although they were indignant, they kept a safe distance from Dustin.

“Today, I’ve lost. I admit my defeat. Boys, let’s go!” Dracor wiped away the blood from his face as he and his men left with their tails between their legs.

“Mr. Rhys–Did you thrash Dracor Milfroy?” Stephan’s eyes were wide with shock and amazement.

“I told you. He is no match for me.” Dustin smiled easily.

He handed a gemiphen pill to Stephan. “Mr. Chapman, take this healing pill and have a good rest. You will recover from your injuries and be as good as new tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Mr. Rhys!” Stephan popped the gemiphen into his mouth without hesitation.

After a few minutes, he felt a sensation of warmth spreading outward from his stomach. He could visibly feel. the energy from the pill healing his wound from the inside out. His internal bleeding stopped, and soreness slowly disappeared from his limbs.

“Wow, this pill is incredible!” Stephan blinked in surprise at how fast his Injuries healed.
l

“Mr. Chapman, sorry for the inconvenience. You should go back and have a rest now,” Dustin said with a smile.

“Yes, sir!” Stephan nodded and made his way home.

With Dustin’s overwhelming powers, his help was obviously unnecessary. That night went by in a flash.

The next morning, in a VIP room at East Swinton Hospital.

“Mother, bad news! Something terrible has happened!” James rushed into the hospital room in a hurry, sweat pouring from his forehead.

“What’s the matter? Why are you so out of breath early in the morning?” Half–asleep, Florence jumped out of her skin at James‘ sudden outburst.

Some other relatives who were resting in the room looked displeased at his disturbance.

“It’s true!” James was gasping for air.

“I received news that the Hummers were going to boycott us, the Nicholson family! Half of the businesses in Swinton have us blacklisted and are unwilling to engage with our company!”

“What? Boycott us? James, are you joking? How could this be?” Florence was taken aback at the shocking news. She could not believe that was happening.

“Why would I joke about this?” James pulled a long face.

“Quine Group’s stock prices have been plummeting since this morning. If this continues, we will be bankrupt in three days!”

When James announced this, the room erupted into chaos.

“How could this happen? Why would Mr. Hummer boycott us?”

“That’s right, we have nothing against the Hummers. There’s no reason for him to do this!”

Everyone was at a loss about this situation.
Edwin Hummer was one of the Mighty Three!

With his connections and influence, it would be as easy as ple to destroy the Nicholson family!

“James! Tell me exactly what happened! Did we do anything to offend Mr. Hummer?” Florence said anxiously as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

“It’s not us, it’s Dustin who offended him! I heard Dustin showed up at the Hummers‘ party last night and beat up Ms. Hummer. The Hummers are boycotting us for revengel”

“That idiot again? Useless bastard! Why do we have to clean up his mess? Now the Nicholson family would have to pay for his deeds! Is there any justice left in the world?” Florence spat in anger.

“Why? We have already cut off ties with Dustin. Why would the Hummer family go after us? This isn’t fair!

“That’s right! The Nicholson family has nothing to do with Dustin any longer. He should be punished for what he had done!”

“There’s no use complaining. Let’s think about how to placate Mr. Hummer’s anger!”

The ruckus started up again as everyone had something to say. However, no one had any concrete ideas about how to solve this issue.

Dahlia, the backbone of the family, was still unconscious. With their status, none of them had any right to meet with Mr. Hummer.

“Is something the matter?” At that moment. Matt walked into the hospital room.

“Matt, thank goodness you are here! You have to help us, the Nicholson family is in a crisis!” Florence ran up to him. Matt was her last hopel

The rest of them turned to Matt expectantly, nodding in agreement.

“Mrs. Nicholson, I will do my best to help. You have to tell me what’s going on.” Matt said comfortingly.

“It’s all Dustin’s fault! Here’s what happened— Florence did not hold back and briefly explained everything that had occurred.

“I understand.” Matt nodded thoughtfully.

“Are you asking me to meet with Edwin and beg for the Hummers‘ mercy?”

“Yes, that’s right! Aren’t you acquainted with Mr. Hummer? As long as you take our side, I’m sure Mr. Hummer will relent!” Florence pleaded.

“Mrs. Nicholson, it’s not that I refuse to help. However, Ms. Hummer is still unconscious after getting beaten up so badly. If I go to Mr. Hummer at this time, I’m afraid he would turn his anger on me.” Matt replied awkwardly.

“Matt! If you could help us through this crisis, you would be our family’s savior! Aren’t you interested in Dahlia? Both of you can register to be married immediately once she regains consciousness!” Florence reassured him.

“That That doesn’t sound like a good idea. I don’t want to take advantage of this situation. Why don’t we consider this again after Dahlia regains consciousness?” Mall asked.

“What’s the big deal? Both of you are mutually interested in each other. It’s just a matter of time before getting engaged! Once we survive this crisis, both of you should get married as well!” Florence promised with determination.

“Well I’ll do my best.” Matt nodded with a torn expression.

However, on the inside, he was elated.
 
Chapter 143

In an office of the Hummers Hospital, Edwin was resting with his eyes closed on a chair. Suddenly, a knock was heard.

“Come in.” Edwin opened his eyes and saw Fletcher walk in with a grave expression.

“What’s wrong?” Edwin asked, worried.

“Sir Hummer, we received news last night that Dracor was severely injured.” Fletcher reported.

“What? Dracor was beaten up? Who was the perpetrator?” Edwin’s face twitched.

“It was Dustin!”

“Dustin again? How could that punk have such overwhelming powers?‘ Edwin frowned.

Dracor was his right–hand man. Being the best martial artist in Swinton, no one could withstand his attacks.

Merely the mention of his name was enough to strike fear into the hearts of his opponents.

Usually, Dracor could easily unravel any sticky situation that Edwin had assigned him to. How could such a capable fighter like him fall into Dustin’s hands? It was incomprehensible!

“Sir Hummer, Dustin told Dracor to send you a message,” Fletcher continued hesitantly.

“What is it?”

“Dustin insisted that Ms. Hummer had to apologize to him personally. Otherwise, he would pay you a visit!”

“That punk had the nerve to threaten me? He must have a death wish! Edwin slammed his fist on the table in anger.

He was the one who beat Tina up. Now, he expected the Hummers to apologize to him? Dustin was going too far!

“Sir Hummer, please calm down. His abilities are far superior to any of ours, so it is best not to fight with him head–on.” Fletcher reasoned with Edwin.

“Then should we just let him go?” Edwin demanded.

“Of course not!” Fletcher shook his head.

“Although Dustin is a formidable martial artist, he is but one man. We can use our influence to drive him out of Swinton,”

“Continue.” Edwin nodded to Fletcher to continue.

“Eternumax, the medicine produced by our company, is sought after by many families, especially the Harmon family! We can use this to negotiate and get their cooperation. With their support, we can take Dustin on!” Fletcher smirked.

“That makes sense. Il Natasha agrees to abandon him, dealing with Dustin alone would be a piece of cake!” A smile played on Edwin’s lips.

–

“That’s what I thought! Nonetheless, the prescription of Eternumax is still in our control. After we are settled with that punk, it would make things easier for us to turn against the Harmon family as well. Fletcher cackled gleefully.

“Good idea. I’ll contact Natasha right away!” Without any delay, Edwin took out his phone and dialed Natasha’s number.

“Hello, is this Ms. Harmon? I’m calling about a business deal.”

“Yes, yes! This is about the Elernumax!”

“If both parties could reach an agreement, this would be a huge boost to our wealth and reputation!”

“Regarding my conditions—it’s very simple. As long as you turn your back on Dustin, we can be loyal business partners!”

As the conversation continued, Edwin’s expression turned sour. His face was livid when he ended the call,

“Sir Hummer, how is it? What did Natasha say?” Fletcher asked out of curiosity.

“She told me to get lost!” Edwin answered.

“What?” Fletcher was speechless at her reply.

“This woman must be blindly in love with that punk! What foolishness to forsake such a lucrative deal for a man!” Edwin gritted his teeth in anger.

“Women tend to be emotional. She will regret it once Eternumax takes the world by storm!” Fletcher chimed in.

Edwin didn’t reply, as he had too many things on his mind. These few days, nothing seemed to be going right for him.

“Sir Hummer, terrible news!”

At this moment, a doctor ran into the room hurriedly. “Ms. Hummer’s condition has suddenly taken a turn for the worse!”

“What do you mean? She’s in danger? How could this have happened? Wasn’t she fine yesterday?” Edwin Jumped up from his chair. He grabbed the doctor by the collar and roared.

“Ms. Hummer is suffering from a strange condition that can’t be cured medically. Y–You would understand once you see it for yoursell,” The doctor stammered.

“Show me!” Edwin growled.

He followed the doctor all the way to the intensive care unit. Tina was lying on the hospital bed. Her face was twisted with agony, and she appeared very weak.

“Tina, how are you feeling?” Edwin knelt beside her bed, his face filled with worry.

“Dad—I don’t feel so good, it hurts Tina whispered weakly, as it her life was hanging on a thread.

“What the hell happened? Why would my daughter deteriorate into such a poor state?” Edwin glared at the doctor.

“Sir Hummer, we have fixed the fractures on Ms. Hummer. Her injuries should be healed in a few days. However, she has other injuries that we can’t fix.”

“What other injuries?” Edwin furrowed his brows.

“Sir Hummer, please have a look.” The doctor removed the blankets from Tina’s body.

On her abdomen, there were a few purple bruises. It seemed like she was hurt by a heavy object. The size of the bruises was at least 3 inches long and slightly sunken inward.

“Isn’t that just a bruise? What’s there to be worried about?” Edwin asked, puzzled.

“Sir Hummer, this isn’t a normal bruise. It’s a symptom of a rare curse. The person who left the curse has. blocked Ms. Hummer’s blood circulation. If this continues, the organs in her body will malfunction and die. According to my experience. Ms. Hummer’s life would be in serious danger!” The doctor explained gravely.

“What?! How could this be? Is there no cure?” Edwin was taken aback at the startling news.

“Unless the person who placed the curse lifted it, there’s no cure!” The doctor sighed and shook his head.
 
Chapter 144

“What do you mean it can’t be cured?” Edwin repeated.

“Are you telling me that only that Rhys punk can cure my daughter’s sickness?” He furrowed his brows as the color drained from his face.

“You certainly need the right person for the right job, so we’ll have to track him down no matter what it takes.” The doctor confirmed.

“I can’t believe this bastard! How dare he use such underhanded tactics!” Edwin growled through gritted teeth as his eyes flashed with anger.

“What should we do now, Sir Hummer?” Fletcher asked.

They had failed to bribe Natasha, and Dracor was now in critical condition from getting beaten up. It seemed like both civilized and uncivilized methods had failed to work. Dustin seemed to be a thom in their side lately.

But most importantly, Tina’s life was literally in that man’s hands.

So, even if they had any countermeasures up their sleeves, they were still afraid of making the first move.

After remaining silent for a while. Edwin finally decided. “Call that punk and get ready to negotiate with him!”

“Yes, Sir!” Fletcher obliged. He then proceeded to hastily ask someone for Dustin’s number.

After dialing the number, he swiftly handed the phone over to Edwin.

“Hello, who is this?” Dustin’s voice came from the other end.

“Edwin Hummer speaking.” Edwin greeted coldly while holding back his anger.

“Let me a ask you one thing, kid. Did you harm my daughter in any way, or did you not?”

“So it’s Sir Hummer on the line. Well if you’re referring to the curse, then yes, they were from me,” Dustin replied dryly.

“You got a lot of fucking nerve, boy! How dare you lay your hands on my daughter?!” Edwin roared while gnashing his teeth.

“Why don’t you ask your daughter about the things she’s done? How would she have ended up like this if she hadn’t pushed her weight around so much?” Dustin retorted indillerently.

“Hmph, you’re the last person I want to talk to about this right now! You’d better cure my daughter right this instant!” Edwin ordered.

“What makes you think I should do everything you ask right away? Don’t you think you’re being a little too cocky right now?” Dustin scoffed.

“So you want to bargain first, don’t you? Fine, we can do that! As long as you cure my little girl, I promise not to hold you accountable for anything else in the future! Edwin barked.

“Heh, that’s it?” Dustin sneered in reply.

“I’ll also lift the ban on the Nicholsons immediately so that the whole family can get back on track.”

“I’m afraid you’re still mistaken about what I truly want. I do not need these, Dustin replied.

“What do you want then?” Edwin growled.

“It’s simple. I just want your daughter to apologize to me,” Dustin said.

“What?! You want her to apologize to you?!” Edwin shrieked, his face turning cold in an instant.

“Is it unreasonable to ask for an apology from someone who assaulted you for no reason?” Dustin asked rhetorically.

“Who do you think you are, kid? How dare you request that a Hummer apologize to you? What makes you think you deserve the honor?” Edwin roared while burning with anger.

While he did not intend to pursue the matter, which was already out of the reach of the law in the first place, he felt that this man was full of himself for thinking that the Hummers owed him an apology!

“If you refuse to give me an apology. I’ll just save my breath then. However, you can’t blame me for not reminding you that your daughter won’t be able to hold on for much longer, Dustin said, then immediately hung up the phone after.

“Does this punk think that he can push me around?!” Edwin bellowed.

Edwin was so furious, he almost smashed the phone in his hands onto the ground. Who did he think he was. exactly?

He was one of the Mighty Three, the richest man in his city, and was also known as an important figure in the Underground World,

Within his domain, it could be said that he was the one who called the shots and that he could get anything he asked for at the drop of a hat.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had been humiliated like this.

What would happen to the Hummer’s reputation if word got out that they visited the Nicholsons to offer an apology? Would they still have any dignity left after that?

“I feel it would be wiser to be the bigger person in this situation, Sir Hummer. We should agree to his terms first in order to save Ms. Hummer.” Mr. Lawson advised from the side.

“If we agree to his terms now, won’t any Tom, Dick, and Harry gain the right to shit and piss on the Hummer name from then on?” Edwin snapped in a booming voice.

“This is just one way to slow him down, Sir Hummer. Once we manage to save Miss Hummer first, we can still take our time in thinking up ways to get back at that punk,” Mr. Lawson suggested.

Edwin fell silent after hearing that. His suggestion was reasonable, but the prospect of giving up the reputation of the Hummers to lower themselves to offer an apology to others was an unbearably uncomfortable thought to him.

“Dad, it hurts It’s so painful! Save me! Tina Hummer moaned profusely as she laid in bed.

Looking at his daughter’s pain–stricken face, Edwin took a deep breath and finally decided to settle on a compromise.

He dialed Dustin’s number once again and spat into the phone. “I’ll adhere to your terms, kid, but you’d better not play tricks with me!”

“The apology has to be sincere. If you insist on acting like this, then we have nothing else to talk about,” Dustin said indifferently.

“How dare you-“Edwin stopped as the corner of his eye began to twitch.

“Fine, you win! I’ll send someone over today at noon to give an apology in person!” He roared while forcefully holding back his anger.

“I’ll be waiting.” Dustin replied.

During noontime, inside a VIP ward in East Swinton Hospital, Dahlia had woken up a long time ago, and the redness and puffiness on her cheeks had already faded quite a bit.

Her hands were still wrapped with bandages, so she was advised not to move around too much for the time being.

When Dustin walked through the door with a fruit basket in hand, he noticed that members of the Nicholson family had gathered together and were discussing something.

Even old Mr. Nicholson, who had been living in seclusion, had shown u up.

“The nerve of you to show your face here, Rhys! Do you have the slightest idea about the amount of damage you’ve caused us? Because of you, the Hummers banned us! Are you happy now that the Quine Group is on the brink of collapse?” Florence yelled at him the moment she laid eyes on him. She went from her initial state of calm to jumping to her feet and spewing expletives.

The others remained silent but eventually started donning indignant looks on their faces. Even Dahlia was frowning at him.

She received news of the Nicholsons‘ ban from the Hummers the moment she woke up, and the reason for that was that Custin had allegedly given Ms. Hummer a beating.

Although she knew that she herself was the person he had done it for. But his ‘help‘ had ultimately sent the entire Nicholson family to the fiery depths of an inlerno instead!

“Alright, alright, stop bickering already. We all know that Dustin did all that to stand up for Dahlia, While it was somewhat impulsive, I’d like to think that he did it with pure intentions in mind,” Old Mr. Nicholson tried to calm everyone down.

“Are you honestly still speaking on his behall when things have gotten to this stage, Dad? Do you only intend to stop when the family is in shambles? Florence said through gritted teeth.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of the problem with the Hummers, Dustin spoke up calmly.

“What do you mean you’ve taken care of It? What’s your solution? If you were that capable in the first place, would the Nicholsons still be banned by now? You’d better scram right now. I don’t want to see your face anymore! Shoo!” Florence screamed.

In the middle of her rage, she grabbed the fruit basket from Dustin’s hands and smashed it onto the ground.
 
Chapter 145

“That’s enough! Now’s not the time to point fingers. Since we’re in a tight situation now, what everyone needs to do is help one another out and ride out the storm together, not grab each other by the throat!” Old Mr. Nicholson yelled after witnessing Florence’s burst of rage.

“Easy for you to say. This is the Hummer’s ban we’re talking about. Who knows, all of us might go bankrupt in a couple of days and no longer have a place to call home in Swinton anymore!” Florence snapped in fury.

“That’s right! If it wasn’t for Dustin, who kept stirring up trouble and dragging us down with him, how could the Nicholsons even have ended up in this situation today?” James spoke, and the rest agreed with him.

“What’s going on, Dustin? I believe that you can enlighten all of us here?” Dahlia suddenly piped up. She was giving him a chance to explain himself properly.

“Tina was unruly and unreasonable, which is why I decided to put her in her place,” Dustin replied bluntly.

“See, everyone heard that, right? He beat up the girl first, so he was the one who instigated this whole thing in the first place. So, he’s entirely to blame for the ban on the Nicholson family!” Florence shouted even more fiercely.

“You’re a thorn in our sides, Dustin! You owe us an explanation for every affliction you’ve caused all of us!”

“I suggest kidnapping him and handing him over to the Hummers so that we can quell their rage!”

A bunch of chatter erupted from the crowd, and it could be seen that most of them were in favor of kidnapping him.

“You are too impulsive, Dustin! Do you even know who Ms. Hummer is? What makes you think you’re worthy of going head–to–head with her? Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused?” Dahlia scoffed with a frown.

“So what you’re telling me.Is that I should’ve just sat there and watched as you got brutally beaten up and humiliated?” Dustin sneered coldly.

It didn’t matter if Florence and the others didn’t understand, but if Dahlia still insisted on pinning the blame on him, then he’d feel that all his efforts were for nothing.

“Don’t you twist my words! I am trying to tell you to consider the consequences first before doing anything! Not only did you get us into trouble, you even hurt your reputation in the process!” Dahlia retorted with a scowl on her face.

“I’m not the type to dwell on the details. All I know is that I’ll get revenge on anyone who crosses me!” Dustin said in a cold voice.

“You guys heard it yoursell! This kid is still as stubborn as ever! Thus, we must hand him over to the Hummers! “Florence instigated as she gestured at two of the younger Nicholsons.

The two immediately understood her intention and placed their hands on each side of Dustin’s shoulders.” You’d better be more cooperative with us, or else you’ll get what’s coming to you!”

Dustin frowned and was ready to pounce on them when Jullie suddenly burst into the room with a panicked look on her face. “This is bad, Auntie! The Hummers have brought their men here to kill us all!"

“What?!” A collective gasp arose from everyone in the room as the news startled them.

They thought it was already bad that the whole family got banned, but they never expected the Hummers to be this cruel.

They were already knocking at their doors. Were they trying to drive them into a corner?

“It’s over, it’s over! We’re dead meat this time!”

“How could this happen? Why can’t the Hummers give us a break for once?”

The crowd panicked and started jumping to their feet anxiously.

“It’s all because of that damn bastard! It’s all his fault!”

“That’s right! The Hummers must have come for Dustin, so let’s hand him over and we’ll be all right!”

Everyone in the crowd immediately turned their gazes to Dustin, causing a million laser–like glares to land on him at the same time.

In their opinion, if they could sacrifice Dustin to save themselves, that would be the best course of action.

Just as the crowd was still in an uproar, a group of people from the Hummer family started boldly entering the venue.

The leader of the procession was Tina, who was sitting in a wheelchair, Following behind her were a few representatives from the Hummer family, as well as a few escorting bodyguards.

At the time. Tina looked weak, as her eyes were half shut and half open. Both of her hands and feet were in casts, her entire face was bruised and swollen, and her features seemed to have been disfigured completely.

If someone were not closely acquainted with her, they would have a hard time telling between her current and actual looks.

“M–Ms. Hummer?” The crowd let out a gasp.

Everyone from the Nicholsons was taken aback as they stared at the nearly paralyzed and disfigured Tina. Although they knew that she’d gotten her ass beaten, they didn’t expect it to be that bad. Her face had swelled up so much that it almost resembled a pig’s head.

If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn’t have believed that the young, spoiled–to–the–core lady of the Hummer family would even live to see such a day.

Wasn’t this Dustin fellow too much for doing that though?

“D–Dustin—Don’t tell me you were the one who beat Ms. Hummer up this badly?” One of the Nicholsons asked shakily as he looked at the others in shock..

“Rhys! You’d better admit everything by your own choice later and not drag us into this!” Florence shouted as she broke into a nervous sweat.

The situation was much direr than she had anticipated.

James went straight to the point. After walking three steps forward, he immediately fell to his knees with a loud “Thud” in front of the Hummers. The inertia generated by his fall caused his torso to slide forward by a few inches.

“Ms. Hummer, this has nothing to do with us! It was Dustin Rhys who beat you up, so if you want to plot your revenge, please just plot it on his head. Please spare our family!” James pleaded in desperation.

Upon witnessing this, the majority of the Nicholsons unanimously approved of his actions on the inside. They admired him for his humble and responsible nature and thought of him as one of the good men in the Nicholson family.

He was probably the type to rush forward in the face of danger too. They were certain that the Nicholson family would continue to thrive and prosper, what with such an outstanding individual in the family.

“Huh?” A collective gasp arose from the people from the Hummers.

When they all saw James kneel on the floor, some of them exchanged glances with one another, completely dumbfounded by what had just happened in front of them.

Shouldn’t they be the ones apologizing? How come it’s the other way around now? What the hell was happening now?

“I suppose you must be mistaken about something, kid?” The butler of the Hummer family asked with perplexed look on his face.

Even though he had imagined countless horrible scenarios that could come out of this, this wasn’t in his predictions at all

“Oh right, before I forget” before the butler could finish his sentence, James immediately assumed that the butler wasn’t planning on letting them go.

He turned around and started flailing his hands in the air. “Someone, anyone! Bring Dustin to me! I’ll get him to bow down to the Hummers and beg for their forgiveness!”

“Heh, I’ll do it myself,” Dustin said, shaking off the two men before he trudged forward.

“Everyone! That’s him! He’s the one who beat her up- James shouted while pointing at Dustin.

When the Hummers finally saw what had unfolded in front of their eyes, their expressions changed dramatically and all of them fell to their knees with a loud ‘Thud“.
 
Chapter 146

“Huh?!” James” jaw dropped to the floor looking at the representatives from the Hummer family kneeling toward him.

Everyone’s eyes were as big as saucers as they stared in disbelief.

Who would’ve thought that the high and mighty Hummer family would ever kneel toward them in their lives?

Were these mega–bigshots ever this humble before? What was wrong with them today? Were they sick or something?

“What’s happening? Didn’t the Hummers come to retaliate? Why are they all kneeling?”

“What are the Hummers doing? This isn’t some kind of reverse psychology tactic, right?”

“Something’s fishy here. I think this is part of their plan!”

As the Nicholsons continued to stare at the Hummers who were kneeling in front of them, not only were they not the least bit happy about this, but this even frightened them tremendously.

Some of their legs even gave out as time passed. That was because the scene in front of them was too overwhelming for them to handle.

To think that a mega bigshot would kneel for them? They couldn’t even see it happening in their dreams.

“Forgive me. Ms. Nicholson. The Hummers were the ones who were at fault last night. Thus, we are gathered here today for the young lady to offer her sincere apologies to you in person. I hope you can forgive us, Ms. Nicholson.” After Fletcher took the lead and spoke up, he immediately bent down and kneeled on the ground with the utmost sincerity.

“Our sincere apologies, Ms. Nicholson!” The representatives from the Hummer family shouted. All of them kneeled in unison afterward, without much thought for their reputation.

Such a turn of events dumbfounded the Nicholsons yet again. So, it was true! The Hummers were apologizing to them!

But the question now was, why?

“W–why are you all? What is going on, Mr. Lawson?” Dahlia stuttered while lying on her hospital bed. She was so antsy about the situation that she immediately got out of bed.

Weren’t they here for revenge? Why were they kneeling toward her?

“The Hummers aren’t unreasonable people. We admit our mistakes when we’ve done wrong, so we hope that you can forgive us for our trespasses, Ms. Nicholson, Fletcher replied with his head lowered.

“What are you talking about, Mr. Lawson? Please get up quickly! I’m afraid there has been a misunderstanding. We’d already be glad if the matter was dropped entirely. What other reason do we have to accuse the Hummer family of?” Florence apologized profusely with a big smile after she came to her senses.

“Yes, she’s right! Please get up from the floor, Mr. Lawson!” The Nicholsons were still in a state of shock even now.

To them, it was already a huge relief that the Hummers were willing to let the matter slide. They wouldn’t ever have the guts to coerce them into apologizing to them.

“As long as you continue to refuse to accept our apology, we’ll continue kneeling like this until the end of time. Ms. Nicholson.” Fletcher insisted stubbornly.

“Please get off the floor, Mr. Lawson. Let’s just pretend none of this ever happened, alright? Dahlia spluttered. somewhat at a loss for words.

Even though Tina was the one who was at fault, she ended up being the one who suffered more severe injuries than Dahlia.

While she was expected to recover in about three to five days, she doubted if Tina could even get out of bed by herself without resting in bed for hall a month first.

This was the main reason she was so speechless when she heard that Tina, a member of the usually pigheaded Hummer family, was even going to apologize to her.

“Thank you, Ms. Nicholson, for being so kind to us!” Fletcher exclaimed as his face lit up with joy. He proceeded to give her a bow before gesturing for the representatives from the Hummer family to get up off the floor.

“This is great. So it was a misunderstanding, after all. We should be fine now.” Florence let cut a long sigh of relief.

Although she didn’t know what had just happened, it was obvious that they managed to tide through this time of crisis unscathed.

“That’s right! Peace and harmony bring wealth, after all!” James grinned, even though his back was drenched in a cold sweat.

Just when everyone thought that they were sale, Dustin suddenly spoke out, “Wait a minute. Tina was the one who beat Dahlia up, so it’s only fair that she apologize too,”

The crowd immediately burst into an uproar the moment they heard that. Some of the representatives from the Hummer family started exchanging glances with frowns on their faces.

Meanwhile, it felt as if the Nicholsons had been struck by lightning, as all of them remained frozen on the spot.

Was that man batshit crazy?!

The Hummers had already announced that they planned to drop the matter entirely, so why was it that this man still insisted on courting death on their behall?

It was one thing to beat her up and cause such a huge disaster to happen in the first place, so why did he still insist on getting an apology out of Ms. Hummer when the Hummers had already decided to drop the matter?

The fucking audacity of this bastard!

“Rhys! Have you been kicked in the head by a donkey? If you don’t know what to say, then shut up!” The moment she reeled back from her shock, Florence barked at him out of fear,

“You little shit! If you want to fucking kick the bucket so much, why don’t you keep us out of this!” James cursed and felt like going up to him to throw hands.

“Some balls you got. Rhys! The Hummers let you off by the grace of their hearts, and yet you still dare to say that so shamelessly! Do you want to die so badly?”

To them, Dustin was a lunatic who spouted nonsense. Both parties had already reconciled with one another, so why bother stirring up trouble again?

What if this angered the Hummers? Then, who would be the one to take the fall?

“Is it not right to seek an apology from someone who beat you up? Am I wrong?” Dustin asked plainly.

“Shut the fuck up, Rhys! You’re a nuisance. You’re going to get us killed!” Florence jumped to her feet and cursed.

“Dustin! Please stop this, okay?” Dahlia pleaded as she broke out in a cold sweat too.

She hadn’t expected the man in front of her to spew such outrageous words from his mouth in their current predicament.

“Fine. I’ll shut up. I’ll leave the rest up to all of you,” Dustin replied. Without saying anything more, he retreated to a corner, by his own admission.

“I think his brain must have been fried, Ms. Hummer. Thus, you shouldn’t pay him any mind.” Florence immediately lunged forward to apologize, as she was afraid of offending the Hummer family.

“Yes, yes! This guy is a psychopath. He no longer has dealings with the Nicholsons.” James was also full of smiles as he feigned humility.

However, instead of feeling any sort of relief, the representatives from the Hummer family turned extraordinarily gloomy instead.

After Fletcher whispered a few words to Tina, who was nearly fully paralyzed in her wheelchair, Tina gritted her teeth and finally opened her mouth to croak something.

I’m sorry…it was all my fault,” She said, out of breath.

The whole room fell dead silent the moment she finished. Florence and the rest were even more shell–shocked, as their expressions immediately twisted into shock.

Did the spoiled young lady of the Hummers, the one who called all the shots in Swinton, actually just apologize?
 
Chapter 147

When Tina and her entourage left the scene, the Nicholsons still felt like they were in a daze.

They were still reeling at the fact that the high and mighty young lady of the Hummer family had not only pardoned their wrongdoings but was also the first to humble herself and apologize to them in person after getting her ass whooped.

It was truly unfathomable!

“What’s wrong with the Hummers today? Who knew that they could even be this humble?”

“I know, right? If I hadn’t pinched mysell, I would have thought I was dreaming!”

“Could it be that Ms. Hummer genuinely realized her mistakes, and that’s why she came over to apologize in person?”

“Nonsense! You overestimate how righteous the Hummer family can be!”

The Nicholsons erupted into a flurry of discussion, and it seemed like it wasn’t about to die down soon.

“This can’t be Dustin’s doing, right?” Julle asked herself with a suspicious look; she felt uneasy on the inside.

Ever since last night’s beating session, Dustin had displayed a kind of calm that was uncommon in most people. As if he was confident that everything was going fine as planned.

So, either he was completely aware of the situation, or he was too good at hiding his emotions.

Then again, when she thought back to the fact that he’d been married to his cousin for three years and hadn’t accomplished much over the years, she found it incredibly hard to believe that he was the guy who brought the Hummers to their knees.

Amid all the confusion, Matt Laney, who was dressed to the nines, suddenly strolled into the room.

“Huh, so everyone’s already here. Just in time, too. I have good news for you all the ban by the Hummers has officially been lifted!” Matt announced the news with a big grin.

“I understand everything now! So, everything that happened just now was because of you, right Matt?” Florence probed, as she assumed she’d succeeded in connecting all the dots. Her gaze instantly perked up too.

“That’s right! How did I forget that we still have Matt here with us!” James exclaimed after coming back to his senses.

“No wonder the Hummers apologized to us! So, after all, it was because Matt was secretly helping us behind the scenes!”

“Exactly! Who else could be this capable apart from Mr. Laney?”

At that moment, all of the Nicholsons had starstruck looks on their faces.

So the reason why the Hummer family decided to offer an apology was that Matt had pressed them to do so behind the scenes.

–

That’s right! That must be the case!

“What’s wrong? What just happened?” Matt asked around, confused.

To think that they just bombarded him with things he didn’t understand. Even if he had sharp wits, he was still unable to piece together everything that had happened yet.

“You don’t have to hide anything from us anymore, Matt. We all saw what you did. If not for you, how would Ms. Hummer even have apologized to us?” Florence said with a relieved look on her face.

“She apologized?” Matt repeated in disbelief, and his heart rate started to increase.

He knew exactly the kind of person Tina was. To think that an obnoxious woman like her had shown up at one’s door to apologize in person?

“Exactly, Matt! This time, not only did you tide the Nicholsons through our storms, you even managed to surprise our family. You are a great benefactor to our family!” James praised enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Mr. Laney! You saved our whole family!” The Nicholsons shouted as they stretched out their hands to thank him profusely.

“Um—” Matt trailed off in confusion.

Immediately after reeling from his stupor, the ever–quick–witted Matt flashed a big smile. “No need to be so polite, everyone. It was just something easy to take care of, I didn’t even do much.”

Although he had no idea what the context behind this was, he felt like he should just accept the Nicholsons” gratitude towards him.

After all, who would think of turning down another’s kindness?

“You’re too modest, Matt! If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid the Nicholsons might have ended up in shambles!” James continued boasting.

“Please, please, this is nothing.” Matt grinned and shook his head. His modest and courteous appearance was worthy of nothing but praise, after all.

“You got lucky this time, Rhys! I didn’t expect you to get away with this! What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and bow down to Matt and give him your thanks now!” Florence yelled as she shifted her sharp gaze toward Dustin.

“You want me to bow down to thank him? On what grounds?” Dustin sneered out of the corners of his eyes.

“Hmph, you’d better not be ungrateful! You were the one who beat someone up and caused such havoc in the first place, so if it weren’t for Matt, who saved your ass, do you think that you could even be standing here right now?” Florence retorted with a glare.

“That’s right! If it weren’t for Matt, you would have died a hundred Ilmes over for beating someone up by now!” James echoed in agreement.

“You guys give Matt too much credit. He’s not even remotely as capable as you think he is,” Dustin replied with a cold expression.

He was even impressed at the mental gymnastics they performed to get to this point. To think that they dared to prop him up and hail him as if he were a savior without knowing the full story yet.

And worst of all, Matt was just standing by and taking it all in.

“Hmph! Are you telling us that you’re more capable than Matt? Why don’t you look into the mirror and reflect on the kind of person you really are?”

“Yeah! People like you only know how to cause trouble and nothing else!”

“To think that there are people in this world who could be so heartless! Not only did he not thank his savior, he even talked shit about him! How disgusting!”

The Nicholsons berated Dustin. They despised people like him who were hellbent on repaying good with evil from the bottom of their hearts.

“Is it so hard for you just to thank someone, Dustin? If it weren’t for Matt, you might have been killed by now!” Dahlia suddenly piped up.

To her, Dustin was still being ignorant until the bitter end. Compared to Matt saving his life, what was a mere thank you?

“I would have if he had actually helped me. But he didn’t. In fact, not only did he not help me, he was the one who started this whole fiasco in the first place!” Dustin replied flatly.

“What do you mean?” Dahlia frowned.

“I ran a background check and found out that Matt and Tina are lovers. Tina deliberately targeted you out of jealousy, thinking that you and he had some hanky panky going on behind the scenes. So, that was what led to the assault! In a nutshell, he’s the true culprit all along!” Dustin declared firmly.

“Bullshit! Rhys! Not to insult you or anything, but Matt is an upright guy. He’s not as bad as you say he is!” Florence cursed and jumped to her feet without waiting for Matt to respond.

“That’s right! I think you’re just jealous! You probably planted all kinds of evidence to frame him, knowing how much better he is than you!” James scolded.

“Oh, Dustin. Who knew you’d be so despicable!” The Nicholsons scoffed.

“Why do you always insist on causing havoc, Dustin? Can’t you be more mature and sensible for once?” Dahlia spat with a scowl

However, it was fairly obvious to her that he had done all of that as a result of his jealous rage.

“Don’t believe me? Just ask Julie. She was the one who saw it all last night!” Dustin defended himself and pointed at something.

Everyone’s gazes immediately shifted to see what he was pointing at.
 
Chapter 148

“What, me? When all eyes fell on her, Julie couldn’t help but be stunned and speechless for a while.

She was just here for the show, so why did she get implicated in this whole mess when she was just another person in the crowd?

“Tell us everything you saw, and don’t try to hide anything, Julie. I want to see how this punk can still argue his way out of this!” Florence ordered as she crossed her arms.

“Yeah, Julie. Just tell us everything that’s or your mind. We must expose this punk for all his lies!” The Nicholsons spoke out in agreement.

“Um–But before Julie could say anything, she stopped herself.

Her response made the people in the crowd feel like she’d be a loose cannon.

This was especially true for Matt, as he stood there with his heart pounding out of his chest while his forehead broke out in a cold sweat.

He’d already been scared shitless when Dustin spoke out the truth just now, so if Julie also knew something and exposed him for being the one who lied instead, he’d lose lace!

“I believe you know what happened yesterday the best. Julie. So, it’s time to tell everyone the truth,” Dustin added flatly.

“Stop this nonsense at once. Dustin! Save some face for yourself already.” Dahlia chided with a frown.

“There’s no need to be afraid, Julie. Your aunt here will back you up no matter what you say, so just tell us what you saw!” Florence said, acting all protective all of a sudden.

“About last night Julie started and trailed off. After hesitating for a few seconds, she mustered up the courage to continue with a firm gaze. “Yesterday night, I saw nothing and know nothing about the events that went down. All I knew was that Dustin was the one who beat up Ms. Hummer!”

The moment she finished, Dustin froze on the spot. He didn’t expect Julle to completely flip the story on its head in front of so many people like that.

“Did you hear that, Rhys? So, this is the whole truth! I can’t wait to see how you’re going to argue your way out of this!” Florence shouted even louder than before.

“Not only do you not know how to be grateful, but to think that you even resorted to repaying good with evil, Dustin! You really are shameless! The Nicholsons spal and shook their heads. They stare at him with looks of contempt and disdain.

Now that the evidence was conclusive, no amount of arguing could ever get him out of this mess.

“Ugh.” Dahlia sighed as a look of disappointment appeared on her lace. She had given him so many chances to back down, and yet the man still insisted on being as stubborn as ever.

It was almost as it he wanted all of this to happen to him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever offended you, so why do you insist on slandering my name, Dustin? It’s a good thing that Julie has an upright character and helped me clear my name today. If not, I doubt if I could even recover from this!” Matt spat, feigning anger.

He’d been on tenterhooks the entire time, but he can’t help but be secretly relieved now.

“You know exactly what you did. So stop pretending in front of me already.” Dustin snapped before turning his gaze to Julie. “And as for you. I don’t understand why you’re lying right now. I’m sure you know the kind of person Matt is very well. But if you insist on standing there and watching your cousin jump into a firepit, then I’ve got nothing else to say to you.”

“Stop spouting nonsense! What did I lie anout? It was clearly you who hit Ms. Hummer!” Julie insisted obstinately.

“Rhys! Now that your plan to slander has failed, are you resorting to threatening people? Do you honestly think that we’re afraid of you?” Florence shouted in fury.

“Stop this insanity, Dustin! Stop making a fool of yourself already!” Dahlia cried. She only hoped that could see himself and the reality of the situation now. Dustin

“Since you guys don’t believe me, let’s just pretend that I said nothing today. I’ll be taking my leave now,” Dustin shook his head as he decided not to argue with them any further. He then turned around to leave.

He never asked for any reward or even gratitude, but he felt disappointed by their response today.

“Hold it right there! You’ve slandered my name on multiple occasions, and yet you still think of running away without giving me an apology first? Aren’t you being a little pretentious right now?” Matt ordered.

He had never liked Dustin, but to keep up his gentlemanly facade, he always tried to brush his ill feelings toward him aside. So, now that the opportunity to take out his anger had come, he naturally didn’t want to let it go so easily.

“You want me to apologize to you? What makes you think that you’re worthy of it?” Dustin sneered.

“You’re not allowed to leave if you don’t apologize to me today!” Matt growled as he used his body to block. the doorway, his gaze menacing.

He had practiced martial arts for a few years, so he thought it would be a breeze to put an average man like him in his place.

“Is that so? Then, I’d like to see if you can actually block my path. Dustin snorted coldly before pushing past

Matt and walking out of the door.

“Thinking of leaving? I’d like to see you try!” Matt shouted in rage as he grabbed Dustin’s shoulder with one hand and shoved him hard. He thought that he could teach him a lesson by doing that.

“You dare lay a finger on me?” Dustin said coldly as he turned around. He then proceeded to give Mall a heavy slap on his face, the sheer force of which sent Mali llying into the air.

Two teeth could even be seen flying out of his mouth.

“Y–you actually dare to hit someone at this moment, Rhys?” Florence gasped in horror. She didn’t think Dustin would be so bold as to assault someone In public.

“An animal! He’s an animal!”

“Matt saved your life with good intentions, and yet you still did this to him! You’re worse than a dog!”

Everyone started cursing at Dustin angrily. Everything would’ve been fine if he hadn’t laid a finger on Matt, but now that he had, everyone no longer held back their verbal assaults.

“Are you out of your mind. Dustin? Why are you beating people up now?” Dahlia scowled. She quickly went to help Matt up from the floor.

To think that he’d turned his embarrassment into anger and had even resorted to beating people up in public. This was unheard of!

“Can’t you see that he was the one who threw hands first? Dustin retorted with a grimace.

“He merely grazed you, so why did you have to return the favor so harshly?” Dahlia probed with an icy glare.

“So, are you telling me that it’s fine if he does it? But when I do it back, I’m committing the greatest sin in all of humanity?” Dustin snickered.

“You’re clearly just trying to force a point here! I hereby order you to apologize to Matt right now!” Dahlia glared.

“What if I don’t want to?” Dustin frownes slightly.

“Then, I’ll make you!” Dahlia shouted. With that, she slapped him in the face in a fit of rage.
 
Chapter 149

Slap!” A crisp noise sounded as Dahlia’s hand landed heavily on Dustin Rhy’s face.

Due to the excessive force she applied behind the slap, the wounds on her hand that had just healed got torn open again, causing a stream of fresh blood to flow down her fingers.

Dustin touched the side of his face that burned from the slap and merely stood right where he was with a neutral expression on his face.

He could take all the misunderstandings and contempt from other people, but he refused to accept the fact that his ex–wife had just slapped him on behalf of another man.

“Why? Why do you insist on being this way?” Dahlia said through gritted teeth as her eyes filled with tears and immense disappointment overtook her.

She couldn’t understand for the life of her why Dustin had become the person he was today. He was close- minded, full of jealousy, and a gossipmonger; he was even repaying kindness with evil now.

All kinds of bad attributes were concentrated in the body of this man. She wanted this slap to serve as a wake- up call to him!

“Hmph. Do you want to fight me, kid? Aren’t you a little too young for that?” Matt couldn’t help but sneer at him as he witnessed the two of them turn against each other.

Although he had just lost two teeth, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat triumphant on the inside when he saw Dahlia slap Dustin to stand up for him.

“That was a good slap! He deserves to be slapped!” Florence cheered as her eyes lit up.

“That’s right! If you don’t teach him a lesson, are you still considered human at that point?” James parroted out loud.

“Ha—” Dustin suddenly let out a tired sigh after a long time of silence.

After getting married for three years, the two had barely quarreled, let alone thrown hands at one another. Thus, this would be the first and last time this happened!

“That slap just now was for everything I’ve ever done to you in the past. From now on, you and I don’t owe each other anything anymore,” Dustin said quietly. Dustin took a deep breath before calmly turning around to leave.

There was no anger, no complaints–just an unexpected feeling of quiet indifference.

“Huh?” Dahlia gasped in shock as she stared at his defeated back. She’d been rendered speechless for a while.

“Knock, knock.” Just then, they all heard a knock on the door.

It turned out that Mr. Fletcher, who had taken his leave earlier, had returned.

“Huh? Where did Mr. Rhys go?” He asked as he scanned the room.

“Why are you looking for that punk, Mr. Fletcher?” Florence asked in surprise.

“Oh, Sir Hummer told me that he hopes to dispel all the bad blood the Hummer family has with Mr. Rhys, so he specially requested me to send him a gilt,” He replied.

“A gift?” Everyone looked at one another in confusion.

“You have got to be kidding us, right, Mr. Fletcher? How is that punk worthy of receiving a gift from Mr. Hummer himself?” Florence asked in disbelief.

“What do you mean “how is he worthy‘? Don’t you know that he was the reason why the Hummers decided to lift the ban against the Nicholsons? And that he was also the one behind the apology? Mr. Fletcher replied, dumbfounded by their reactions.

“What?” A collective gasp could be heard in the room the moment he finished his sentence. The crowd was dumbfounded and filled with disbelief.

They didn’t hear him wrong, right?

The person who had saved the Nicholsons and coerced the Hummers to give a public apology was Dustin? The trash that they’d scoffed at and despised? H–how was this possible!

“Y–you’ve got to be joking, right, Mr. Fletcher? Are you telling us that Dustin was the one who saved us?” Florence asked with widened eyes, she found this fact difficult to accept.

“Who else do you think it was?” Mr. Fletcher asked seriously.

“No, that’s impossible! Wasn’t Matt the one who helped us? How was it that trash Dustin instead?” James shouted in alarm and shook his head so vigorously it looked like a rattling drum.

“Matt Laney? He’s nothing more than a washed–up member of some family, so how capable can the man be? Obviously, not enough for the Hummers to lower their heads.” Mr. Fletcher scoffed before shooting Matt a look
of disdain.

Hearing that, every head in the crowd turned to look at Matt simultaneously. For a moment, Matt’s cheeks turned bright red, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.

His reaction immediately proved that what Mr. Fletcher said was true.

“How could this have happened? Could it be that I’ve misunderstood him?” Dahlia muttered to herself after a bolt of realization hit her.

With that, she instantly rushed out of the room and chased after Dustin in the direction he seemed to have left in.

When she chased him to the gate, she looked at the figure about to get into the car. She immediately ran up to him and grabbed him by the sleeve.

“Dustin! Wait. I misunderstood you just now, I was too impulsive. I had no idea that you did all of this for us. especially the part where you had to carry so much on your shoulders. But why didn’t you explain it to us? You were obviously the one who saved everyone, so why didn’t you clarily it with us?” Dahlia cried while biting her lips. Her face was twisted in pain.

“What use was there to explain everything? When have you ever belleved me?” Dustin shot back as he shook his head. There was no greater sorrow than death, and he had been completely let down by her.

“You should’ve made it clear to me at the very least. How can I believe you when you don’t tell me anything?” Dahlia complained angrily.

“I don’t care if you believe me or not anymore. We’re done here. Let go of me.” Dustin retorted as he broke away from her grasp with force. His gaze toward her made her feel like he was looking at a stranger.

“What do you want from me, Dustin? Can’t you just stop being so impulsive all the time? Can’t you just ask yourself if there’s anything wrong with you? After all, you were the one who went out and beat up people who disagreed with you. If not for luck, do you think you could’ve gotten out of there unscathed? All I’m asking is for you to be more mature and sensible. Am I wrong for wanting that from you?” Dahlia shouted as his words struck a nerve inside her, causing her emotions to go out of control.

“Yeah, you’re right. It was all my fault. I totally deserved that slap, don’t I?” Dustin said coldly.

“You-” Dahlia wanted to say more but stopped herself. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.

“You’ve always been this arrogant and self–righteous woman to me, Dahlia. You were never one to admit your mistakes first. This has proven to be true on multiple occasions, especially when you just need to put a bit more thought into something or perform a simple background check to get the desired outcome. But as usual, you prefer to do nothing and only listen to the words you like to hear. This is why even now, you still have zero faith in me.

“Haven’t you noticed? You’ve been living in your little bubble all this time, and you shut yourself off from anyone who tries to get near you. I admit, I tried my best to get to you back then, but now I’ve decided to stop trying. I’ve decided that this will be the last time I ever help you. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.” With that, Dustin got in his car and sped off.

Meanwhile, Dahlia looked as if she had been struck by lightning, and she stood quietly in place and did not say anything for a long time.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry! I had no idea that things would ever turn out like this!” She lamented to herself.

“I just wanted you to succeed too. My only wish was for you to get ahead in life. I really had no idea that you’d suffered this much. I was wrong; I was the one who was wrong all along! From the day of our divorce until now, I knew that I was the one who was in the wrong all along! I remember telling you that no one would be able to make me fall in love again, but in reality, there was already someone there all along.

“And that person was you! But knowing that in mind, do you know why I gave you up again at the last second? That’s because Dustin, can’t you see that I’m still hopelessly in love with you?” She painfully admitted.
 
Chapter 150

After staggering back to her ward, Dahlia felt as if her soul had left her body.

She had a dead expression on her face, and her eyes were dull. She didn’t realize that her bandaged hand was still dripping with blood.

She remembered Dustin’s disappointed gaze on her before he left, and it felt like a knife that kept stabbing at her heart. She knew that the two of them had grown further and further apart.

In the past, she had always been career–oriented, as she was determined to carve her own path, which is why she ignored and sacrificed many things along the way.

However, since the day of their divorce, she slowly started to realize something. It turns out that there are things in life that were more important than one’s career. However, it was a shame that she only realized this now.

“Honey, I just heard that- Florence said as she burst into the room upon seeing Dahlia enter inside moments before.

“I just heard that it was that Rhys kid who was the one who laid hands on Ms. Hummer and used her life as bait to get the Hummer family to apologize to us. He was merely using underhanded tactics the entire time!”

“That’s right! This Dustin guy, to make a name for himself, committed such heinous and shameless acts without a care for his reputation at all! James echoed.

Initially, they were shocked to find out that Dustin was the one who had helped them behind the scenes, but after digging for more details, they realized that it wasn’t that the Hummers were scared of Dustin, but that it was Dustin who used despicable means to get them to do what he wanted, which was why they came and apologized in person.

So although it seemed as though he was a force to be reckoned with, in reality, he had merely backed them into a corner!

“Mom, can you all just leave, please? I just want to be alone for now,” Dahlia responded flatly, she didn’t even flinch at the news.

“Honey, even if we’ve misunderstood Dustin, so what? The matter still stands that he’s the one who’s at fault here. He was just making up for his mistakes. We don’t owe him anything!” Florence continued.

“I’m tired, Mom. I just want to rest now. Please go outside,” Dahlia requested again.

“But honey…” Florence whined.

“Just leave me alone!” Dahlia yelled sternly.

Seeing the scowl on her face, Florence said nothing more and proceeded to usher everyone out of the room.

“Who would’ve thought that the biggest contributor to the matter would be Dustin, while the person who surprised us the most was Mr. Laney.”

"Fucking bigshots! To think we let him scare us like that. It’s already a good thing that we didn’t disturb him for anything!”

“And as for Matt. I suspect that he’s so blinded by love for Dahlia that, to win her over, he resorted to trickery and lies,” Florence explained.

“If you ask me, a man like this who risked his life for love and even put his reputation on the line is truly worth giving yourself to for life!”

“All of you should learn from him from now on!”

After their session of mental gymnastics, everyone turned from discussing how despicable Matt was to putting him on a pedestal instead.

But the thing was, many of them seemed to agree with this.

Back inside the ward, Dahlia sat frozen on the bed with an empty gaze for a long time. She had no idea how much time had passed since the first tear started dripping down her face and when her shoulders started shaking profusely.

Finally, not able to withhold her emotions anymore, she cradled her head between her knees and violently broke down in tears!

She didn’t shed a tear when the company was in danger. She shed no tears when somebody brutally humiliated her. She also didn’t cry when she was beaten up or tortured in a variety of ways.

This was the first time she had ever cried this hard and this heartbreakingly.

Over at the Hummer Villa, Tina was sitting in her wheelchair with a look of resignation and anger.

“Dad! The Hummers have never suffered such great humiliation before! You must avenge me no matter what!” She ordered with gritted teeth.

“Of course, we have to take our revenge, but you shouldn’t underestimate this punk either. Thus, we must be fully prepared if he stirs up havoc again.” Edwin said seriously. He definitely wouldn’t let anyone who dared to lay a finger on the Hummers go that easily.

“Isn’t Mr. Lawson proficient in mystic arts? Why don’t we just have him use the most powerful mystic arts on Dustin so that he gets tortured half to death?” Tina suggested, her voice full of resentment.

“It’s no use. Not only is he a powerful martial artist, but he’s also equally proficient in poison. He even managed to break the venomous mystic arts I used on the Harmons, so I’m afraid I can’t do anything toward him at the moment.” Fletcher, who was standing at a corner, answered.

“Then what should we do? If we don’t cut him into pieces, I don’t think my hatred toward him is ever going to subside!” Tina shouted with a fierce gaze.

“There’s no need to rush things. Just hold it in for a few more days. I’ve already informed your brother about this matter. After he clears customs in a few days, he’ll make his return to Swinton, and that’s when he’ll exact your revenge for you. When that time comes, I doubt if the punk can make any waves, no matter how strong he is!" Edwin said as he narrowed his eyes.

What he was most proud of in his life was not his status as the richest man in Swinton, but rather the fact that he was the father of an excellent individual named Joshua Hummer.

Joshua grew up practicing martial arts and was so talented that at the age of 15, he was able to defeat all of his challengers in the entirety of Swinton.

When he was 18, he had the honor of joining Boulderthorn and was trained under Clement Lincoln.

Now at the age of 25, he was already in the top ranks and dubbed to have a promising future. Not to mention that he was also known as one of the top ten young martial arts masters in the province..

In no time, he was even expected to surpass Tyler, who was regarded as a natural talent!

“Perfect! Then, I will let Dustin live for a few more days. Once Brother returns, I will make sure he’ll be begging for his life once I’m done with him!” Tina laughed maniacally.

To Tina, her brother was a god who had the power to do anything for her.

No matter how difficult the task was, he could get it done as if it was a walk in the park. Thus, wouldn’t it be a breeze to deal with a mere martial artist this time around?

“Sir Hummer, since Joshua is scheduled to return, then we shouldn’t fear Dustin anymore. I propose that our main target now be the Harmon family instead! The production of Eternumax is being rushed and is taking shape now, so now should be the ideal time for us to launch our attack.” Mr. Lawson suggested.

“Good idea! Schedule a press conference to announce our new pill in three days then. Since Natasha is willing to give her face away. I’ll make sure she never recovers from this! Edwin proclaimed as he balled up one of his hands into a fist. He had balled it up so hard that one could hear his fingerbones crackle.

At best, Dustin was just a stumbling block, while Natasha was a thorn in his side.

He must get rid of both of them as soon as possible!
 
Chapter 151

Back at the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin downed glass after glass of wine without stopping, trying to numb himself with alcohol.

Although he was expressionless, inwardly he couldn’t help feeling frustrated. Maybe he should finally let go of his past relationship and move on.

“Doctor! Doctor!”

Just as Dustin felt a little tipsy, a hurried knock was heard at the door. When he opened the doors, two beautiful young women were standing outside.

One of them was dressed completely in white and looked like an angel from heaven. The aura she gave off was pure and innocent.

The other woman was fully dressed in a black bodysuit that showed off her curves. She had prominent. features that made her appear tough and masculine.

However, she was bleeding profusely from the injury on her abdomen. Her face was drawn and pale from excessive blood loss.

“Excuse me, is the doctor in? My friend is severely injured and needs immediate treatment!” The woman in white said in distress.

“I am the doctor, come in.” Dustin showed them in.

“Thank you so much! Claudia, let’s go inside.” The woman replied gratefully and turned to her friend, the woman in black.

“Wait a minute! Sheila, I smell alcohol on him. He must be a drunkard, I don’t trust this guy! Claudia Doyle furrowed her brows.

“But you lost so much blood. If you don’t receive treatment as soon as possible, you might die!” Sheila Murray spoke with a worried expression.

“It’s fine, I can hang on a little longer until support arrives. Anyway, I’m not going to entrust my life into a drunkard’s hands!” Claudia gritted her teeth in determination.

Her injury wasn’t superficial. Even skilled doctors would have difficulty treating her injury, let alone a doctor who seemed to be drunk

“Sorry to interrupt, but will the support you mentioned arrive within 30 minutes?” Dustin asked indifferently.

“It’s none of your business!” Claudia retorted.

“Alright then, just letting you know. According to experience, with the amount of blood you lost, you will be dead in 30 minutes.” Dustin gave Claudia a quick glance and came to a diagnosis.

“Nonsense! Do you think I will be convinced by your threats? I am well–acquainted with fraudsters like you!” Claudia hissed.

“It’s up to you to believe it or not. However, If you are going to die, don’t die at my doorstep. I don’t want to have to clean up your mess.” Dustin waved them away.

“You-!” Claudia’s body jerked suddenly as she spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Suit yourself.” Dustin decided to close the door on them.

“Wait! Please wait! Sir, I apologize on behalf of Claudia for being disrespectful. Please don’t hold it against her. However, you seem like a good person. I beg you, please save Claudia! We will definitely repay your kindness!” Sheila stopped Dustin from closing the door.

“Sheila, why are you begging him? Even if I die, I will not let him treat me!” Claudia said stubbornly.

“Lady, it’s not that I’m not willing to save her. She’s the one who refused to be treated by me. If she does survive this injury, you really need to get her brain checked. Maybe that’s why she’s being so retarded.” Dustin shook his head.

“You bastard!” Claudia clenched her jaw in anger. She tried to stand up to give Dustin a piece of her mind when she suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground in a heap.

She might have fainted from Dustin’s provocation instead of from her injuries.

“Claudia!” Sheila anxiously tried to pull Claudia up from the ground, but she did not have the strength.

She turned to Dustin and pleaded, “Please help Claudia, I’m begging you! I have the money to repay you. As long as you are willing to save her, I’ll give you anything you ask for!”

Tears ran down her cheeks. Sheila was a pitiable sight.

Dustin was weak to a woman’s tears. He sighed and nodded. “Alright, on account of your sincerity, I’ll save her this time around.”

He grabbed Claudia’s collar, lifted her like a sack of potatoes, and carelessly chucked her onto the bed. Sheila suspected that Dustin was paying Claudia back for her insolence earlier.

“Miss. take off her clothes. I will stop the bleeding.” Dustin instructed her. Sheila nodded eagerly. “Okay!”

In a few minutes, she had undressed Claudia, exposing her body completely. Dustin turned back and had the shock of his life.

“Miss, I didn’t mean for you to strip her naked. At least keep her underwear and bra on!”

“Huh?” Sheila blushed beet red and quickly put Claudia’s underwear back on.

She was too anxious just now and misunderstood Dustin’s Instructions. Thank goodness Claudia was unconscious. It would have been extremely awkward if she weren’t.

Dustin breathed a sigh of relief. Although he briefly caught sight of Claudia’s figure, It was obvious that the woman lying on the bed had a curvaceous body.

The superficial wound on Claudia’s abdomen wasn’t too serious. Dustin sewed her up and dressed the wound to prevent more blood loss.

For her internal injuries, medication would be needed.

“Alright, she is out of danger now. I’ll give her a prescription, and she’ll be fine after a few days,” Dustin said as he quickly wrote out a prescription for Claudia.

“Thank you so much!” Sheila replied gratefully.

As Dustin handed the prescription to Sheila, he accidentally touched her hand.

He raised his eyebrows. “Miss, your condition seems to be worse than your friend’s!”

"I’m fine, it’s just a chronic illness.” Sheila smiled wryly.

Since she was young, she had always suffered from the cold. For her illness, she was accustomed to taking multiple medications a day.

“You–” Dustin was going to probe further before Sheila got distracted by Claudia, who was regaining consciousness.

“Claudia, are you awake? How are you feeling?” Sheila asked, delighted at her unexpected recovery.

“Sheila? Where am I?” Claudia looked around suspiciously.

“This man saved you, he is a skilled doctor. With just a few stitches, your wounds had stopped bleeding!” Sheila gushed.

“No one asked for his help!” Taking a look at her bandages, Claudia muttered under her breath.

“Claudia! He saved you out of kindness, how could you be so rude?” Sheila said, annoyed.

“Sheila, you’re too naive. There is no knowing what is in a man’s heart. Many things are not what they seem. Who knows, maybe he saved me with an ulterior motive!” Claudia said cynically.

“You’re mistaken. I believe he is a good person!” Sheila was obstinate.

“Miss, your words are like music to my ears. Unlike some, who have no sense of gratitude.” Dustin said sarcastically.

Claudia opened her mouth to retort before she was interrupted by the ruckus outside. Loud stomping and gruff voices could be heard on the other side of the door.

“Boss, their tracks end right here. They must be hiding inside!”

“I’ll teach them to run from me! Boys! Surround the medical center. Make sure that even a bug can’t escape!”

The doors of the center were violently busted open.
 
Chapter 152

A resounding crash was heard as the doors to the center were busted open.

Without hesitation, seven masked assassins swarmed Into the center.

“Shit! They caught up to us!” Claudia cursed.

They were ambushed by these assassins, who wiped out their team of bodyguards.

Only Claudia and Sheila managed to break through the siege and escape. Claudia thought that they had shaken off the pursuit. Unfortunately, the assassins were relentless.

“Sheila, I’ll hold them back. You have to escape through the back door!” Claudia whispered.

“If I escape, you will definitely be killed, I am their target, so they will not hurt me. I’ll let them take me as a hostage.” Sheila’s face was pale.

“Sheila! As your personal bodyguard, my duty is to ensure your safety. Listen to me!” Claudia stood in front of Sheila resolutely, protecting her.

“There’s no need to argue. We will be taking the both of you!” A bald man laughed evilly as he walked in.

Unlike the other assassins, this man wasn’t masked and emitted a murderous aura.

“Thor Garcia?” Claudia’s eyes narrowed.

Thor Garcia was one of the Four Scoundrels, infamous for conducting illegal raids and providing hitmen services in exchange for money. They were excellent martial artists and money–grubbing lunatics. Their names struck fear into everyone who heard of their reputation.

“Oh, my! What an honor for Ms. Doyle to recognize me!” The bald man said with a mocking smile.

“Thor Garcia! Regardless of how much you were compensated for this assignment, I will double it if you let us go!” Claudia offered.

“Ms. Doyle, I may love money, but I’m more interested in your value. As long as I capture both of you, money will naturally roll in!” Thor laughed,

“There will be terrible consequences if you harm us in any way!” Claudia warned him again.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to harm both of you. I just need your identities for a deal. It would be better for you not to retaliate. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee your safety. Get them!”

Thor smirked and gestured to his men. The assassins behind him leaped forward to capture them.

“Sheila, run!” Claudia shouted as she rushed forward, ignoring her weakened condition.

Her movements were quick as lightning, and her attacks were ruthless. Even though she was severely injured. she single–handedly fought against the group of assassins. It was obvious that her skills were top–notch as she put up a good fight.

“Having such formidable internal energy at such a young age, It is no wonder that you are from a martial arts family. I’m envious of your natural talents. However, it’s a shame that you’re still lacking in terms of experience.” Thor narrowed his eyes.

When Claudia was distracted by the assassins, Thor saw an opening and sneakily attacked her from behind.

Blood spurted out from her mouth as she was thrown backward and crashed against a table.

"Claudia!” Sheila cried.

“That’s a despicable move!” Claudia gritted her teeth and glared at Thor.

“Despicable or not, it doesn’t matter when I am the last person standing.” Thor scoffed, without an ounce of shame.

“Wait a minute! I’m your real target, aren’t I? I’ll go with you! However, you must let Claudia and that man go!” Sheila spread her arms wide with her back towards Claudia.

“Ms. Murray, you are in no position to negotiate with us.” Thor laughed.

“If you refuse, I’ll kill myself! Then, you will have nothing to show for your efforts!” Suddenly, Sheila pressed a knife to her neck. The determination in her eyes was blazing as she glared at Thor.

“Stop, Ms. Murray! Don’t be so reckless!” Thor was caught by surprise. This young lady was precious cargo. If any harm came to her, he would be in huge trouble!

“I’ll repeat myself. Will you agree to let them go?” Sheila increased the pressure on the knife, and a trickle of blood flowed down her neck.

“Alright, alright! I’ll do what you say! As long as you leave quietly with us. I’ll let them go!” Thor nodded hastily.

“Sheila, stop it! What are you doing?” Claudia screamed. She scrambled to stand up but failed due to her severe injuries.

“Claudia, this is the best solution right now. You need to stay alive. Besides, they won’t hurt me.” Sheila squeezed out a forced smile. She knew what they were here for. At the very least, she wouldn’t be in immediate danger.

“Ms. Murray, time is running out. Let’s get moving!” Thor showed her to the doors.

Holding the knife to her neck, Sheila walked in silence. The assassins were lined up in two rows as they eyed her fiercely.

“Stop right there! Are you going to leave just like that?” Dustin, who had remained silent all this while, spoke up.

“What? Are you trying to be a hero?” Thor turned to him and growled. Anyone who tried to stop him would be beaten into a pulp until he begged for mercy!

“You kicked my doors down, destroyed my fumiture, and now you are leaving without any compensation? How shameless could you be?” Dustin said nonchalantly.

Everyone was dumbstruck at his request. No one expected Dustin to ask for compensation at this juncture.

“Punk! Are you fucking kidding me? How dare you ask for compensation? Don’t you know who I am?” Thor cackled.

“I don’t care who you are. Even if the emperor himself turns up, no one is allowed to leave without paying!” Dustin demanded.

Thor and his men roared with laughter at Dustin, thinking that he had lost his mind.

“Stop talking any further! You are no match for these men!” Sheila motioned to Dustin.

“Do you have a death wish? These men will murder you without a second thought. How dare you ask them for money?” Claudia frowned.

Did this man have a screw loose? Wasn’t he aware of how dangerous a situation he was in?

“Murder? Shouldn’t they pay up for causing damage to the property regardless?” Dustin reasoned.

“You-!” Claudia choked on her saliva. What nonsense was this man spouting? She just told him that Thor was a heartless murderer.

How could this man be so persistent about getting compensated?

Was it worth it to lose his life over mere pennies?
 
Chapter 153

After catching his breath, Thor wheezed. “Punk, you have some guts! It’s been a long time since I last saw a reckless fellow like you!”

“Shut up and pay up already!” Dustin demanded impatiently.

His mood was already ruined. These men needed to be taught a lesson for creating a mess on his property.

“You really have a death wish! Boys, break his limbs! Let’s see whether he dares to talk back after this!” Thor smirked and gestured to his men.

“Yes, boss!” Without a second thought, the assassins swung their weapons at Dustin, with the intent to harm him.

“Hey! You said you would let him go!” Sheila shrieked.

“Ms. Murray, I did agree to not kill him. However, he seems to be dissatisfied with us. It would be rude to not teach him a lesson!” Thor had a cunning smile on his face.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the cries of pain from the assassins.

Before the assassins could rush up to Dustin, they fell over one by one, as if they had been struck by lightning. All of the assassins were paralyzed and unable to move.

After careful inspection, Thor realized that there were silver needles pierced into their necks!

“How could this be?” Thor’s lips trembled as a chill ran down his spine.

He knew what these silver needles were used for. They could be used for acupuncture or as a hidden weapon.

However, he had never seen a technique where multiple hidden needles could be simultaneously shot at the same time.

“How could this guy execute stealth attacks with hidden needles?” Claudia was secretly shocked as well.

Needles were one of the hardest weapons to master, compared to other hidden weapons. Not only did it require deadly accuracy, but perfecting its technique required persistent and grueling training.

“Punk! Who the hell are you? How dare you poke your nose into my business?” Thor narrowed his eyes as he drew his sword.

“Give me my compensation,” Dustin insisted stubbornly.

“Bastard!” Thor was furious.

Without warning, he threw a fistful of dust into Dustin’s eyes. After that, he pulled out his sword and rushed toward Dustin, using the dust as a smokescreen.

Thor had used this tactic many times. When his opponent was taken by surprise, he would stab them with his sword. Stronger men than himself had fallen for this sneak attack.

However, Dustin did not dodge. With a wave of his hand, the dust cleared Immediately.

Dustin flicked two needles from his fingers, which flew swiftly and pierced into Thor’s knees, causing him to scream in pain.

Thor’s legs crumpled from under him, and he crashed to his knees. His heavy sword fell to the ground with a clang.

“H–How could this be?” Thor widened his eyes in horror.

How could Dustin’s aim be so accurate when the dust was obstructing his vision? What’s more, his legs became as heavy as lead after Dustin attacked him with needles.

“The only skills you have are the tricks up your sleeve. Your fighting abilities, on the other hand, aren’t that impressive.” Dustin remarked condescendingly.

An oppressive aura pressed on Thor’s body as he gasped for air, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

“Don’t be reckless! I have nothing against you, there’s no need for you to kill me!” Thor pleaded for his life.

He thought that he had a perfect plan in place. Who would have expected a troublemaker to turn up and make everything go awry?

“I didn’t have anything against you before this, but now I have,” Dustin said as he inserted another needle into

Thor’s neck. With a jerk, Thor’s limbs were paralyzed.

Inside Thor’s sleeve, there was a poisonous arrow that shone with an eerie light. Thor had planned to attack Dustin with that arrow!

“Miss, you can deal with these men. Do whatever you want with them!” Dustin patted the dust from his clothes and sat down on a chair nearby. This young lady had a good heart, so he didn’t mind extending a helping hand.

“Wow, you’re an amazing fighter!” Sheila exclaimed with delight. She had almost lost hope.

Who knew that the doctor of this medical center was also a master of hidden weapons? He single–handedly finished off all the assassins!

“What’s so great about using hidden weapons? There’s no honor in stealth attacks!” Claudia scoffed.

Being born into a family of martial artists, she had no respect for people who engaged in sneak attacks and underhanded methods.

To be fair, she was a victim of Thor’s sneak attack which caused her to be severely injured. As Claudia thought of this, anger burned within her.

Claudia picked up the sword from the ground and held it to Thor’s neck. “Speak! Who sent you?”

“I don’t know. Being a hitman, I am employed to kill, steal, and destroy. As long as they pay up, we don’t care for whom we work,” Thor replied with difficulty.

“How dare you lie to me!” Claudia sliced the tendons on his arms and legs.

Thor screamed in agony, large beads of sweat rolling down his face. “I…I really don’t know. In terms of

business deals, I receive instructions from a superior. I’m just following orders!”

“You are making things difficult for me. I have little patience. If you make me wait any longer, say goodbye to your jewels.” Claudia placed the sword at Thor’s crotch.

“Please don’t! I’ll tell you everything!” Thor screamed as he grimaced in pain.

“The person who employed us to kidnap Ms. Murray is…” Before Thor could finish the sentence, he suddenly convulsed on the spot, spitting out blood that was black in color.

After a few seconds, he was as dead as a doornail.

“Is he dead?” Claudia was taken aback by the strange occurrence.

Wasn’t he fine just a minute ago? How could he die so suddenly?

While she mused over his death, Thor’s abdomen visibly swelled up.

Something seemed to be crawling under the surface of his skin.

A spider emerged from his belly button, followed by a whole swarm of spiders, crawling all over Thor’s lifeless body.

It was a revolting sight to see.

“What are all these spiders doing inside his body?” Sheila staggered backward in shock.

At that moment, Dustin smirked. “Interesting. Having the ability to activate venomous curses from afar, the person who employed Thor to kidnap you must be very powerful!”
 
Chapter 154

“Venomous curses? How could you be certain? Are you familiar with curses?” Claudia asked, puzzled.

“I know a little.” Dustin nodded.

“Only shady, wicked characters would learn the art of venomous curses. As expected, you are not a good person! Speak up, who are you?” Claudia lifted the sword and pointed it at Dustin.

“Claudia! What are you doing? He is our savior!” Sheila quickly stood in front of Dustin to protect him.

“Sheila, get out of the way. This man is being suspicious. I must investigate him thoroughly.” Claudia’s eyes glittered.

“Before you investigate me, I recommend that you get your head checked.” Dustin rubbed his temples.

“Don’t you know that curses can be used to heal? Of course, many nefarious villains use curses for their own benefit. However, not everyone is as bad as you imagine. It depends on the user’s character. Besides, the martial arts families aren’t as innocent as you make them out to be. Crimes such as pillaging, corruption, and rape are rampant within the martial arts circle as well!”

“Don’t spout nonsense! In my opinion, you are just quibbling!” Claudia denied.

“Quibbling? Look at what you are doing now. Do martial artists like you treat their saviors in such a disrespectful manner? Are you going to bite the hand that fed you?” Dustin chuckled.

“You…” Claudia was at a loss for words.

“Claudia, stop accusing him! If he is really a bad person, why would he save us?” Sheila frowned.

“Who knows, maybe he has an ulterior motive!” Claudia insisted.

However, her tone was much softer now that she had calmed down. She knew for a fact that logic wasn’t on her side.

Suddenly, a loud car horn was heard outside the medical center. More than 10 Hummer vehicles stopped outside the doors of the medical center.

As the car doors opened, a swarm of bodyguards appeared and surrounded the center immediately.

“Finally, the support team is here!” Sheila laughed with delight.

“Sheila! Claudia! Are you alright?” A handsome young man stepped into the room.

He was tall and well–built, with a sharp gaze. His noble aura was not that of an ordinary person.

“We are fine, thanks to this man who saved us,” Shella replied cheerfully.

“Oh, really? Sheila, you can only know a man’s face but not his heart. You should stay away from any. strangers when you are out and about.” Xavier Horst sized Dustin up, his gaze was Judgmental.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Sheila frowned.

“Nothing, I’m just giving you some advice,” Xavier said with a smile.

He motioned to his men to clean up the scene.

“Sheila, let’s not waste any time. We should head back home immediately. Aunt Lily is waiting for us,” Claudia urged.

Although the support team had arrived, this place wasn’t completely safe.

“Thank you so much for your help, I’ll be sure to repay your kindness. Goodbye for now,” Sheila thanked Dustin warmly and turned to leave.

“Miss, your chronic illness has been suppressed for a long time, it might get out of control soon. You should get it treated early to prevent any life–threatening complications.” Dustin blurted out.

When he touched her skin, he noticed that her body temperature was lower than normal. Upon closer inspection, he could roughly infer that the illness troubling her wasn’t a common ailment.

“Hmph! Nonsense!” Claudia curled her lip in disbelief.

“Thank you, I will be more careful!” Sheila smiled brightly and waved goodbye.

Xavier felt a little jealous when he noticed Sheila being so friendly to Dustin.

After Sheila got into the car, he glared at Dustin. “A word of advice for you, punk. Stay away from Sheila if you know what’s good for you! Otherwise, be prepared for the consequences!”

With that, he strode out of the center. In his opinion, beggars like Dustin did not even have the right to converse with him.

“What a lunatic.” Dustin shook his head and continued drowning himself in alcohol.

Evening, at Fallridge Haven.

Sheila was eating her dinner while telling her parents everything that had happened.

“Dad, Mom, I’m telling you, that man was so amazing. Just two flicks of his wrist, and all the bad guys

were killed!” Sheila described the situation eagerly.
8z
She even acted out a scene for her parents.

“Really? I never thought that a small place like Swinton would have such a talented young man. I would

like to meet him one day.” Her mother, Lily Doyle, smiled affectionately at her daughter.

Her father, Caden Murray, banged on the table. “Hmph! How dare you disobey me! Haven’t I warned you? Do not go out and explore without permission! You were lucky that nothing terrible had happened.

If you weren’t, you could have died today!”

“Dad, it’s just an accident. Those bad people were too sneaky. They poisoned and attacked us when we weren’t prepared, and that’s why Claudia fell into their trap. Otherwise, no one could have hurt me!” Sheila pouted.

“In the martial arts world, winning is everything. No one cares about honor in combat! Anyway, you are not allowed to leave Fallridge Haven without permission!” Caden continued in annoyance.

“Alright, alright. I won’t go out anymore. Please don’t be angry at me!” Sheila pouted coquettishly.

“That’s more like it. I had enough of you today, now go and lie down on your emerald bed. You need more rest!” Caden ordered.

“Okay.” Without another word, Sheila quickly left and ran to her room.

‘Because of her illness, she and her parents would travel to Fallridge Haven every year to regain her health. Once her condition improved, they would only leave.

“Lily, when will the Gozoraberry arrive from Stoneray Valley?” Caden spoke up.

“I think it will arrive soon. Why do you ask? Is it urgent?” Lily replied.

“Sheila’s illness has been acting up more frequently. The sunburst emerald bed at Fallridge Haven seems to be not having as much of an effect these days. We have to think of other solutions,” Caden said gravely.

“How could this be? Isn’t she getting better?” Lily frowned.

“Don’t worry too much about it. I have asked Malcolm Shane, the miracle doctor, to have a look at

Sheila’s condition. Once he arrives, he will definitely have some idea on how to treat her illness.” Caden forced a smile.

“Let’s hope so.” Lily nodded thoughtfully.

Her daughter’s rare disease had been troubling her all her life and seemed to be incurable. She hoped that this tíme, her daughter could be fully healed.
 
Chapter 155

The next morning, Dustin was awakened by someone knocking on his door. He opened the door to see Hunter at his door.

“Mr. Anderson, what brings you here so early in the morning?” Dustin yawned.

“Good news, Mr. Rhys!” Hunter exclaimed with excitement. “The rare herb that you’re looking for, the Gozoraberry, I know where we can find it!”

“Gozoraberry? Are you sure?” Dustin’s interest was piqued.

The Gozoraberry was rare and hard to come by. As with all other rare herbs, it was invaluable. If he could get his hands on the Gozoraberry, then he would only need three more precious herbs to make the Longevitum!

“Of course, I’m sure! The Gozoraberry used to be a treasure from Stoneray Valley, but recently, someone bought it at an exorbitant price. And that person happens to be staying at Fallridge Haven!” Hunter nodded.

“Oh? Who is it?” Dustin raised a brow.

“It’s Caden Murray!” Hunter said.

“Caden Murray? What does he need the Gozoraberry for?” Dustin’s eyes narrowed. He had never met Caden, but he used to have some connections with the Murrays.

“I heard that his daughter has some sort of disease, and he needs the Gozoraberry to cure her of that.”

“His daughter… Is it Sheila Murray?”

“Oh, you know Miss Murray?” Hunter was a little surprised.

“I guess so. I just met her yesterday.” Dustin nodded.

“Mr. Rhys, how do you think we should go about this?” Hunter inquired.

“I absolutely need to get my hands on the Gozoraberry. I guess we have no choice but to make a trip to Fallridge Haven today!” Without any time to waste, Dustin got himself ready and got into Hunter’s car.

The Gozoraberry was very important to him, and those precious herbs were usually hard to come by. If this berry passed him by, he knew he would never come across another.

Hence, he had to act on it right then and there.

30 minutes later, Dustin found himself in a lounge in Fallridge Haven.

Caden Murray was seated in the middle of the lounge, and he looked down his nose at Dustin and Hunter. As he had long been in a position of power, he carried an intangible air of authority about him. Even a person like Hunter, who had been through a lot, could not help feeling a sense of inferiority.

The Murrays were a family with a military background. Caden’s father, Christopher Murray, was a general who had fought in numerous battles and had a myriad of meritorious achievements.

As his first–born son, Caden was also a high–ranking military officer who was of great influence in the army.

“Mr. Anderson, what is the purpose of your visit today?” Caden asked.

“Mr. Caden, to be honest, we are here for the Gozoraberry.” Hunter did not beat around the bush.

“The Gozoraberry? Mr. Anderson, seems like you are very well–informed on the matter. But I have a use for the Gozoraberry, so I’m afraid I can’t help you.” Caden lifted his gaze.

“If you are planning to use the Gozoraberry to cure your daughter of the disease, I think that it would not be necessary, as the Gozoraberry is merely a temporary remedy that will not completely cure her of it. It would not be of much help,” Dustin stated bluntly.

“What? And who might you be? It’s not your turn to speak here.” Caden glowered at him.

“Mr. Murray, this is Dustin Rhys, he’s a friend of mine. He saved your daughter yesterday,” Hunter hurriedly explained.

“Oh, so you were the one who helped Sheila yesterday?” Caden’s expression eased up.

“Name it, what are you asking for as compensation? Money? Or goods?” In his eyes, Dustin was clearly here to ask for something in return.

Of course, the Murrays‘ had money to spare, so he wasn’t very bothered by it.

“I want the Gozoraberry.” Dustin cut straight to the chase.

Caden made a face when he heard that. “Young man, if it were riches or jewelry that you were asking for, I
would agree to it in a heartbeat, but the Gozoraberry is the one thing that I cannot give you. I need it to cure my daughter of a disease!”

“I just told you that the Gozoraberry would not be able to cure Sheila of her disease. However, I am able to do just that,” Dustin promised.

“You can cure her? And why should I trust you?” Dustin was starting to get on Caden’s nerves.

This rascal did not know his place. Did he think he could do as he pleased, just because he had saved his daughter once?

“Has your daughter been suffering from chills ever since she was young, and does she get a terrible bout of viral infection every month or so?”

“So what if she does?” Caden raised his brows.

“That’s because Sheila has Polarfrost. Over the years, a venom called Havaska has formed within her body, and the venom can only be temporarily suppressed by medication. However, that will not eradicate the disease from within her. To do so, we will need to take a different approach by improving her circulation and thus raising her metabolism,” Dustin expounded.

“Hah! Utter rubbish! Polarfrost? That sounds downright ridiculous, and I’ve never even heard of it before!” Caden roared, upset.

“It doesn’t matter that you’ve never heard of It before. Just let me meet Shella and I can prove my point,” Dustin requested.

“That would not be necessary. I can handle my daughter’s situation myself. I do not need any help. Please, show yourself out!” Caden ordered.

Wasn’t it just plain absurd for a random fellow to just show up out of nowhere and claim that he was able to cure his daughter of a disease that had plagued her for over 20 years?

And what’s more, it was a disease that even the top medical experts in the nation were helpless against. What made this young man think that he would be able to eradicate it?

“Mr. Murray, it would not do Sheila any good to wait any longer. I hope you will consider my proposition,” Dustin reminded him.

“Get out!” Caden slammed his fist on the table, enraged.

“Since you do not trust me, Mr. Murray, then I’ll be taking my leave. Right, I have a pill with me here. You can give this to Sheila when the virus attacks again. It will keep her safe for the time being.” And with that, Dustin
took out a red pill and placed it on the table before he turned to leave.

He knew that no matter what he said, he would not be able to change Caden’s mind, because it was impossible for a person of his status to easily trust someone whom he knew nothing about.

“Mr. Murray, Mr. Rhys here is not an ordinary person. I wish you all the best.” With a slight nod of his head, Hunter turned to leave too.

“Hmph! They have no idea what they’re rambling on about!” Caden’s expression was one of disdain.

How dare an insolent young man run his mouth in front of him? How pompous!

“Caden, who were those two gentlemen?” Lily Doyle walked out from behind.

“Nobody. Just two annoying rascals who are not worth our time,” Caden answered offhandedly.

“Can this pill really cure Sheila of the disease?” Lily picked up the red pill from the table and studied it meticulously. She heard what Dustin had said before he left and couldn’t help feeling curious.

“Hah! That’s rubbish. Just throw it away.” Caden dismissed it with a wave of his hand. He refused to believe that a single pill would be able to save anyone.

Just as they were conversing, a member of the house staff came running in and exclaimed in a fluster, “Sir,

Ma’am, come quick! It’s Miss Sheila! She just passed out!”
 
Chapter 156

“What? How did this happen?” Caden’s expression clouded over as he leaped up instantly.

“I–I don’t know! I found her out cold when I went to wake her up this morning.” The maid was in an anxious mess.

Before she could finish her sentence, Caden and Lily had already bolted out the door and rushed to their daughter’s room. However, the sight that greeted them when they entered frightened them.

Sheila laid unmoving on the Sunburst emerald bed, which originally radiated heat off its surface, but was then covered in a thin sheet of ice.

Her face was completely devoid of any color whatsoever, her limbs were cold and rigid, and there was frost building up on her brows and hair. There were even wisps of white mist coming off her body.

At first glance, she looked like she had just been brought out of an ice cave of some sort.

“Sheila!” Lily panicked and threw herself on her daughter, rubbing her arms and breathing warm air on her in an attempt to warm her up.

“This is bad!” Caden’s expression was as dark as night as he went up to Sheila and felt for her pulse, only to find it barely there. Even her breath was faint. She looked like she would not last another day.

Caden did not have the luxury of time to consider this any further. He immediately channeled his internal energy over to Sheila.

Soon, the frost around her started to melt. But Sheila’s body remained cold and rigid, and she still wasn’t coming around.

“Lily, quick! Call Dr. Shane! Get him here pronto!” Caden hurriedly instructed.

Though his internal energy was sufficient to keep his daughter’s pulse going, it was not going to hold up for much longer.

“Okay!” Without a moment to waste, Lily called a number straight away.

However, her face fell after a short conversation. “Dr. Shane is on his way here, but he reckons that he can only reach here by nightfall.”

“By nightfall? That’d be too late!”

Caden frowned. “Inform Claudia about this. Get her to find all the doctors available in Swinton. I want all of them here!”

“Alright!” Lily went out to make another call.

Before the hour was up, Claudia, though distressed, had arrived with a group of doctors in tow.

Some of them were heads of departments, some were professors, and some were experts in their fields. But every doctor in the whole of Swinton, who was even the least bit well–known, was present.

“Whoever saves my daughter will receive a handsome reward from us, the Murrays!” Caden cut right to the chase and promised them what seemed like a great temptation.

“Be at ease, Mr. Murray, we will do our best!” The doctors were all motivated by the promise.

When they heard that it was the Murrays they were helping out, they figured that the opportunity for their big break had come. Everyone knew the Murrays‘ status.

If they could cure Shelia of whatever disease she had, they would not only make a name for themselves, but they would also make acquaintances with the Murrays.

By then, not only would they have gained fame and earned favor from the Murrays, but they would even walk away with a huge sum of money. Of course, they were going to go for it!

However, when they eagerly went in to check on Sheila’s condition, one by one their brows furrowed and a troubled look took over their faces.

They realized that whatever Sheila was suffering from was indeed strange. She was icy cold all over, with cold air coming off her. It was beyond anything they’d ever seen or heard.

For a brief moment, nobody dared to take any action.

“Doctors, there are so many of you here, please don’t tell me that there’s nothing any of you can do?” Caden grimaced at them.

“Well…” They all looked around sheepishly and kept quiet.

“A bunch of rubbish!” Caden’s expression darkened. Though he had not held much hope that they would be able to cure his daughter, the outcome was still infuriating.

“Uncle Caden! Sheila’s in really bad shape!” Claudia exclaimed.

They looked over to find that Sheila, who was still lying on the emerald bed, was getting colder with each passing moment. Her breath was also extremely feeble.

“Oh no! Her condition has taken a turn for the worst!” Caden’s brows were tightly knit.

The channeling of his internal energy to Sheila could only help for so long. It would not be able to cure her.

“What do we do? Sheila is going to be alright, won’t she?” Claudia panicked.

They had grown up together, and their relationship was like that of sisters. Naturally, she did not wish for anything bad to befall her.

“Caden, why don’t we give this a try?” Lily took out a red pill.

It was the pill that Dustin gave them. She had not been able to bring herself to just throw it out, so she kept it in her pocket the whole time.

“Are you kidding me? How can this help Sheila?” Caden made a face.

“Just give it a try. We do not have any better options, do we? Who knows, it might just work!” Lily’s expression was solemn.

If she had a choice, she would not put her daughter’s life at risk too. But the situation was dire, and the doctors were helpless. Dr. Shane was still on his way, and they had no other options. She had to resort to every possible way to save her daughter.

“What if it’s poisonous?” Caden hesitated.

“Since he dares to come up to us, he must have a certain level of confidence in what he’s doing. And I think that it is not likely he’d spike the pill with any sort of poison, after all, I do not believe that anyone would do something as imprudent as going against the entire Murray household,” Lily expounded. Caden fell silent.

He took a glance at his daughter, who was icy cold all over, and he clenched his jaws. Then, with a decisive nod, he said, “Alright then! Let’s give it a try.”

Lily drew a deep breath before she took the pill and fed it to Sheila.

The pill was quick to dissolve, and it slid down Sheila’s throat. As soon as it reached her stomach, the pill began to work its wonders.

The effect was almost immediate as the cold air around Sheila began to dissipate, and a moment later, wisps of warm breath began to escape her.

At the same time, the frost that had formed on her brows and hair melted away rapidly.

Her body, which had been rigid with coldness, began to warm up and eased up, and a healthy hue of redness crept up her countenance. Even her breath grew steady.

“It works!” Lily’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Though they did not know what the pill was made of, its effects were apparent. It did indeed rid their daughter of the coldness within her.

“Could it be possible that the rascal was telling the truth?” Caden’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He had thought that Dustin was just a scammer who was out to cheat him of his money and demand an unreasonable sum.

It had never occurred to him that the pill, which he had considered trash and almost thrown away, would save his daughter in their time of need!

“Uncle Caden, Aunt Lily, where did this pill come from? It’s miraculous!” Claudia was amazed.

“Claudia, do you remember the rascal who saved the both of you yesterday?” Caden asked.

“Of course I do! Who knows where he came from. He might be dangerous!”

“He was the one who gave us the pill.”

“What?” Claudia’s eyes widened in shock
 
Chapter 157

After getting to know the whole situation, Claudia was not the only one who was surprised. Even Lily was astounded too.

Had she known Dustin’s identity, she would not have let Caden drive him away so easily. After all, he had helped her daughter!

“It’s fortunate that nothing serious happened. Had we thrown the pill away, Sheila would have been in grave danger!” Lily shuddered to think of what could have happened.

She considered herself lucky that she still had the pill with her, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“Sheila is safe for the time being, but the coldness within her has yet to be completely eliminated.”

After checking on Sheila, Caden ordered, “Claudia, go to the medical center and get Dustin here.”

“But Uncle Caden, you don’t really believe that the fellow can cure Sheila, do you?” Claudia’s expression was one of disbelief. She had a preconceived notion that Dustin wasn’t a trustworthy person.

“I’d just like to see what treatment plans he has to propose,” Caden clarified. Of course, he did not think that a youngster in his twenties would have any mind–blowing medical skills.

But the fact was that the pill he gave them proved to have phenomenal effects, so he was curious as to where he got the pill from.

“Claudia, listen to your Uncle Caden. Sheila’s condition is of utmost importance. We should get him here to see what information he is able to provide us,” Lily urged.

“Alright.” Claudia nodded reluctantly.

Over at Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin made himself a pot of tea when he got back. He poured a cup for himself, and another for Hunter.

Hunter took his tea respectfully.

Dustin and Hunter had known each other for years, but they had never had tea together before.

“Mr. Rhys, didn’t you say that you need the Gozoraberry? Have you given up on it already?” Hunter asked curiously when he saw how laid back Dustin was.

“Of course not! I’m just waiting for the right opportunity.” Dustin sipped on his tea.

“The right opportunity?” Hunter found it difficult to understand what Dustin was implying.

“According to what I observed yesterday. Sheila will be experiencing another bout of attacks soon. And this time, it will be much worse than it had been before. No one in Swinton will be able to help her.” he said calmly.

“So that’s why you left them with the pill? So that they will come to you of their own accord?” Hunter quickly understood.

“That’s right. Actions speak louder than words. It’s much more practical to prove myself with actions than to try and convince them with words.” Dustin nodded.

“And what if, by any chance, Caden did not take you seriously and threw the pill away?” Hunter mused aloud.

“Then he would be sending his daughter to her grave with his own bare hands.” Dustin shook his head.

If he really acted so rashly, then he would have no one else but himself to blame.

Just as they were conversing, a black Hummer pulled up at the entrance. Claudia strode in with her head held high.

“Come with me, Dustin!” She commanded.

“Follow you? Where to?” Dustin continued to sip on his tea leisurely.

“Don’t play the fool with me! Of course, we’re going to Fallridge Haven!” Claudia frowned.

“Whatever for? We’re not welcome there. In fact, we were driven out just a while ago! I wouldn’t want to go back there and bring trouble on myself.” Dustin shook his head.

“You!” Claudia gritted her teeth. How she wished she could beat him up then and there.

“That was a misunderstanding. We won’t drive you out anymore.” She suppressed her anger.

“Even if you won’t drive us away, we’re still not going. What do you take us for, making us come and go as you wish?” Dustin took another sip of his tea.

“What exactly do you want?” Claudia was so angry that she was itching to hit someone.

“Sure, I can go over, but under one condition.”

“And what is that?”

“It’s simple. I want the Gozoraberry.”

“The Gozoraberry? That is meant to be used on Sheila. I cannot promise you that.” Claudia glowered.

“If you won’t agree to that, then we do not have a deal.” Dustin continued calmly, “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say

it again: The Gozora berry will not cure Sheila of her disease. If you can’t make the call, then get me someone who can.”

“Hmph!” Claudia huffed angrily as she whipped out her phone to give Caden a call and brief him about Dustin’s condition.

A while later, she nodded and looked Dustin in the eye.

“Uncle Caden has agreed to your condition. If you can cure Shella of her disease, then the Gozoraberry is yours, “Claudia said coldly,

“Deal!” Dustin smiled.

He got into Claudia’s car, and they made their way to Fallridge Haven, leaving Hunter astonished and in awe.

“As expected of Mr. Rhys! He has every move under his control!” Hunter thought to himself.

When Dustin returned to Fallridge Haven yet again, he noticed that a group of doctors had gathered around, and they were mostly people who were influential and of high status in Swinton’s medical field.

“You’ve finally returned, young man! Please, come in!” Lily greeted him enthusiastically the moment he entered.

It took him a moment to get over his discomfort.

“You said you could cure my daughter of her disease. Do you mean it?” Caden asked solemnly, as stern as ever.

“Of course. Surely I would not have come if I did not have the confidence to cure her. I just hope that you will make good on your promise, Mr. Murray.” Dustin smiled lightly.

“Of course, I will. But you’d best deliver your end of the promise,” Caden answered frostily.

“We’ll see in a bit.” Dustin did not bother to explain much more. He quickly went forward to the emerald bed to check Sheila’s pulse.

Just as he predicted, she suffered from the rare disease of Polarfrost. It was an unusual condition that only came around once in a century.

People who suffered from such conditions had the potential to achieve great heights if they practiced a special form of martial arts, as it would greatly enhance their powers.

However, the problem was that people who suffered from the condition usually had very short lifespans.

The Polarfrost within them was like a great vortex that continually absorbed the coldness of the universe, so much so that the body was unable to take it.

New–born babies would usually die prematurely before they hit the age of one.

Fortunately for them, the Murrays were filthy rich, so Sheila had made it to this day from all the medication and herbs that she consumed.

However, the coldness that she had been absorbing all these years had reached a tipping point, and all the medications which had served to suppress it before were no longer effective.

“How is it? Can you cure her?” Caden asked skeptically.

“It’s a bit tricky, but I can do it.” Dustin nodded.

“Alright then, I’ll let you have a go. But bear in mind, if anything happens to my daughter, I’ll see that you pay for it severely!” Caden threatened.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Just as Dustin took out a needle and was about to apply it, a roar sounded at the door.

“Hold it!”

“Stop whatever you’re doing!” The voice bellowed.

Xavier Horst strode in imposingly and shouted, “Uncle Caden, we do not know this man! We cannot let him put Sheila’s life at risk!”

“I understand that you’re worried for Sheila, Xavier. But we do not have any better alternatives now. He is our only hope.” Caden shook his head.

“Who says we have not got any better alternatives? See who I brought!” Xavier gestured dramatically and directed everyone’s attention to the entrance.

In came a podgy old man dressed in a loose green robe. He made his way in confidently.

“Dr. Shane?” There was an instant uproar when everyone caught sight of him.

The doctors‘ seemed to have transformed into eager fanboys who met their idols. Their level of excitement was off the charts.

This was, after all, the world–renowned miracle healer, Dr. Malcolm Shane!

His expertise in acupuncture was one of a kind, and all these experts and professors were considered nothing compared to him.

“Dr. Shane?” Caden and the rest of them were initially astounded, but then it quickly turned into elation.

They were expecting him to arrive by nightfall, so it was a pleasant surprise that he managed to get there so soon.

“Didn’t you say you were delayed, Dr. Shane?” Lily asked inquisitively.

“Aunt Lily, I heard that Dr. Shane was held up by traffic and couldn’t make it here soon, so I flew a chopper over and picked him up from where he was. Fortunately, we’re still in time!” Xavier explained.

“That’s brilliant! How smart of you to think of that, Xavier! I’m proud of you!” Caden smiled. No doubt Dr. Shane’s presence calmed his nerves.”

“Thank you, Uncle Caden. Only doing what I should!” Xavier nodded modestly.

“Dr. Shane, we have no time to lose. Please save my daughter!” Caden cut to the chase and brought him to the emerald bed on which Sheila laid.

“Mr. Murray, didn’t you agree to let me cure her? What is the meaning of this?” Dustin was not happy with the turn of events.

“Young man, I appreciate your good intentions. However, since we have Dr. Shane here, I will not put my daughter at risk. You may take your leave now,” Caden said.

“Mr. Murray, this isn’t right. You were the one who requested my help to cure your daughter, and now you’re backing out on your promise? This really isn’t right.” Dustin’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean it isn’t right? Do you really think that someone like you can compare to Dr. Shane?” Xavier
 
Chapter 158

asked with disdain.

“Young man, I have the freedom to get whomever I please to cure my daughter. And as compared to you, I’d much rather trust Dr. Shane here, with the task,” Caden sald frankly.

Had he not been at his wits‘ end, he would never have asked this rascal for help.

“It’s alright that you got someone else to cure your daughter, Mr. Murray, but the Gozoraberry that you promised me…”

Caden cut him off mid–sentence. “You didn’t do anything, why should you have the Gozoraberry? Do you think you deserve it?”

“So you’re going back on your words?” Dustin frowned.

Dustin was not a short–tempered person, but ungrateful people like Caden never failed to get on his nerves.

“Young man, cut the nonsense. Isn’t it just the money you’re after? Guards, bring him 2 million dollars!” On Caden’s orders, his guards soon came back with two cases of cash. “Here, take this as your payment for helping Sheila. From now on, we’re square.”

“Don’t you hear that? Take the money and leave. Now!” Xavier roared.

“Hahahaha!” Dustin suddenly broke out in laughter. But his eyes were cold and icy.

“What a good strategy you have there, Mr. Murray. How unfortunate for you though, you’re being overly optimistic. Do you really think that Malcolm Shane can cure your daughter?”

A commotion broke out the moment he said that.

“You rascal! Have you any idea what you’ve just said? This is Dr. Shane we’re talking about! There have not been conditions that he has been unable to cure thus far!”

“That’s right! What an insolent young man! If Dr. Shane can’t cure her, do you think that you can?”

“Where did this scoundrel come from? What cheek he has to doubt Dr. Shane!”

The doctors gathered around to reprimand Dustin.

“Young man, may I know from whom you learned your skills? How dare you brag in front of everyone?” Malcolm gave him a once over, obviously displeased.

In all the years he practiced his medical skills, he had never once been doubted. Much less by a rascal who was still wet behind the ears!

“Hah! You overestimate yourself! How dare you put on airs in front of Dr. Shane? You’re really asking for it!” Xavier said in a hostile manner.

“Young man, I do not know where you got the confidence to doubt Dr. Shane, but I would like you to please leave now. Do not disrupt him from saving my daughter!” Caden spoke sternly with an annoyed expression. How dare this fellow tried to take advantage of his benevolence?

“There’s no need to drive him out. Let him stay and watch. Since he doubts my skills, I’ll show him what I’m capable of!” Malcolm stood with his hands behind his back.

“As expected of Dr. Shane! He carries himself with such dignity and confidence!” The doctors flattered him excessively.

As Malcolm has spoken, Caden did not go against his wishes and allowed Dustin’s presence.

“I’m so sorry to have made you come here for nothing, buddy. If Sheila ends up fine, I’ll try to talk to Caden about the Gozora berry and see if you can have it.” Lily brought Dustin to one side and apologized sincerely.

This was the man who had saved her daughter. Lily knew that she owed it to him, and would like to repay him if she could.

“I’d appreciate that, Mrs. Murray,” Dustin’s expression eased up.

There was finally someone who spoke sense in the family.

“Dr. Shane, let’s not wait any longer. Please proceed.” Caden waved him over.

Malcolm nodded and sat down beside Sheila’s bed, checking her pulse.

A short while later, he announced confidently, “If I’m not mistaken, the patient is weak and has poor circulation due to the coldness within her, and now, the toxins within her body have accumulated. Once the coldness and toxins in her body are expelled, she will be just fine.”

“And I presume you have the means to do that, Dr. Shane?” Caden asked expectantly.

“Though it’s a little tricky, it’s no big deal for me. I shall perform an acupuncture therapy to expel the coldness and toxins from her body!” Malcolm smiled lightly.

He then took out several needles and swiftly inserted them into Sheila’s skin on her nape, her navel, below her knees, on the base of her feet, and on her back.

His movements were so swift and executed with such ease and skill that his audience was left in awe.

By the time his needles were all in place, wisps of cold air slowly came out of Sheila’s limbs.

“And for the last one!” Malcolm produced a needle that was thicker and longer than the rest and inserted it straight on top of Sheila’s head.

Soon, a great deal of mist emerged from all over Sheila’s skin.

For a brief moment, everyone in the room was surrounded by an eerie chill.

“Alright, the coldness is now expelled. It won’t be long now before the patient comes around,” Malcolm declared confidently.

“No wonder you’re a world–renowned miracle healer. Your acupuncture therapy is just plain magical!” Caden exclaimed excitedly. His gloom and anxiety from earlier on were swept away in an instant.

“That’s right! With Dr. Shane around, any disease or condition can be easily handled!” Xavier was all smiles.

“Hey, you! Do you admit defeat?” Claudia raised her chin at Dustin in a provoking manner.

“How dare he doubt Dr. Shane? He doesn’t know where he stands!” Claudia thought to herself.

Dustin shook his head as he looked at her with contempt.

“Sheila suffered from Polarfrost! That was a rare condition that only came around approximately once in a century! How could it possibly be so easily cured?” He thought to himself.

While everyone was overjoyed, Lily noticed something amiss. “Hey, hasn’t the coldness been expelled? But why does Sheila look even paler than before?”
 
Chapter 160

“What?”

Everyone turned to look.

Sure enough, they found her just as Lily said. Sheila, whose condition seemed to have improved a while ago, now looked much paler than before, and more frost had formed on her brows and hair.

From the way things looked, not only had her condition not improved, it even worsened.

“Dr. Shane, whatever is going on?” Caden’s brows knitted together tightly, his expression stern.

“This is most peculiar. Technically speaking, she should be fine after the coldness has been expelled.” Malcolm found Sheila’s condition very strange. She had been fine just a while ago; how did her condition worsen in just the blink of an eye?

“What do we do now, Dr. Shane?” Caden questioned persistently.

“Don’t be anxious. Let me give it another try.” Malcolm didn’t give up just yet. He used the same technique to rid Sheila of the coldness within her.

But the results were the same. In just under three minutes, Sheila’s condition went back to square one. It was as though the coldness within her was never–ending. It was truly bizarre.

“What’s going on?” Malcolm was baffled. It was then that he finally realized the severity of the situation at hand.

“Dr. Shane, it is true that you have amazing needling skills to get rid of the cold, but what you did was just a temporary solution. It will not eradicate the root cause of the issue,” Dustin spoke up.

However, that elicited some dissatisfaction from the onlookers.

“That’s nonsense! Who are you to doubt Dr. Shane’s skills?” Xavier shot him a murderous glare.

“Exactly! You’re just a rascal who’s still wet behind the ears! How dare you speak out of turn so shamelessly?” The crowd was outraged.

Dr. Shane was considered a legendary figure in the medical field! They would not tolerate a random kid criticizing him freely!

“If you do not trust me, then go ahead and try as many times as you wish.” With that, Dustin held his tongue and said no more.

“Oh no! Sheila’s pulse has disappeared!” Lily cried out suddenly.

The crowd turned to look and noticed that she was in very bad shape.

“Dr. Shane! Quick! Save my daughter!” Caden lost his cool and urged Dr. Shane forward.

Malcolm dared not waste another second and immediately applied more needles to Sheila’s pressure points to rid her of the coldness and steady her pulse.

However, the results were not satisfactory, to say the least.

The Polarfrost seemed to always come back no matter what he did, and Dr. Shane was finally rendered helpless.

In all the years he had practiced medicine, he had never seen such a peculiar condition.

“I’m truly sorry, but—I’m afraid I won’t be able to help with this condition.” After a bout of effort to save Sheila,

Malcolm could only shake his head in resignation.

“What? You can’t help?” Everyone was bewildered when they heard that. Nobody had expected him to say such a thing.

If such a legendary figure could not help her, then who could?

“Please, Dr. Shane, think of something! You must save my daughter! Right! I have a Gozoraberry! Will that help? “Caden panicked.

“Gozoraberry?” Malcolm’s eyes lit up but quickly dimmed again.

“No doubt the Gozoraberry is a precious herb with properties to expel coldness and improve circulation, but with how things stand right now, it wouldn’t be of much help anymore.”

The coldness within Sheila seemed unending, and simply expelling it didn’t seem to do the trick.

“Then what should we do? Is there really no hope for my daughter?” Lily was almost in tears.

If even Dr. Shane can’t help them, is there anyone in this world who could All of a sudden, she caught sight of Dustin.

In that instant, she seemed to have found a lifeline. “Buddy! Didn’t you say that you were able to cure Sheila Please, I beg of you, save my daughter!”

“Mrs. Murray, it’s not that I don’t want to save her; it’s just that some of you do not seem to want me to help!” Dustin said helplessly.

“Young man, it was a mistake on my part earlier on. If you can save my daughter, the entire Murray household would be eternally grateful to you!” Caden’s expression was a mix of emotions.

He was not one to easily yield or admit his mistakes, but for the sake of his daughter, he saw no other choice. His final hope lay with Dustin.

“Uncle Caden! You don’t really believe this rascal, do you? Even Dr. Shane can’t cure her, how is it possible that this scoundrel can? Don’t be fooled by him!” Xavier lost his composure.

“Well, if I can’t cure her, do you think you can? Dustin gestured for Xavier to go ahead.

“You!” Xavier had no words to refute. He was adept at fighting, but he knew next to nothing about saving and rescuing others.

“Buddy, please try your best to save her. No matter what the outcome is, we can take it!” Lily looked at him with resoluteness, her mind made up and ready to face any consequences.

“I can help her, but when I’m done, I hope Mr. Murray will deliver on his end of the promise.” Dustin approached Sheila, who was still unconscious on her bed and helped her sit up.

With just one hand, he applied needles at 13 different pressure points on Shella’s body. His technique was extraordinary.

When the 13 needles began to rotate on the spot in the pressure points, he gave Sheila a strong smack on the back.

Sheila wavered, her head jerked upwards, and she spat several white crystals, which landed on the ground with a resounding thunk.

The crystals were a murky white color and gave off a bone–chilling mist.

“The coldness has crystallized?” Malcolm’s expression was one of disbellef.

No wonder his acupuncture served no purpose. It turns out that the coldness that Sheila’s body had been absorbing over the years had crystallized!

Those crystals were like a source of evil that emitted an endless stream of coldness. And that was the reason he wasn’t able to remove the source of Sheila’s condition!

Just as the crowd stared on with uncertainty and suspicion, Dustin produced a bamboo cylinder and poured out of it a small, red beetle.

“Hey! What’s that?” Lily was shocked and immediately stopped his actions.

“This is a fiery beetle. It’s a type of venomous insect that feeds on coldness and produces warmth. Once it enters Sheila’s body, it can regulate and balance out her energy,” Dustin explained.

“A venomous insect?” Everyone’s expression changed.

To them, venomous insects were considered evil and dangerous.

“You–You’re going to put this insect into Sheila’s body?” Lily felt her skin crawl.

“Don’t be alarmed. As I’ve said before, the mystic arts can be used to heal too. This is the perfect example.” As Dustin spoke, he proceeded to put the fiery beetle into Sheila’s mouth.

Everyone looked at each other, and for a moment, they were at a loss. Malcolm, however, had a thoughtful expression.

He had heard of using the mystic arts to heal diseases, but he had never seen anyone actually perform it. Could it be possible that this rascal was really able to work miracles?
 
Chapter 161

Everyone watched wide–eyed as Dustin administered the fiery beetle.

The moment it entered Sheila’s body, the effect was immediate. The cold air around her began to dissipate, and in less than three minutes, her body had gone from icy cold to being at a regular temperature.

She gained color in her cheeks, and her breathing steadied.

Then, under the disbelieving gaze of the crowd, she whimpered and came around.

“She’s awake?” Astonishment was evident on the crowd’s faces.

The fact that a rascal like Dustin was able to cure Sheila of her condition when even Dr. Shane was unable to was beyond them. It was shocking indeed!

“H–How is this possible?” Xavier’s eyes widened, bewildered.

How could an unknown doctor possess such skills?

“How did he do it?” Claudia was equally amazed and terrified.

She struggled to come to terms with how something she had always thought was evil had healing properties.

“I never knew that the mystic arts had such amazing effects!” Malcolm’s eyes lit up as he marveled at Dustin’s skills.

His unconventional means of healing were undoubtedly a groundbreaker.

Malcolm, who had initially thought that he no longer had any room for improvement in the medical field, finally found new hope.

“Sheila! How are you feeling? Are you experiencing any discomfort?” Caden and Lily were both happily surprised.

They had not held high hopes, to begin with, and they were more than pleased to be met with such a miracle.

“Dad, Mom How weird. I no longer feel the coldness within me. It’s as though it has vanished!” Sheila patted herself all over, a surprised expression on her face. She had never felt so warm before.

“That’s great! That’s absolutely great! Thank you, thank you so much for saving her!” Lily was so ecstatic that she was about to bow to Dustin to thank him.

“Mrs. Murray, please, there is no need to bow!” Dustin reached out to hold her up. He was not used to such unbridled expressions of gratitude.

“Was it you who saved me, kind sir?” Sheila was delighted to see Dustin. It had just been a day, and they had met again! Was it not fate?

“Sheila, it’s all thanks to Mr. Rhys here that you’re still alive! If not for him, you might very well still be unconscious,” Lily remarked.

“Thank you, kind sir!” Sheila bowed deeply.

“You’re welcome. After all, I get paid for saving you.” Dustin smiled.

“So is my daughter completely cured, young man?” Caden asked cautiously.

He had consulted many experienced and well–known doctors regarding Sheila’s condition, and all of them had expressed that the condition could only be suppressed, not completely eradicated. So he had to be sure.

“I wouldn’t say that she’s completely cured of it, but she won’t be bothered by it for the next 10 years,” Dustin guaranteed.

“Why is it only for 10 years? Can’t you get rid of it completely?” Caden frowned.

“It’s Polarfrost. It can’t be eliminated so easily. Unless you are able to get some extremely rare herbs that can improve her circulation and metabolism, the only solution is to use the fiery beetle to extend her life, and a fiery beetle only has a lifespan of ten years,” Dustin clarified.

“10 years is good enough. At least it will give us more time to find other means of solution.” Lily smiled.

It was already a pleasant surprise that her daughter’s life had been prolonged by 10 years. She dared not ask for much more.

“Mr. Murray, now that your daughter’s life is not on the line, is it time you deliver your end of the deal?” Dustin went straight to the point.

“It’s the Gozoraberry you’re after, isn’t it? Please proceed to the lounge. I’ll be there in a while,” Caden said lightly.
 
Chapter 162

Caden gestured to the butler, who immediately got the message.

“This way, please, Mr. Rhys,”

“Sure.” Dustin nodded and followed the butler to the lounge. He took a seat and waited. It was a long wait.

It wasn’t until he finished his third cup of tea that Caden appeared with several men in tow.

“I really appreciate you saving my daughter, young man. Here’s a ten–million–dollar check. Consider this your pay.” Caden sat down and motioned to one of his men, who presented a check to Dustin.

“What? Thank you for your kind intentions, Mr. Murray, but this isn’t what I want.” Dustin stared at the check, puzzled.

“It doesn’t matter whether you want it. What matters is that this is what I’m paying you for a job well done.” Caden sipped on his tea.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dustin’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t you get it? The Gozoraberry isn’t yours. All you’re getting is the money.” Caden spelled it out in plain words.

“Mr. Murray, we had a deal. I cure your daughter, and you give me the Gozoraberry. Why are you going back on your words?” Dustin’s expression darkened.

What was the meaning of all this? Were they turning their backs on him once they no longer had use of him? Had he just been taken advantage of?

“The Gozoraberry is not only a precious herb used for healing, but it is also remarkably beneficial to practitioners of martial arts. Don’t you know that, young man?” Caden suddenly asked.

“So?”

“It would be a waste of precious resources to give you such a valuable treasure, so I made the decision to give it to someone else,” Caden justified himself.

“You gave it to someone else? Who?” Dustin’s brows furrowed deeply.

“Who else but me?” Xavier made his way in haughtily. He had in his hands a small, red, wooden box that held the Gozoraberry.

“Hey, buddy! Uncle Caden’s given me the Gozoraberry. It’s mine now!” Xavier patted the box smugly with a Sneer.

“So what if the rascal stole the limelight today? Ultimately, I’m the one who benefited from it! At the end of the day, he’s just a lowly peasant!” Xavier thought.

“Caden Murray! You are an influential person with high social standing, and you carry the honor of the Murray family with you! How could you go back on your words and betray someone who has helped you? Are you not afraid that you’d be ridiculed?” Dustin slammed his hand on the table and stood up. He was truly angry.

He could understand Caden’s previous change of mind, as it was a matter pertaining to his daughter’s health condition.

Malcolm had a reputation for having great expertise in his field, which naturally made him more deserving of trust on Caden’s end. But now, it was a different case altogether.

Caden was going back on his word after Dustin had saved Sheila! That was downright outrageous!

“Ridicule? Hah! Who’d dare to ridicule me? Do you really think that a few words from you would be able to tamish the Murray family’s reputation? You’re really thinking highly of yourself!” Caden scoffed.

He looked at Dustin as though he were a fool.

“Are you really going to disregard your honor?” An icy glint flashed in Dustin’s eyes.

“Cut the crap! Take the money and scram, or I’ll get my men to throw you out!” Caden ran out of patience.

How dare this peasant go against him?

“What? Are you threatening me now?” Dustin lifted his gaze.

“So what if we’re threatening you? I’m warning you, Rhys! You better get out of here now, or I’ll make you!” Xavier roared.

At that, a group of well–trained guards rushed in bearing malice.

It seems like they came prepared.
 
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