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 189

“Uh…”

Looking at the head rolling on the ground prompted a brief silence from those in the martial arts gym, followed by the commotion and screams.

No one expected that Gabriel would choose to commit suicide so decisively and ferociously. With one sword, he cut off his own head.

Has he lost his mind!?

“What did you do to Sir Gabriel?! Nigel was sweating with fear.

“You want to find out? Go ask him yourself.” Ignoring the shocked expressions of everyone, Dustin turned around and left the gym.

As soon as he left, a fully armed team immediately rushed in and sealed off the scene. Everyone involved was arrested.

He didn’t care to worry about what happened next.

With Sergeant Spanner’s power, there would naturally be no loopholes in handling this small matter..

On the other side, at Fallridge Haven.

“What? Dustin didn’t die?! How could this happen? Gabriel is in the top ten on the Hundred Immortals, and he brought so many elite members of the Horst family to help him out. It should have been easy to deal with that kid.” When the news came out, Caden couldn’t help but furrow his brows slightly.

“We still don’t know the details. There was no news from the dojo. We only heard that Dustin returned unharmed,” the guard whispered.

“That’s odd. Where is Gabriel? Call him and ask,” Caden said thoughtfully.

“Sir Gabriel disappeared. The phone won’t get through, and the dojo has been sealed off by the military,” the guard replied.

“Sealed off by the military? What happened?”

“We’re not sure yet.”

“Send someone to investigate and find out what happened,” Caden ordered.

“Yes, sir!” The guard agreed and quickly left.

However, at that moment, a strong windy blade sound could suddenly be heard from outside. A military helicopter descended from the sky and landed steadily on the square.

As the cabin door opened, an old man with white hair and a burly figure, followed by several subordinates, walked out confidently.

The old man had a square face, a goatee, and a dignified look, emitting a strong and powerful aura. That was the aura of a seasoned warrior, formed after many years on the battlefield!

Ordinary people would shiver at the sight of him and wouldn’t dare to get close.

The old man was none other than Christopher Murray, the founding father of Dragonmarsh!

“Father? What brings you here?” When Christopher walked into the council chamber, Caden, who was drinking tea, was startled. The tea spilled all over the floor, and the teacup shattered on the ground.

But he didn’t have time to care about that and got up to greet him respectfully, like a mouse meeting a cat.

Although Christopher had not been involved in the family’s affairs for ten years, his accumulated influence over the years still made people tremble with fear.

Even Caden, as the heir, didn’t dare to behave out of line.

“Kneel down,” Christopher uttered two words softly.

“What?” Caden was stunned for a moment, then obediently knelt down on the ground.

In the Murray family, Christopher was like a god, and no one dared to defy him.

“Do you know the reason why I made you kneel?” Christopher sat down on the chair, his presence was imposing.

“I don’t know.” Caden lowered his head.

“Hmph! You’ve damaged the reputation of our family. You did things you shouldn’t have done and offended people you shouldn’t have offended. The Murray family’s reputation was almost ruined by you!” Christopher spoke with a cold expression.

“Huh? Father, I don’t quite understand.” Caden was stunned.

“You don’t even know you’ve made a big mistake. The Murray will be destroyed by you sooner or later if you don’t step down from the position of head of the family. If you’re not capable of handling it, then step down now!” Christopher was livid.

“Step down?” Caden was stunned.

He thought his father was just going to scold him a few times, but he didn’t expect him to directly strip him of his power!

Over the years, he had worked hard for the Murray family, focusing on his work and getting things done.

Although he didn’t have much merit, he at least kept the entire family in order. Now, he was suddenly asked to step down without knowing the reason behind it. He was very dissatisfied.

“Father, I don’t understand. What did I do wrong?” Caden was unwilling.

“You are ignorant and shortsighted. You don’t recognize a true dragon when you see one. Retire and reflect on it before you cause any bigger trouble. After you’ve figured it out, then we’ll talk.” Christopher left no room for argument

Caden opened his mouth to explain but was interrupted by Christopher. “Save some dignity for yourself, and don’t disappoint me further!”

Upon hearing this, Caden fell silent, feeling confused as he knelt on the ground.

“Leave and call Sheila.” Christopher waved his hand.

“Yes…” Caden didn’t dare to disobey, so he bowed deeply before turning and leaving. His face was filled with gloominess.

“Grandpa! You really came?” After a while. Sheila ran into the living room with a surprised look on her face.

She threw herself into Christopher’s arms and tearfully pleaded, “Grandpa! You came just in time. Please, save Dustin! He’s about to die!”

“Okay, alright. Silly girl Dustin is fine now.” Christopher showed a rare smile.

Back then, Caden was able to take the position of head of the family because he gave Christopher this precious granddaughter.

“Really? Dustin is really okay?” Sheila wiped away her tears quickly.

“Of course. When has Grandpa ever lied to you?” Christopher patted her head.

“Thank you, Grandpa!” Excited, Sheila planted a kiss on her grandfather’s face.

This made the old man burst into laughter, and he couldn’t stop grinning.

“Little girl are you so nervous about Dustin because you have a crush on him?” Christopher suddenly asked.

“Huh?”

Sheila was stunned at first, then her face turned red in an instant. “Grandpa! What are you talking about? Idon’t have a crush on him!”

“Hehe…if you like someone, then you like them. What’s there to be afraid of admitting? Young people should be bold.” Christopher laughed.

“Grandpa, Dustin saved me before. I’m just grateful to him,” Sheila lowered her head, stuttered, and her neck turned red.

“Just grateful? Then why were you crying for him? Little girl, if you really like him, take the initiative to pursue him, and don’t miss any opportunity. That kid is not an ordinary person. If you can win him over, it will be great news for me too.” Christopher rubbed his beard and laughed.

After all, Dustin was the kirin!

“If he can become my grandson–in–law, those old guys will be jealous and crazy, won’t they? Hahaha— He thought.
 
Chapter 190

When Dustin returned to Peaceful Medical Center, everything that had been smashed and damaged had been cleaned up.

The whole clinic was like new again.

Dahlia was sleeping on the table, leaning on it with a slightly haggard look on her beautiful face and eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Looking at her. Dustin felt a complicated mix of emotions and couldn’t help but feel grateful. After all, she had saved Gregory’s life.

He took off his coat and draped it over Dahlia.

“Mmm?”

Dahlia trembled all over and instantly woke up. “You’re back? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, thank you for today,” Dustin said politely.

“Don’t mention it; it’s only right for me to take care of Mr. Jones when he’s injured,” Dahlia said, pursing her lips.

“Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”

“A little.”

“You want your usual, spaghetti bolognese?”

“Mmm, thank you.”

“Wait a moment.” Without much ado, Dustin walked into the kitchen and began to skillfully cook the dish.

In the three years of their marriage, whenever Dahlia came back late and hungry, he would prepare a midnight snack for her. Especially spaghetti bolognese; she never got tired of it.

But at some point, the distance between them grew farther and farther, and their relationship became more and more estranged. Eventually, they ended up divorcing.

“Here’s your spaghetti.” About 15 minutes later, Dustin brought up a steaming plate of spaghetti bolognese.

“Mmm, it smells so good.” Dahlia sniffed, immediately digging in.

In no time, she had finished the bowl of pasta, even drinking up all the sauce.

“The taste is amazing. It seems like your cooking skills have improved.” Dahlia gave a rare smile.

“Maybe it’s just that you haven’t eaten it in a long time,” Dustin said suddenly.

“Is that so? Maybe.” Dahlia’s gaze became a little dim.

Unknowingly, three years had passed.

Over time, many things that had once been routine had become second nature to Dahlia. She had grown accustomed to having someone bring her warm clothes when the weather turned cold, to having someone cook for her whenever she felt hungry, and to having someone by her side when she was ill.

But when those routines changed, she found herself at a loss.

“Dustin, will we…be able to return to what we were before?” After a moment of silence, Dahlia suddenly asked.

Dustin, who was about to wash the dishes, froze for a moment and was speechless for a while. Could they go back to the past?

Maybe a while back, they could have. At one point, he even wished that she would say so. But now…

“Ring ring ring!” At that moment, a phone started ringing.

Dustin put down his fork and answered, greeted by a gentle and crisp voice.

“Hey honey, where are you? Do you want to come out for a late–night snack together? This is a great opportunity for you to get me drunk.”

“Uh…I can’t go tonight. Gregory’s not feeling well, I have to stay home and take care of him,” Dustin replied awkwardly.

“Gregory is sick? Then I’ll come over right away!” Natasha said anxiously.

“No need, it’s just a minor illness, nothing serious,” Dustin quickly responded.

“Gregory is getting old. We shouldn’t be careless about it. How about this, I’ll send someone over tomorrow to help take care of him.”

“That’s too much trouble. I can take care of him myself.”

“You’re a big man, clumsy, and prone to making mistakes; you’ll inevitably overlook something. I’ll send an experienced caretaker over to take care of Gregory’s daily needs, and that’s settled!” Natasha declared, leaving no room for argument.

“Alright then.” After thinking about it, Dustin finally agreed.

Having someone around to accompany Gregory would make it safer to avoid any further accidents.

“Oh, by the way, there’s one more thing. Immortunol has already made a name for itself, but if we want to sell it everywhere, we’ll need to find a few agents. Tomorrow, I’ll be holding an open recruitment at Mirage. You, as the major shareholder, can’t be absent,” Natasha said.

“Okay, I’ll definitely be there tomorrow.” After hanging up the phone, Dustin met a pair of resentful eyes.

“That was Natasha who just called, right? Talking on the phone so late at night, it seems like your relationship with her is not ordinary.” Dahlia said in a sour tone.

“We’re just-”

“Enough! You don’t need to explain anything to me. I’m not interested in listening. Take care of Gregory well, I’ll go back to rest,” Dahlia said, getting up and leaving before Dustin could even respond.

Dustin shook his head; he was rendered speechless by Dahlia’s behavior.

What was that all about?

The following morning, the council hall at Mirage was packed with people who had gathered for the distributorship of Immortunol. Ever since the press conference held by the Harmon family, news of the popular medicine had spread across Swinton, and many wealthy people were looking to get a piece of the action.

As Matt and Julie walked in, Matt turned to Julie and asked, “Can that Harvey guy really help me get a distributorship?”

“Of course! Harvey is a key member of Harmon Pharmaceuticals, and he has influential people supporting him. If he’s willing to help, it’s a guarantee!” Julie replied confidently.

“Fantastic! I’ll make sure to show my appreciation generously after the deal is done,” Matt replied, feeling energized.

The Laney family was struggling, and they desperately needed a way to revive their fortunes. Immortunol was that chance. Therefore, this was an opportunity that could not be missed!

“Matt, you’re too kind. A small favor like this is nothing.” Julie smiled.

As Julie was speaking, she suddenly frowned. “What is that piece of trash, Dustin, doing here?”

Matt followed her gaze and saw Dustin’s face, feeling a sense of irritation as he remembered their encounter a few days ago.

Since they had bumped into Dustin today, they needed to humiliate him somehow.

“Let’s have some fun with him.” Matt said coldly to Julie, then walked towards Dustin.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Rhys! Are you also trying to be a distributor for Harmon?”

“Rhys? He’s nothing but a piece of trash! Why would the Harmon family work with someone like him without any qualifications?” Julie added sarcastically.

“I don’t have the qualifications? Do you have the qualifications to work with the Harmon family then?” Dustin sneered.

“Why wouldn’t we? The manager here, Harvey, is like a brother to me. As long as I say the word, it will be easy to get the distributorship!” Julie replied arrogantly.

Dustin shook his head and replied, “Really? I don’t think that would be the case. I believe the Harmon family won’t give you the distributorship.”

“What? You say they won’t give it to us, and they won’t? Who do you think you are?!” Julie sneered.

Dustin smiled faintly and said, “Me? I’m the chief physician of the Rhys family, and I’m also the major shareholder of Immortunol,”
 
Chapter 191

“What did you just say? A major shareholder?” Julie paused for a moment before she laughed. “Hahaha! Have you lost your marbles, Rhys? You? A major shareholder? What a joke!”

“Oh, Rhys, you can go around boasting to others for all I care, but what’s the point of bragging to us? You’re just humiliating yourself!” Matt guffawed. He had done a thorough investigation on Dustin, and from what he found out. Dustin was, simply put, a good–for–nothing. He might have had some underhanded tactics up his sleeves, but he definitely had no real capabilities.

“Whether or not you believe me, that’s your choice to make. But I guarantee that you won’t be getting the company’s rights,” Dustin said calmly.

“Hah! You guarantee? How highly you think of yourself! Mr. Marcs is in charge here. Just one word from him and the decision is final!” Julie made a disdainful face.

“I do not know any Mr. Marcs, but I’m sure he does not have the authority to do so.” Dustin remained unfazed.

“Hah! And do you? Take a look in the mirror, sucker! Who are you to say who has the authority and who doesn’t?” Julie ridiculed.

“Oh, get out of here, Dustin. Quit embarrassing yourself!” Matt jeered, looking at Dustin as one would a clown.

He didn’t even quite understand how he had lost to such a loser twice in a row.

"Julie.” As they were speaking, an obese man approached them. The man was the manager of Harmon Pharmaceuticals.

“Harvey, you’re finally here!” Julie’s eyes lit up, and she quickly went up to him and hooked her arm around his fawning all over him.

“Julie, it’s been a while since I last saw you. I swear you’re much lovelier by the day.” Mr. Marcs gave Julie a light smack on her behind and a lecherous smile on his face.

“Stop it.” Julie whined coquettishly as she twisted away. “Harvey, I’ve got some serious business to discuss with you today. Here, allow me to introduce you to Matt Laney. Mr. Laney here comes from a distinguished family in Millsburg.”

“Oh? Mr. Laney? Pleased to meet you!” Mr. Marcs‘ eyes lit up, and he immediately reached out to shake Matt’s hand.

The Laneys were a prestigious family with assets amounting to tens of billions. He definitely considered it an honor to be acquainted with someone from the family.

“And this is?” Mr. Marc’s gaze turned to Dustin.

“He’s just a useless burn. Take no heed of him.” Julie spared Dustin no slack.

“Oh…” Mr. Marcs threw him a contemptuous side–eye.

“To tell you the truth, Mr. Marcs, I’m actually here for Immortunol. I’m really interested in getting the Harmons” company’s rights.” Matt cut right to the chase.

“Mr. Laney. I’m afraid I don’t call the shots regarding the company’s rights.”

Mr. Marcs shook his head, pretending that he was stumped. “Ms. Harmon has given full authority on this matter to Mr. Rhys. He’s the one who calls the shots on who the company’s rights go to.”

“Mr. Rhys? Who’s that? Is he a very powerful person?” Julle was curious.

“Truth be told, not only is Mr. Rhys the chief physician of Harmon Pharmaceuticals, but he’s also someone who’s really close to Ms. Harmon. I heard that he’s the one who came up with the prescription formula for Immortunol!” Mr. Marcs explained.

“He must be a really brilliant person to be able to produce Immortunol! I wonder if I’ll ever have the privilege of meeting him!” An expectant expression came over Julie’s face. She always had the habit of forming connections with people by bringing them into her bed.

“Mr. Marcs, where is Mr. Rhys? Could you please introduce him to me?” Matt tried his luck.

“Well–” Mr. Marcs hesitated.

“Ah, right, I have a gift for you. Please have this.” Matt quickly pulled out a million–dollar check and handed it to Mr. Marcs.

“Hahaha! How generous of you, Mr. Laney!” Mr. Marcs beamed brightly at the sight of the check.

“And about the company’s rights?” Matt prompted.

“Of course, there won’t be a problem!”
 
Chapter 192

“To tell you the truth, Mr. Rhys is a tight buddy of mine. We’d give our lives up for each other. In fact, I had a night out drinking with him just yesterday! As long as I put a word in for you, he’ll definitely do me this favor!” Mr. Marcs assured.

Dustin chuckled lightly at that. What an artful liar!

“Hey! What are you sniggering at?” Mr. Marcs glared at Dustin.

“Ignore him, Harvey. He’s just a loser.” Julie rolled her eyes.

“Mr. Marcs, if you can get me the company’s rights, I’ll be sure to repay you handsomely!” Matt promised.

“Haha! No problem! I’ll get it done!” Mr. Marcs was beyond elated.

“Thank you, Mr. Marcs!” Matt grinned too. Judging from the high demand for Immortunol, he would soon be filthy rich once he got the company’s rights. And then, he would have no difficulty restoring his family to its former glory!

“Mr. Matt, I happen to have another business opportunity apart from the company’s rights. Would you be interested?” Mr. Marcs asked sneakily.

“Oh? And what business opportunity is that?” Matt raised a brow.

Mr. Marcs looked around him and said softly. “Our company’s demands a very high quality on Immortunol, so products that do not reach the benchmark will be destroyed. Several of us managers agree that that’s a waste, so we kept those substandard products and plan on selling them off. If you want them, I can sell them to you at a really good price.”

“Substandard products? What good will they do?” Julie wondered aloud.

“See, Julie, they may be substandard and less effective, but they can easily be passed off as quality products. Nobody can tell them apart from genuine Immortunols when they are put together!” Mr. Marcs smiled profoundly.

“Really?” Julie’s eyes lit up.

“When have I ever lied to you? Here, how’s this? If you take them, I’ll sell them at a fifth of the original price. You can sell them off and earn a great deal!” Mr. Marcs proposed..

“That sounds amazing! Thank you, Harvey!” Julie was overjoyed.

“What do you think of this deal, Mr. Matt?” Mr. Marcs‘ gaze bore into him.

“It’s a great deal, no doubt! I’ll take however much of the stock you have, Mr. Marcs!” Matt beamed. It was a steal to be able to purchase Immortunol at a fifth of the original price. Matt was not one to let such a good offer pass him by. As for the quality of the products, he couldn’t care less about that. All he cared about was that he’d make money from them. If anything were to
 
Chapter 193

“You! How dare you hit me?” Mr. Marcs held his face, which still burned from the smack. A mix of anger and shock was evident on his face.

With the Harmons behind him, people fought to curry favor with him everywhere he went. When has anyone ever had the gall to hit him?

“So what if I smacked you? As an employee, you’re supposed to uphold the standards of the company but look what you’re doing! You steal from the company and mix substandard products with quality products. I think you deserve every bit of that smack!” As Dustin spoke, he went up and delivered a few more smacks. Mr. Marcs saw stars and bled from both his nose and mouth.

The commotion attracted a lot of onlookers.

“Goodness! Who’s this? How dare he hit Mr. Marcs?”

“Wreaking havoc on Harmons‘ premise! I gotta say, he’s something else!”

“I think he’s just ignorant. He’s going to end up in a lot of trouble!”

The crowd gathered around to watch and exchanged comments among themselves.

“Rhys! Are you out of your mind? Stop it this instant!” Shocked, Julie halted him immediately.

“Dustin! Have you any idea how much trouble you’ve gotten yourself into? How dare you hit Mr. Marcs? You’re not getting out of this door in one piece today!” Matt roared.

But Dustin was not the least bit fazed. He went ahead and gave Mr. Marcs another round of beatings.

He could let things slide if all he did was run his mouth and be unrepentant about them. But he was even about to get violent! How reckless! That did not sit well with Dustin at all.

“Security! Someone! Anyone!” Mr. Marcs shouted in agony.

Soon, a large number of guards swarmed over. They had Dustin surrounded in less than a minute.

“Rhys! How dare you beat Mr. Marcs up! You’ll be sorry!” Julie scowled when she saw that they had backup. She looked at Dustin, waiting to see what misfortune would befall him.

“Hmph! You ignorant fool! Nobody can save you now!” Matt also basked in the pleasure of seeing Dustin get Into trouble with Mr. Marcs.

Dustin had rubbed him the wrong way for quite a while now. He simply hadn’t taken action yet because he had an image to uphold. Matt couldn’t be happier now that someone was about to teach Dustin a lesson.

“What are you guys doing just standing there? I want to see his arms and legs broken. Right now! I’ll bear the consequences!” Mr. Marcs hollered at the guards as he pointed his finger at Dustin.

“What’s going on?” A loud voice rang just as the guards were about to get rough.

A man with a squarish face rushed over with an imposing presence. He had several men following behind him. Dustin spared him a glance and recognized him as Morgan Finn, the vice president of Harmon Pharmaceuticals.

The moment they caught sight of him, the crowd made way for him to pass through. Even Mr. Marcs, who had been barking orders at the guards, quieted down.

“Is this their superior? We can’t be so unlucky, can we?” Julie wondered. She gulped dryly, an inexplicable anxiousness coming over her. She could tell that this man approaching them was someone of status based on how much Mr. Marcs feared him.

“This bastard really lucked out!” Matt thought as he gritted his teeth out of annoyance. He had thought that Mr. Marcs would be able to avenge his grudge against Dustin, but this man’s unexpected appearance seemed to have ruined that.

“Mr. Finn, you’ve come at the right time. This man here is stealing from the company when he should be protecting it. He’s stolen and sold substandard products. This will badly tarnish the company’s reputation. You need to arrest him,” Dustin said as he pointed at Mr. Marcs.

Morgan squinted and hummed lightly. “Oh? Are you telling me what I should be doing? And who are you to be doing that? Do I even know you?”

“Mr. Finn, we’ve met before,” Dustin replied.

“So what? I’ve met lots of people. Am I supposed to know all of them?”

Morgan gave Dustin a derogatory once over. “Also, who do you think you are? Who are you to butt into the internal affairs of the company?”

Dustin frowned when he heard what Morgan had to say. “Mr. Finn, as vice president of the company, are you not going to look into actions that will ruin the company’s reputation?”

“Whether or not I look into the matter is my call to make. What evidence have you got to claim that Mr. Marcs is selling substandard products?”

“You want evidence? Here’s your evidence!” Dustin kicked the box over, spilling Immortunol all over the ground.

“Hey, young man, so what if these Immortunols are substandard? How are you going to prove that they belong to Mr. Marcs? Who’s to say you didn’t steal them?” Morgan retaliated.

Mr. Marcs was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly reacted. “That’s right! Mr. Finn, this fella here is a thief! I caught him stealing from us! I did not expect this brazen rascal to fight back so violently! He’s truly heinous and despicable!”

“I can vouch for that! He’s the one who stole the Immortunols!” Julie added.
 
Chapter 194

“Do you hear that? Everyone’s saying that you’re the thief.” Morgan smirked maliciously. Which insolent bastard is this who dared meddle in his affairs?

“Mr. Finn, it seems like you’re going to cover up for him, then?” Dustin’s eyes narrowed, a menacing look in his eyes.

It suddenly made sense to Dustin why Mr. Marcs dared to act so rampantly. It was because he had an equally unrighteous superior! Dustin had thought that he had seen the worst from Mr. Marcs, but it turns out that Morgan was worse! Not only did he distort the truth, he even framed others for things that they did not do. It was plain for all to see that his subordinate was in the wrong, but he blatantly put the blame on Custin. That was too much!

“So what if I cover up for him? Who do you think calls the shots here?” Mr. Finn pressed his lips together into a thin line. “I’m giving you a chance now. Get down on your knees and apologize to Mr. Marcs right now, and admit that you were wrong. If you don’t, I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your days behind bars!‘

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Dustin challenged.

“Do I look like I’m joking? You should check if your opponent has someone behind him before you go throwing your weight around like that! Who do you think you are to do as you wish on my turf? Now get on your knees and apologize!‘ Morgan roared.

“Do you hear that? Get on your knees!” Mr. Marcs jeered, looking at Dustin like he had victory over him.

“Rhys! Why did you even intervene in the first place? This is what you get for meddling in other people’s business!” Julie gloated.

“You really think too highly of yourself! Matt shot him a contemptuous and dismissive look.

In the face of absolute power, it was irrelevant whether you were right or wrong. So what if you were right?

When the person in power dictated that you’re wrong, you have no way of defending yourself, Such was thelaw of society.

“Alright, if you’ve made your choice, then don’t regret it.” Dustin didn’t waste much time talking to them. He whipped cut his phone and made a call.

“Oh? You’re calling for backup? Hahaha!” Morgan snickered. “Hey, brat! I don’t think you get the idea here! This is my turf, and I call the shots here! Who do you think can save you now?”

“Mr. Finn, let’s not get too cocky. I think the Harmons are in charge here at Harmon Pharmaceuticals, not you.

Mr. Finn,” Dustin corrected him.

“So what? I’m a founding member of Harmon Pharmaceuticals! Even Natasha Harmon has to address me respectfully, what more of a scoundrel like you?” Morgan announced arrogantly.

As he finished his sentence, a crisp and clear feminine voice rang out. “Is that so? So I should be addressing you respectfully now?”

The crowd turned to the source of the voice to see an elegant woman dressed in red entering and approaching them. It was Natasha Harmon!

“Ms. Harmon?” Morgan felt a premonition of oncoming trouble. He immediately forced a smile and went up to her. “Why have you come?”

“I’m here to join in the fun! Am I not welcome here, respected Mr. Finn?” Natasha put extra emphasis on how she addressed Mr. Finn.

“Ms. Harmon, that was just a joke. Don’t take it to heart,” Morgan explained awkwardly. How was he to that she would appear at such terrible timing?

“A joke? It didn’t sound like one to me. You sounded so sure of yourself back there,” Natasha said, unperturbed.

“Well— Morgan could not find the words to excuse himself for what he said.

“Forget it; I’ll let that go. Now tell me, what’s going on here?” Natasha asked calmly.

“Ms. Harmon, here’s what happened.” Mr. Marcs was just about to explain when he was cut off by a glare from Natasha. “Are you in a position to speak now?”

“Know your place!” Morgan turned to Mr. Marcs and scolded him. Then he turned back to Natasha and smiled apologetically. “Ms. Harmon, it’s nothing much. It’s just that there’s someone here with unethical intentions who stole some Immortunols. I’m already handling it, and this will be settled in no time.”

“Oh? Who’s so audacious to steal Immortunols?” Natasha asked.

“It’s that rascal!” Morgan pointed at Dustin.

“Mr. Finn, are you sure it’s him?” Natasha looked like she was holding back a smile.

“Of course I’m sure!”

“And do you know who he is?” Natasha asked, amused.

“No matter who he is, he’s committed a grave offense by stealing the Immortunols! We need to ensure that justice is served!” Morgan declared in feigned righteousness.

“Alright then. I’ll have you know!” Natasha’s expression darkened over. “This man whom you’ve accused of theft is the chief physician of Harmon Pharmaceuticals and the developer of Immortunol, Dustin Rhys!” An uproar broke out when the crowd heard that.
 
Chapter 195

“What? Mr. Rhys?” Morgan had shock written all over his face.

He had indeed received news that the developer of Immortunol, Mr. Rhys, would be present today, but he hadn’t expected him to be so young!

“N–no way! H–he’s He’s Mr. Rhys?!” Mr. Marcs’s eyes widened in disbelief. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the person he had been bragging about being a tight buddy with was right there in front of him. This was bad. This was really bad. They were in deep trouble now.

“Mr. Rhys? Dustin Rhys?” Julie looked around in bewilderment. “They must be mistaken! The brilliant Mr. Rhys who developed Immortunol was Dustin? How is that possible?” She mused.

“What ability does this rascal possess to be able to come up with the prescription formula for Immortunol?” Matt felt astonished, which was soon taken over by jealousy. Immortunol was a precious drug that was able to bring in endless fortune! But how did such a treasure end up in the hands of such a worthless person? It was truly a waste!

“Mr. Finn, I’ll ask you one more time,” Natasha said. “Do you think that Mr. Rhys is the person who stole these Immortunols?”

“This Well—This might be a misunderstanding.” The corners of Morgan’s eyes twitched and he forced a smile.

“A misunderstanding? So what you’re saying is that Mr. Rhys isn’t the thief?” Natasha scoffed.

“Of course! Why would Mr. Rhys steal his own products?” Morgan nodded repeatedly.

“Alright, then tell me, who was the one who stole this box of substandard Immortunol?” Natasha asked authoritatively.

“I understand now!” Morgan pretended to finally understand what was going on. “It must have been Mr. Marcs who stole the company’s products when he was supposed to be guarding them! He misused his authority and accused Mr. Rhys before we even looked into the issue! We cannot tolerate such a vile person in the company!

I’ll fire him right away!”

“Mr. Finn, I-”

“Shut up!” Just as Mr. Marcs was about to speak, Morgan gave him a hard slap and reprimanded him loudly. You piece of trash! Admit your mistakes or I’ll not go easy on you!”

“Yes, yes. I was wrong. Please forgive me, Mr. Finn. I’ll never repeat my mistakes again.” Mr. Marcs covered his face with his hands, shaking as he admitted his wrongdoing.

“Why are you apologizing to me? It’s Ms. Harmon you should be apologizing to!” Morgan roared.

“Ms. Harmon, I’m so sorry! Please let me off this time. I know that I was wrong!” Mr. Marcs fell to his knees, asking for forgiveness.

Natasha ignored him completely, her gaze fixed on Morgan. “What a smart move, Mr. Finn. You’re pushing someone else under the bus to save your own sorry ass. But do you really think that you’ll get away scot–free?”

“Ms. Harmon, what do you mean? I’m afraid I do not follow.” Morgan’s brows were tightly knit.

“Don’t assume that I do not know what you’ve done. I just never bothered to take action. But you’ve messed with the wrong person now! I’m giving you one last chance. Give Mr. Rhys a sincere apology for your behavior
today, or be prepared to bear the consequences!” Natasha ordered with an icy expression.

“Ms. Harmon, you must be kidding me!” Morgan’s expression darkened. “I’m a founding member and the vice president of the company! How could you make me apologize to a mere boy toy like him? How will I put my subordinates in line if I do that?”

“You’re not apologizing, are you? Guards, beat him up!” Natasha wasted no time with him. With a snap of her fingers, two bodyguards came up to them and gave Morgan several hard smacks on his face. He was totally befuddled.
 
Chapter 196

“H–how could you order them to smack me?” Morgan cradled his face in his palms as disbelief consumed him.

“Not only did I get them to hit you, I’m throwing you out too! As of this moment, you are no longer vice president of the company! Natasha said bluntly.

“Natasha Harmon! This is too much! I’ve slaved my ass off in the company all these years, and you’re laying me off all because of this scoundrel? How won’t sit well with the rest of the employees? You dismiss my effort and labor! Are you not afraid that this

“What? Is that a threat? Do you think that you are in a position to threaten me?”

Natasha laughed mockingly. “Let me be honest here. I’m not only going to fire you, but I’m also sending you to prison today! I have records of all your dirty deeds, which I’m sure are enough to keep you in there for a lifetime!”

“Natasha Harmon! How dare you! I have the support of your cousin, Quentin Harmon!” Morgan shouted loudly. though he was trembling within.

“Quentin Harmon? Hah! Why don’t you get him to come here now? See if I’ll cut him any slack?” Natasha threatened him domineeringly.

Quentin, who had just set foot through the door, heard that and immediately retraced his steps. Damn it! He dared not mess with her when she was already angry!

“Natasha Harmon, you can’t do this! I-

“Shut up!” Natasha lifted a hand and delivered a slap to his face so strong that his nose started to bleed. “I’ve given you your chance, but you didn’t take it. Guards! Tie them up and send them to the police station!”

Following her order, several security guards came and tied Morgan and Mr. Marcs up.

“Ms. Harmon, I was wrong! Please, give me another chance! I’ll never do this again!” Morgan finally lost his composure when he saw where things were going. He fell to his knees and started begging.

“Yes, Ms. Harmon, we were just momentarily taken over by greed. Considering how we’ve labored for the company all these years, could you please forgive us this once?” Mr. Marcs was so terrified that he was in tears.

Even Mr. Finn, the person on whom he relied to support him, was going under. How could he, a mere manager put up a fight against Natasha?

“Mr. Rhys, I’m terribly sorry! I was rude and ignorant, please, have mercy on us and let us go!” Morgan saw how Natasha was ignoring them, so he quickly changed his target and turned to beg Dustin.

“What?” Julie and Matt watched the proceedings with their mouths agape. The vice president of Harmon Pharmaceuticals was on his knees, begging for forgiveness from a worthless piece of trash? How humiliating!

“It’s too late to repent now! Take them away!” Natasha signaled to her guards. They were both quickly dragged away. Their cries and shouts for forgiveness fell on deaf ears.

Natasha’s swift and decisive course of action caused the crowd to look at her in awe. She was impressive and domineering, truly deserving of her title of the Steel Lady.

“Dustin, I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m taking this opportunity to rid the company of anyone else bearing ill intentions. I don’t want an insignificant employee of the company to ruin our reputation.” Natasha gave Dustin a heads–up and proceeded to leave with her men in tow. It was a critical moment for the company, so she would not allow anyone to jeopardize them from the inside.

After Natasha left, all eyes were on Dustin. In the end, Mr. Rhys was the one with the power to decide who the company’s rights would go to.

“Rhys! Why didn’t you help plead for Mr. Marcs?” Julie confronted him, looking dissatisfied.

“He stole what he was supposed to guard and sold substandard products in secret. He deserved everything. that he got today. Why should I help him?” Dustin asked calmly.

“He’s a close friend of mine! You could easily have helped him! Why didn’t you? Do you even have an ounce of empathy for others in you?” Julie glared at him.

“He’s your friend, so what’s that got to do with me? In fact, what do you even have to do with me?” Dustin said.

“You’re my ex–cousin–in–law! Even if not for my sake, you should have helped him for Dahlia’s sake! Why are you so cruel?” Julie said brazenly.

“Haha! So you do know that I’m your ex–cousin–in–law? If my memory serves me right, not only did you not help me when I was accused of theft earlier on, you even stepped out to vouch for those who slandered me.

Why didn’t you think about how I was your ex–cousin–in–law then?” Custin snorted.

Julie’s face flushed instantly. She found no words fit to clear herself of her actions.
 
Chapter 197

“Alright, alright. Let’s put all those behind us and talk business, shall we?” Matt stepped in to smooth things over. “Dustin, let’s be professional here. I’m really interested in the company’s rights. Here’s a million–dollar check. I’d like to buy an allocation for the rights.”

“A million dollars? Do you take me for a beggar? Dustin found it ridiculous.

“Hey! Are you saying that a million dollars is too little? Aren’t you getting greedy?” Julie protested indignantly.” Just because the Harmons‘ gave you a prescription formula, you think that you can flaunt your authority? You only have authority because you are affiliated with the Harmons!”

“Dustin, let’s cut to the chase. Name your price: how much will it take for you to give me the company rights?” Matt tried his best to stay calm.

“No amount of money will be able to get you that. A person of your character is simply not qualified to obtain the company rights for Immortunol Dustin flat–out rejected him.

“What? You’re rejecting money?” Matt narrowed his eyes.

“Well, it depends on the source of the money. Yours come from unsolicited sources, and I don’t like that.” Dustin turned his nose up at Matt’s offer.

“Dustin! You’re going overboard!” Matt’s expression clouded over. “I’m giving way to you and letting go of past grudges, but you better not overstep your boundary and stand in the way of my money!”

“That’s right! It’s your honor that Matt is interested in having the company rights for Immortunol! Don’t be ungrateful and shameless!” Julie boasted arrogantly.

“Are you threatening me?” Dustin lifted a brow.

“That depends on how you see it. It could be a piece of advice as much as it could be a threat!” Matt said in a low voice.

“I don’t care if it’s advice or a threat. I stand by my words. No way in hell are you getting the company rights!” Dustin said it plain and clear.

“Rhys! Are you really hellbent on crossing me?” Matt gritted his teeth; his gaze was as cold and poisonous as a serpent’s.

“So what if I cross you? Do you think I’d be afraid of you?” Dustin scoffed.

“Alright then, just you wait!” Matt glowered at him before making his way out.

“Rhys! What good will it do to burn bridges? You’re just lucky that you got the prescription formula. Don’t get all cocky thinking you’re all that. You’re only making things difficult for yoursell by going against Matt! You despicable person! All you do is rely on others! Just you wait, Rhys! You’re going to get it!” Julie was just about to leave after she ran her mouth berating Dustin, when several police officers came in.

“Are you Julie Amberson?” The leader asked.

“So what if I am?” Julie shot them a dirty look.

“We just received a report that you are in league with Morgan Finn and Harvey Marcs for selling drugs in private. We have concrete evidence. You’ll need to come with us.”

“Hey! What nonsense is that? When have I sold drugs in private?” Julie was terrified.

“Still denying, are we? Harvey Marcs has just pointed you out as the mastermind!”

“N–no way! That’s not possible! How could Harvey point me out? You must be mistaken!” Julie shook her head vigorously.

“Come with us, and we’ll find out if we’re mistaken. Bring her away!” The leading officer could not be bothered to waste more time with her. He gave the order to have Julie cuffed and brought away.

“I’m innocent! This is an injustice! Matt! Save me, Matt!” Julie was utterly flustered. She cried out desperately for help, but there was no one there to help her. Matt had hidden away the moment he sensed trouble. He wasn’t about to get himself involved. He did not expect Mr. Marcs to push the blame on Julie.
 
Chapter 198

An hour later, James burst into the Nicholson manor hurriedly. “Mom! I’ve got bad news! Julie’s in big trouble!”

“Trouble? What trouble?” Florence was enjoying her tea and responded slowly.

“Matt just called to tell me that Julie’s been sent to jail!” That was a shocking piece of news.

“What?” Florence sat bolt upright when she heard that. “How did that happen? Why would Julie suddenly be locked up?”

“Matt said that Julie went to the Harmons to buy something called Immortunol, and she got into some sort of conflict with Dustin. Somehow, Julie ended up detained for stealing drugs, James explained.

“Stealing drugs? No! That’s impossible! Julie might be spoiled, but she would never commit thell!” As Florence spoke, she suddenly seemed to catch an important piece of information, “Hang on, did you just say that Julie had a conflict with Dustin, which was why she got caught? Could it be possible that the worthless piece of trash pulled a dirty trick on her?”

“That’s right! That’s what Matt said too!” James nodded. “That rascal has been resentful towards us all along.

This time, he must have framed Julie up to seek revenge for his personal grievances!”

“That monster! Has he no conscience?” Florence was so furious that she slammed her hand on the table. She spat her words through clenched jaws. “The Nicholson family has been nothing but kind to him, but not only is he not grateful, he repays our kindness with enmity. He’s nothing but a treacherous beast who betrays people who showed him kindness!”

“What do we do now, Mom?” James asked.

“We have to use our connections to bail Julie out!” Florence was flustered. Julie was her only niece, and she doted on her so.

“Mom, it seems like the only person who can help us now is Matt,” James said solemnly.

Matt rushed in hurriedly right then. From the looks of it, he had already been running around trying to help Julie.

Florence immediately went up to him and started pleading when she saw him. “Matt, you’ve come at the right time! Julie’s been apprehended and you’re the only one who can save her now!”

Matt sighed heavily. “Mrs. Nicholson, I’ve been asking around; Julie has been pointed out as the mastermind behind the theft. The Harmons won’t let her off easily. From the way things look right now, Julie might be sentenced to prison for around eight to ten years.”

“What?” Florence was so startled that she nearly lost her footing. “Julie is just a dainty little girl who’s never been through any hardships! How could she possibly survive eight to ten years behind bars? Please, Matt!

Think of something! You must save her!”

“Mrs. Nicholson, based on the severity of the issue, I need to get my father to help out with this,” Matt said with a shake of his head.

“Anything will do! We’ll forever be indebted to you if your father can get Julie out of there!” Florence looked at him expectantly.

“I’ll give him a call to see what he says about this.” Matt pulled out his phone and gave his father a call.

After a brief conversation, he ended the call and said with a troubled expression. “Mrs. Nicholson, my father has agreed to save Julie on one condition.”

“And what condition is that?” Florence asked.

“According to my father, Dustin has the prescription formula for Immortunol. If you can get the prescription formula from him, then not only will my father be able to save Julie, but he will also give you thirty thousand dollars as a reward!” Matt’s offer was shocking.

“Thirty thousand dollars? Do you mean it?” Florence’s eyes lit up.

“Of course! My father never backs out on a promise.” Matt nodded.

“That’s no problem at all! It’s just a prescription formula, isn’t it? I’ll go get it right away! That worthless man would never dare to reject me if I asked for it!” Florence was roused. Not only would she be able to get Julie out of prison, but she would also get a large sum of money out of it. What an enticing deal!

“Alright, then I’ll be waiting for your good news. Mrs. Nicholson.” Matt smiled.

“James! Get a few men and come with me!” Florence ordered and stormed out the door.
 
Chapter 199

At noon, after settling the issue with the dealer, Dustin returned to Peaceful Medical Center.

However, as soon as he walked in, he realized that there was an additional person there–an 18–year–old girl with a sweet face.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was dressed casually. She was cleaning the medical center, and sweat poured down her face from how hard she was working.

Meanwhile, Gregory was passed out on a recliner, snoring in his sleep. He was covered in a blanket, which was rare.

“Mr. Rhys, you’re back?” When the girl saw Dustin, she immediately stood up straight and greeted him, looking nervous.

“Who are you?” Dustin found the situation rather strange.

“I’m Caitlyn Lawler. Ms. Harmon sent me here to take care of Mr. Jones,” the girl replied, nodding her head in greeting.

“A–are you of age?” Dustin was a little taken aback. He thought Natasha was going to send a middle–aged housekeeper, not a young teenager.

“I am! I’m already 18 years old!” Caitlyn nodded her head fervently.

“Miss, I still think you’re too young. At your age, you should be in school.” Dustin shook his head.

It was just a casual statement, but after Caitlyn heard it, she actually fell straight to her knees.

“Mr. Rhys, I’m begging you to not fire me! I’m very capable. I can do laundry, cook, and clean. No matter how tiring or tedious the task may be. I’m willing to do it. Don’t be fooled by my thin figure: I’m actually very strong. Not to mention, I eat very little, so I definitely won’t be a burden to you!”

“Huh?” Dustin was stunned by the sudden outburst. She was fine earlier, so why was she on her knees right.now?

“Mr. Rhys, I’m begging you! If I do anything poorly, you can scold me and hit me as you wish. I can take anything. So please, don’t fire me!”

As she spoke, she smacked her head on the floor over and over again. After a few harsh knocks, her forehead. began to bleed as her skin scraped the hard floor.

“Foolish girl, what are you doing?” Dustin was shocked at the scene before him.

He immediately helped her up and comforted her. “I wasn’t trying to fire you, I was just worried that the work would be too hard on you.”

“It’s not hard at all… Caitlyn shook her head profusely.

With teary eyes, she said, “It would be the blessing of a lifetime to be able to serve you and Mr. Jones. I’m not afraid of hard work. If you don’t mind, Mr. Rhys, then I am willing to become your laborer!”

“Caitlyn, is there something that you’re too embarrassed to share?” Dustin tried asking.

“Nothing of that sort. It’s completely voluntary on my part.” Caitlyn explained hastily.

“I was orphaned when I was young. It was Ms. Harmon who saved me and helped me survive this long. I dare not ask for too much; all I want is to be able to repay Ms. Harmon. I’m very stupid; I don’t know anything but hard labor. I hope you won’t detest me for it, Mr. Rhys.”

Seeing the person in front of him look so terrified and pitiful, Dustin let out a sigh. He couldn’t help but feel pity.for her. She was at the peak of her youth and knew how to tug on people’s heartstrings.

“Caitlyn, since you want to stay, then stay,” Dustin responded in a gentle voice.

“Thank you, Mr. Rhys! Thank you!” Caitlyn got on her knees and began bowing again, knocking her head on the floor once more.

Dustin instantly pulled her to her feet. Feigning sternness, he warned, “Caitlyn, you may stay, but we must set some rules. From today onward, you’re not allowed to kneel before anyone!”

“Okay, I’ll remember that!” Caitlyn promised cheerfully.

“From today onward, you belong to the Peaceful Medical Center. If anyone dares bully you, you just have to tell me.” Dustin said, smiling softly.

“Okay!”

“Alright. Go get some rest; you don’t need to work now.”

“Okay” Caitlyn nodded again. Despite agreeing, she still didn’t dare remain idle and continued to wipe the tables and clean up the medical center instead.

Dustin felt helpless, but he didn’t stop her.
 
Chapter 200

Dustin knew that Caitlyn deeply lacked a sense of security.

If he asked her not to do anything, she would feel even more lost.

At that moment, his phone rang.

When he picked up the phone, he heard an unfamiliar voice. “Hello, is this Mr. Rhys? I’m the new chief inspector from the investigation bureau, Aspen Cruiser.”

“Oh, it’s you, Chief Cruiser. Is something the matter?” Dustin was surprised.

“Here’s the deal. We just arrested a suspect named Julie Amberson. According to our investigation, she was your sister–in–law, and she’s involved in the theft of Immortunol. I wanted to ask if you wanted to take her case?” Aspen asked tentatively.

“It’s fine. This has nothing to do with her,” Dustin replied.

Although he didn’t like Julie, he wouldn’t stoop so low as to use his power for his personal revenge and send her to jail.

“Alright, I know what to do now. Enjoy your day, Mr. Rhys.”

Dustin said nothing as he hung up. Then, he took out an ancient text and began to leaf through it.

It was an old habit of his. Whenever he had some free time, he’d pick up a book to read.

Suddenly, there was a furious shout from outside. “Dustin, get the fuck out here now!”

Soon after, Florence stormed inside, accompanied by James and a few other thugs.

“Did you need something from me?” Dustin raised his head to level her with a look.

“You inhumane animal! What did Julie ever do to you? How dare you try to get her in trouble?” Florence screamed as soon as she stepped through the door. “You’re truly devoid of a conscience, you pathetic, shameless, ungrateful, degenerate animal!”

“Mom, since when did you know so many adjectives?” James was taken aback.

She didn’t even graduate from middle school, but she sure knew how to give a good scolding.

“Is that the point? Florence turned her head and glared hard at James. Then, she wiped her head and looked back at Dustin. “Rhys, I bet you have nothing smart to say anymore! I knew you were guilty from the start!”

“I don’t know where you heard this unfounded rumor from, but Julie’s arrest has nothing to do with me. She was the one who made friends with the wrong crowd,” Dustin said, unfazed by her accusations.

“Bullshit! Do you think that it’ll blow over if you keep denying it? I’m warning you, if something happens to Julie in there, you’ll never hear the end of it from me!” Florence warned through gritted teeth.

“Did you come here just to tell me this?” Dustin was expressionless.

“Of course not! The reason we graced you with our presence is to ask you for the formula for Immortunol!” James declared.

“That’s right! For getting Julie into trouble, you must compensate us. I order you to hand us the formula!” Florence demanded arrogantly.

“The formula for Immortunol?” Dustin lifted a brow. “Sorry, I can’t give it to you. It now belongs to the Harmon family.”

“I don’t care! You have to give us a copy today!” Florence commanded unreasonably.

“Exactly! If the Harmon family can have it, then so can we. If you hand us the formula, we won’t hold the past. against you!” James yelled.

“I told you, I can’t give you the formula. If you’re here for this, then please leave.” Dustin tried to chase them out of the medical center.

“Bullshit! You have to give it to us today, no matter what! Or else, don’t blame us if we do it the hard way!” James threatened, an evil glint in his eyes.

Seeing the situation turn sour, Caitlyn immediately stood in front of Dustin, shielding him. “Y–you’re being so unreasonable! Mr. Rhys has already said he won’t give it to you. If you keep insisting. I’ll call the authorities!”

Although she was shaking from fright, she didn’t retreat.

“Where did this bitch come from? Get the fuck out of the way!”

Angered, James gave Caitlyn a harsh slap, and the latter fell to the floor.

Her pink cheek began to swell.

“Hmm?” Dustin’s expression darkened.

An indescribable anger began to boil inside of him.
 
Chapter 201

“James, I’m giving you three seconds to apologize to Caitlyn!”

Dustin slowly got to his feet, his expression dark.

“Apologize? Who the fuck do you think you are? As if I’m going to apologize just because you asked me to. Not to mention, isn’t she just a stupid bitch? So what if I hit her? What are you doing to do about it? If you’re going to keep yapping at me, I might even hit you too!” James yelled; his expression was ferocious.

“You dimwitted fool!” Dustin snorted humorlessly, launching a kick at James‘ abdomen.

The latter let out a pained cry as he flew a few feet backward. His entire body was curled up into a ball as he rolled backward.

At first, Florence was utterly dumbfounded. Then, her eyes flared with rage, screaming as she pounced at him.” How dare you hit my son?! You ruthless animal, I’m going to teach you a lesson!”

She started to scratch and hit him, throwing out moves like it was a catlight.

“Get off!”

Dustin’s body shook, and an invisible force pushed Florence to stagger backward.

In the end, she lost her balance, falling onto her bottom with an “ouch‘. Her head banged against the door.

“You horrible piece of shit! How dare you hit me too? This is wrong. This is all wrong! How did our family raise such an ungrateful bastard like you?!” Florence sobbed, seated on the floor.

After watching his mother fall, James immediately shouted furiously, “What are you all doing just standing there? Get him!”

The thugs suddenly woke up from their daze. They instantly brandished their steel pipes and charged toward Dustin, roaring.

However, in the next second, they were all sent flying out of the medical center, screaming.

“Fuck, you’re all useless!” James shouted, disappointed to the point of fury.

He thought that by bringing thugs over, he could get the upper hand in the battle. He never thought that the thugs he hired would be so useless.

Suddenly, Dustin spoke up, “Caitlyn, he slapped you just now, so you can give him two slaps in return.”

“Don’t you dare!” James‘ expression was demonic.

Caitlyn seemed frozen in fear. She shrank in on herself, not daring to step forward.

All her life, she had only been beaten–she had never hit someone else before.

“If she doesn’t dare, I’ll do it for her then!”

Without another word, Dustin slapped James hard in the face two times. The latter was dazed from the blows, and his cheeks grew red and puffy.

“You savage, you’re even lower than an animal! Did you just smack your former brother–in–law over a stupid beggar? Are you even human?! Our family has done so much for you, but not only do you not know how to repay us, you choose to bite the hand that fed you!

“You’re truly heartless! No wonder my daughter wanted to divorce you. Because of your ungrateful character, you deserve to die alone! You petty, immoral, and hopeless piece of trash, you’ll never compare to Matt!” Florence screamed, pointing her finger at Dustin’s nose.

She was showing her true colors as a wicked shrew.

“The Nicholson family has done so much for me? I’m being ungrateful?” Dustin couldn’t hold back his laughter at her ridiculous words.

“Why does that sound so funny coming from your mouth? When you say you did so much for me who do you think helped you get to where you are today? Ever since Dahlia started her company three years ago, it’s only been smooth sailing and successful; who do you think helped her out behind the scenes?

“Trevor’s revenge, the Harmon family’s partners, James being detained at the bar, Dahlia running into danger, and also getting rid of the Hummers‘ boycott who do you think took care of these things? It was me! When you say you’ve done a lot for me, it’s me who’s done a lot for the Nicholson family! But how did you all repay me? By verbally abusing me and framing me. Let me ask you this, who’s the ungrateful one?!” Dustin spoke in a booming voice.
 
Chapter 202

Dustin finally let out the grievances that he had bottled up for a long time.

“You…

… That’s bullshit!” Florence did not believe it in the slightest.

Her tone grew even shriller as she screamed, “As if you had the capability to help us! My daughter’s achievements today are all thanks to her own excellence! It has nothing to do with you! Also, don’t think you’re all that. You had to rely on a woman to climb your way up to where you are today! If Ms. Harmon hadn’t protected you, the Hummers would have slaughtered you long ago! So don’t feel too happy now. Ms. Harmon will kick a useless gigolo like you to the curb sooner or later. And when the time comes, you’ll become the public enemy!”

Hearing these words, Dustin simply shook his head and laughed.

Sure enough, there was no point in saying all those things. These people wouldn’t believe it at all.

In the Nicholson family’s eyes, he had always been nothing but an incompetent average Joe.

Of course, he didn’t care.

“Alright. I don’t want to waste my breath with you anymore. Please leave the medical center right now. You are not welcome here!” Dustin said, leaving no room for their bullshit.

“Just you fucking wait! This is not over! James bellowed. Then, he helped Florence into the car and left.

He couldn’t beat him in a fight, so he could only think of another way.

“Caitlyn, are you okay?” Dustin asked with concern.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry for causing trouble for you, Mr. Rhys.” Caitlyn looked ashamed.

“You silly girl, if you encounter this again in the future, run far away and hide. Don’t try to act tough,” Dustin admonished.

“Okay.” Caitlyn nodded her head with a sweet smile on her face.

In the evening, Dahlia returned to the Nicholson Villa after work. As soon as she stepped through the door, she saw James‘ bruised face as well as Matt’s stern one.

As soon as James saw her, he told her what happened. “Dahlia, you’re finally home. Did you know that Mom got beaten up?”

“Mom was beaten? What happened!?” Dahlia was shocked.

“It’s a long story. You need to go to Mom’s room and see her as soon as possible!” James urged.

Dahlia frowned and quickly went to Florence’s room.

She found Florence lying on the bed, looking pallid.

Her head was wrapped in thick bandages, and her hands and feet were in casts.

On the bedside table, there are several bloody towels. It was a scene from a nightmare.

“Mom, what happened to you? How did you get hurt so badly?” Dahlia was aghast.

“Dahlia, you’re finally back. If you had come any later, I may not see you ever again…” She trailed off before erupting in a fake coughing fit.

“Mom, just what happened to you? Who did this to you?!” Dahlia’s expression turned frosty.

“Ugh It was all because of that animal, Dustin! Your brother and I went to the Peaceful Medical Center today to ask him to help us write a formula, but not only did that animal refuse to help, he even spewed many offensive things. I got mad and told him off, but that savage was so ashamed that he flew into a rage and beat me and your brother up. I got lucky. Otherwise, I may not have been able to return!” Florence sighed, recounting the incident with a few embellishments.

“Dustin? He would never do that.” Dahlia’s eyes widened. She found it a little hard to believe.

The Dustin she knew was definitely not a vicious person.

“Dahlia, I know it’s hard for you to believe, but the truth is already in front of you. Look at Mom, and then look at my face. We were beaten to a pulp! That Rhys bastard is simply not human!” James whined indignantly.

“No, that can’t be. Was it some kind of misunderstanding?” Dahlia held onto the last glimmer of hope.

“Dahlia, things have already come to this. Don’t tell me you still want to defend that trash! Fine, since you don’t believe me, I’ll show you proof! This is a recording from my dashcam. You’ll know whether it’s true or not once you watch it,” James said, fishing out his phone from his pocket. He opened a video and pressed play. Dahlia focused on the screen. In an instant, she felt as though she’d been struck by lightning.
 
Chapter 203

The video on James‘ phone showed Dustin getting violent.

First, he kicked James, then he pushed Florence aside, causing her to fall onto the floor and bang her head against the door.

Finally, it ended with Dustin slapping James twice.

The start and end of the video had been edited out, and there was no audio, only images.

After watching it. Dahlia was frozen.

She couldn’t believe it before, but the video was right here; she had to believe it.

“Dahlia, you saw what happened, right? This is proof that he beat us! Mom is already getting old; she can’t handle that piece of trash’s beatings! We already went to the hospital to get checked out. The doctor said that her concussion is so severe that she might develop Alzheimer’s disease! Not to mention, she even broke a few bones. She’ll have trouble looking after herself in the future. Dahlia, do you still want to believe such a savage?! “James spat through gritted teeth, looking downtrodden and furious.

“Why? Why would he do that?” Dahlia clenched her fists, and her face was pale.

Their relationship had just begun to improve. She was even considering remarrying him. But why did Dustin hit her mother?Could he have lost all feelings?

“Dahlia, not only did that brute hit me, but he also framed Julie and sent her to jail!” Florence said gravely.

“What? Julie is in jail?” Dahlia’s eyes grew wide.

“That’s right! Today, Julie went to the Harmons‘ to buy Immortunol and got into a disagreement with Dustin. Then, that bastard wanted to take revenge, so he got someone to arrest Julie and charge her with theft.” James said venomously.

“I was there the whole time. I can vouch for it,” Matt chimed in from the side.

Naturally, he wouldn’t give up an opportunity to kick a man while he was down.

“Dahlia, did you hear that? That bastard, Dustin, is an ungrateful son–of–a–bitch. We were all fooled by him back then. He has already shown his true colors now, and he does not want to forgive and forget. How can you trust a man like him?!” Florence added, stoking the llames. As she spoke, she began to cough again.

She looked like she was at death’s door, and Dahlia’s heart clenched at the sight.

The last ray of hope in her heart was completely extinguished. Instead, it was replaced by fury!

Without another word, she took out her phone and dialed Dustin’s number.

“Hello? I demand an explanation!”

“An explanation? For what?” Dustin responded calmly.

“I’m asking you whether you were the one who beat my mother and James up?!” Dahlia asked, suppressing her anger.

“I did hit James, but he deserved it. As for your mother, she caused her own fall by accident.”

“By accident?” Dahlia’s voice rose sharply.

“You say it like it’s nothing! Not only did your so–called accident cause my mother to break her hands and legs, she even suffered a severe concussion!”

“Is it that serious?” Dustin was suspicious of that claim.

She’s lying in bed, unable to move due to her injuries. Do you think that’s not serious? According to your logic, does my mother have to die on the spot for her injuries to be serious? Are you even human?‘ Dahlia’s blood was boiling.

“You’d better calm down and take your mother to have her injuries examined,” Dustin said.

When Florence left earlier, she had been fine. There was no way she was this badly injured all of a sudden.

“Have her examined for what? I’ve already seen it with my own eyes, so why do I need to get her checked out? Are you still trying to justify yourself at this point?” Dahlia said, fuming.

He had beaten up her family. Now, not only was he refusing to apologize, but he was also acting so righteously.

When did he become so unreasonable?

“Since you believe your mother’s story, then why are you asking me?” Dustin’s tone grew cold.

“What? Are you throwing in the towel just because you’ve been caught? You’re the one who beat them up; are you saying you were in the right?” Dahlia said.

“Fine. Let’s say I did beat them up, but did you ever ask why?” Dustin said.

“Of course, I asked! My mother asked you for the formula; not only did you refuse, you even said some harsh things. She told you off, and then you beat her up. Isn’t that what happened?!”

“Heh If that’s what you think happened, then that’s what happened.” Dustin snickered.

The current him was too lazy to explain. No matter what he said, they wouldn’t believe him.

“Dustin, ch, Dustin. I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of person! Did you have to go that far over a formula? What would have happened it you’d given her the recipe? Would you lose a limb? You know what, I can just pay for it! Is one million dollars enough? Or two? Name your price, and I’ll buy it no matter the amount!

Dahlia grew angrier and angrier as she spoke. Her hands started to tremble with rage.

“Do you think this is about money? To tell you the truth, I’ve already given the formula away.” Dustin stated indifferently.

“Who did you give it to? Was it Natasha? So are you saying that you would rather give her the formula for free than sell it to me?”

“Can you be more reasonable?”

“Am I being unreasonable, or are you just a cold and heartless person who grew tired of your old toy in favor of a new one? Am I not even worth one formula in your eyes?!” Dahlla was about to lose her mind.

She wasn’t this upset earlier, but at the thought of Natasha, she felt a knife pierce her heart.

She couldn’t help but feel as if someone had taken something important from her.

“Dahlia, I don’t want to argue with you. If you called me to talk about this, then I don’t think we have anything to talk about,” Dustin said, taking a deep breath.

“Fine! Let’s not talk about the formula–let’s talk about Julie! Were you responsible for her arrest?” Dahlia changed the subject.

“If I said no, would you believe me?” Dustin said indifferently.

“Do you think I would believe you? Matt saw you plant fake evidence with his own eyes and got Julie sent to jail! I know you don’t like her, but must you be so petty? How could you do such a cruel thing over a small conflict? That’s my cousin! How could you do such a horrible thing?!” Dahlia was practically roaring by the end of the sentence.

“So you’ll believe whatever Matt says? Am I such a narrow–minded asshole in your eyes that you’d rather believe Matt over me?” Dustin asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

“You’ve done so many terrible things. How can I believe you?” Dahlia retorted back.

When Dustin heard those words, he fell silent, his mouth curving into a self–deprecating smile. He didn’t want to explain further, nor did he have the energy to do so.

Once the seeds of doubt were planted, they could never be removed.

There had always been a chasm between him and Dahlia. It was due to a lack of trust.

No matter what he did or said, he would never receive an acknowledgment. But whenever there was a minor misunderstanding, it would explode into a full–blown argument.

That was the crux of their problems.

He had really done his best.
 
Chapter 204

“You don’t have anything else to say? I knew you were lying! Why? How did you turn out this way? Why do you have to push my boundaries over and over again? Must you keep causing trouble until we turn against each other? Dahlia’s face was full of disappointment, and she felt disheartened.

“It’s not that I’ve changed, but you’ve never believed in me, whether it was before or now. Since you won’t believe me anyway, then there’s nothing to talk about. I’ll figure out a way to repay you for what you did for Gregory.” As soon as Dustin finished speaking, he hung up.

Could things go back to the way they were before? No, it was impossible.

This was his answer to her question last night.

“Dustin, what do you mean? Are you trying to cut ties with me? You … Dahlia still had more to say, but the line had already gone dead.

Dustin’s indifference and coldness felt like a knife in her heart.

She couldn’t understand why the two of them couldn’t get along peacefully. Why must they hurt each other? Why?

Why couldn’t he try to understand her?

“Dahlia, I told you a long time ago that Dustin is inhuman. I’m sure you’ve seen his true self by now,” James said, adding fuel to the fire.

“Dahlia, we won’t go and beg him. That animal will get his reckoning sooner or later!” Florence added another blow.

“Mom, don’t talk anymore; just focus on getting better. I’ll think of something to help Julie.” Dahlia’s mental state was a mess.

“Dahlia, you don’t have to worry too much. My father is already talking to his connections about Julie’s arrest. I’m sure we’ll hear something soon,” Matt said comfortingly from the side.

A woman was most vulnerable when she was injured.

If he took advantage of this opportunity, she would be his soon.

“Thanks.” Dahlia forced a smile.

While they were talking, a police car suddenly stopped at the entrance of the villa.

The car door opened, and Julie jumped off the car joyfully.

As soon as she stepped through the door, she hollered, “Aunt Florence, I’m back!”

“Julie?!”

When the others saw her, they all had looks of surprise.

Florence even dropped her sickly act and leaped off the bed.

Grabbing Julie’s hand, she looked her up and down with a worried face. “Julie, are you okay? Did you get hurt in there? Do you know how worried I was about you?”

“Aunt Florence, I’m fine. I was just locked up for half a day. I didn’t get hurt.” Julie smiled.

Although she was a little shaken up, she was glad to be back safe and sound.

“You were released after just half a day? That was quick” James said, a little flabbergasted.

“The situation was rather strange. When they interrogated me, they were so fierce and scary. However, after they got a phone call, they immediately released me,” Julie said, sounding confused.

A light quickly went off in Florence’s head. “Ah, I know! It must have been Matt’s father who helped you. If it wasn’t for Mr. Laney Sr.’s connections, you’d probably still be stuck in there.”

“Really? Thank you so much, Matt!” Julie hurriedly thanked him.

“No, it was just a small favor. It was nothing.” Matt faked a humble smile.

Although he said that, he thought the situation was weird, too. According to the plan, his father would only help Julie after he got the formula for Immortunol.

So why had she been released so soon?

“See. Dahlia? This is the difference between Matt and Dustin! That Rhys bastard has no capabilities aside from using dirty tactics to get people in trouble! Then look at Matt–every time there’s a critical moment, he always lends us a hand and saves the day! Now you should know which man cares about you the most,” Florence said, purposely dragging one man down to lift the other up, showering Matt with praise.

"Exactly, Dahlia! That loser is not good enough for you. Matt is still the best match for you. Since you’re already divorced, the way I see it, you should just get together with Matt, James added.

“I don’t want to talk about this right now.”
 
Chapter 205

Dahlia frowned slightly, slowly coming back to her senses. Looking at Florence hop around energetically, she was astounded. “Mom, I thought you said you broke your hands and feet? How can you still stand?”

“Huh?” Florence’s face froze, and she forced a smile. “When I saw Julie, I got a little too emotional and temporarily forgot about the pain. I should lie back down and get some rest right away.”

With that, she limped to the bed.But those horrible acting skills fooled no one.

“Mom, are you actually fine and were just pretending to be hurt in front of me?!” Dahlia’s face sank.

“How can I be fine? Didn’t you see how Dustin hit me? Ouch held her head and began to put on a show again.

My head is starting to hurt again!” Florence

“You said you have a concussion and broken limbs. Well, where’s the case file from the hospital? Show it to me!” Dahlia demanded.

“Well…” Florence and James both looked at each other, speechless.

Seeing their reaction, of course. Dahlia caught on.

“So you two have been lying to me all along? All for what?” She bit the bottom of her lip.

“Fine. I’m not hurt! So what? Seeing that her ruse was up, Florence stopped pretending.

She said indignantly, “Although I didn’t get hurt, it’s still true that that animal beat us up. You saw what happened in the video. Could that be faked?”

“That’s right! Dahlia, look at the injuries on my face. He did this to me!” James played along.

“Give me your phone!” Dahlia demanded, her gaze cold.

“W–what do you want my phone for?” James felt a niggling sense of guilt.

“Just give it to me!”

Without another word, Dahlia snatched the phone from his hands. She looked for the full video and played it with the volume turned up.

After grasping the entire situation, her body began to tremble from head to toe. She finally understood why her brother had been beaten up.

Dustin wasn’t the ungrateful one. It was her mother and brother who crossed the line and went to his doorstep to kick up a fuss!

“Why? Why did you guys lie to me?!” Dahlia was extremely upset.

“Dahlia, we didn’t lie to you. That animal was wrong to hit us. Even if we started it, he had no right to hit us back! So what if we hit him? We’re older than him; can’t we teach him a lesson?! Florence argued righteously as if her actions were justified,

“You–you guys are really unbelievable!” Dahlia was furious. She didn’t expect that her mother would be so unreasonable and evil.

It was clearly her own fault, but she still pinned the blame on Dustin, deliberately twisting the truth and misleading her.

“Fine! Even if we were impulsive this time, it doesn’t mean that ass wasn’t responsible for this as well. If he hadn’t framed Julie, would we have gone over to pick a light? In the end, he had it coming for him!” Florence shouted with conviction, her hands on her waist.

As soon as she said that, a middle–aged man in uniform alighted from the police car that stopped in front of their door.

“You must be Julie Amberson’s family, am I right? I am Chief Aspen Cruiser. Regarding Julie’s case of medicine theft, although Mr. Rhys has decided not to pursue the matter, you still need to make sure she learned her lesson and won’t make the same mistake again. If Mr. Rhys hadn’t said anything today, Julie would probably have remained in there for a few more years. Do you understand?” Aspen said, giving them a stern verbal warning.

“Mr. Rhys?”

Florence and the others looked at each other. “Wasn’t it Mr. Laney Sr. who helped Julie?”

“Who’s that? I’ve never heard of him,” Aspen replied, stone–faced.

As soon as he said that, everyone’s eyes llicked over to Matt.

After everything that happened, it wasn’t even Phineas Laney who helped.

Then, had they thanked the wrong person?

Being on the receiving end of everyone’s gazes, Matt felt his face flush, as if he’d been slapped on both cheeks. This was fucking humiliating!

“Chief Cruiser, may I ask who this “Mr. Rhys‘ is that you’re talking about?” Florence still couldn’t believe it.

Aspen raised an eyebrow. “Who else could it be? Of course, it’s Dustin Rhys. Who else would help you out?”

As soon as he said that, the entire room fell dead silent…

“D–Dustin Rhys? How could it be him?!” After learning the truth, Florence and the others looked at each other for a while, disbelief written on their faces.

Never in a million years had they considered that it wasn’t Matt who saved Julie, but the person they had dubbed ungrateful.

This was simply a slap in the face!

“So Dustin never framed Julie in the first place, and it was you guys purposely slinging mud at him?” Dahlia stood rooted to the ground, expressionless. Her face was as white as a sheet.

“W–who slung mud at him? I bet he’s feeling guilty because he knows what he did wrong, so he’s trying to make things up to us!” Florence insisted stubbornly.

She was used to bossing people around; of course, she would never admit that she had gotten the wrong idea about Dustin.

That would be too humiliating.

“Mom, things have already come to this, and you still want to justify yourself?” Dahlia bit her lip. Even her heart was clenching.

“How am I justifying myself? If that Rhys bastard hadn’t framed Julie, why would he have saved her? In the end, he was just feeling guilty for doing something wrong!” Florence insisted indignantly.

“That’s right! If he didn’t do it, why did he save her?” James echoed.

“I’ve really had enough of you guys!” Dahlia’s emotions finally exploded.

“Why? Why do you always have to pick on Dustin? What exactly did he do to you? Must you purposely pick fights with him? In our three years of marriage, he has always been honest and agreeable, but you have always had a prejudice against him. Even though he had never done anything wrong, you kept pushing blame on him again and again. Could you really be so blinded to how good he is?”

She was basically roaring by the end of her tirade. Everyone was scared stiff.

After that spiel, Dahlia couldn’t stand it anymore. She threw the door open and left.

She got in her car and sped down the road. Her tears, however, couldn’t stop falling.

She regretted it.

She really regretted it.

She regretted being so impulsive; she regretted believing her mother’s words; and she regretted misunderstanding Dustin.

“You–you guys are really unbelievable!” Dahlia was furious. She didn’t expect that her mother would be so unreasonable and evil.

It was clearly her own fault, but she still pinned the blame on Dustin, deliberately twisting the truth and misleading her.

“Fine! Even if we were impulsive this time, it doesn’t mean that ass wasn’t responsible for this as well. If he hadn’t framed Julie, would we have gone over to pick a fight? In the end, he had it coming for him!” Florence shouted with conviction, her hands on her waist.

As soon as she said that, a middle–aged man in uniform alighted from the police car that stopped in front of their door.

“You must be Julie Amberson’s family, am I right? I am Chief Aspen Cruiser, Regarding Julie’s case of medicine theft, although Mr. Rhys has decided not to pursue the matter, you still need to make sure she learned her lesson and won’t make the same mistake again. If Mr. Rhys hadn’t said anything today. Julie would probably have remained in there for a few more years. Do you understand?” Aspen said, giving them a stern verbal warning.

“Mr. Rhys?”

Florence and the others looked at each other. “Wasn’t it Mr. Laney Sr. who helped Julie?”

“Who’s that? I’ve never heard of him,” Aspen replied, stone–faced.

As soon as he said that, everyone’s eyes flicked over to Matt.

After everything that happened, it wasn’t even Phineas Laney who helped.

Then, had they thanked the wrong person?

Being on the receiving end of everyone’s gazes, Matt felt his face flush, as if he’d been slapped on both cheeks.

This was fucking humiliating!

“Chief Cruiser, may I ask who this “Mr. Rhys‘ is that you’re talking about?” Florence still couldn’t believe it.

Aspen raised an eyebrow. “Who else could it be? Of course, it’s Dustin Rhys. Who else would help you out?”

As soon as he said that, the entire room fell dead silent —
 
Chapter 206

“D–Dustin Rhys? How could it be him?!” After learning the truth, Florence and the others looked at each other for a while, disbelief written on their faces.

Never in a million years had they considered that it wasn’t Matt who saved Julie, but the person they had dubbed ungrateful.

This was simply a slap in the face!

"So Dustin never framed Julie in the first place, and it was you guys… purposely slinging mud at him?” Dahlia stood rooted to the ground, expressionless.

Her face was as white as a sheet.

“W–who slung mud at him? I bet he’s feeling guilty because he knows what he did wrong, so he’s trying to

make things up to us!” Florence insisted stubbornly.

She was used to bossing people around; of course, she would never admit that she had gotten the wrong idea about Dustin.

That would be too humiliating.

“Mom, things have already come to this, and you still want to justify yourself?” Dahlia bit her lip. Even her heart was clenching.

“How am I justifying myself? If that Rhys bastard hadn’t framed Julie, why would he have saved her? In the end, he was just feeling guilty for doing something wrong!” Florence insisted indignantly.

“That’s right! If he didn’t do it, why did he save her?” James echoed.

“I’ve really had enough of you guys!” Dahlia’s emotions finally exploded.

“Why? Why do you always have to pick on Dustin? What exactly did he do to you? Must you purposely pick. fights with nim? In our three years of marriage, he has always been honest and agreeable, but you have

always had a prejudice against him. Even though he had never done anything wrong, you kept pushing blame on him again and again. Could you really be so blinded to how good he is?”

She was basically roaring by the end of her tirade.Everyone was scared stiff.

After that spiel, Dahlia couldn’t stand it anymore. She threw the door open and left.

She got in her car and sped down the road.

Her tears, however, couldn’t stop falling.

She regretted it.

She really regretted it.

She regretted being so impulsive; she regretted belleving her mother’s words; and she regretted. misunderstanding Dustin.

She felt distraught and confused.

She didn’t know whether they could go back to the way things were before.

At the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin took a deep breath. He quickly calmed down after hanging up the phone.

After all it wasn’t the first time something like this happened.

Hence, he wasn’t much bothered by it right now.

“Beep beep!” At that moment, a Maybach with a Millsburg license plate stopped at the entrance.

Soon after, a middle–aged man in a flashy, red suit strutted over with his head held high.

Next to him was a stocky bodyguard.

“Are you Dustin Rhys?” The moment the man in the red suit entered, he began to eye Dustin up and down, acting all high and mighty.

“And who are you?” Dustin raised his head, sparing the man a glance.

“My name is Laney, Phineas Laney. I am from the Laney family of Millsburg.”

Phineas picked up his handkerchief and wiped down the chair before taking a seat of his own accord.

Dustin quickly made the connection. “The Laney family? What’s your relationship to Matt Laney?”

“Matt Laney is my son and the heir of the Laney family.” Phineas pushed his glasses up his nose and continued indifferently. “Of course, I didn’t come here to your doorstep to tell you these things, but to offer you riches.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” Dustin raised his eyebrows.

“I heard that you have the Immortunol formula in your hands. It’s something I am very interested in.” As Phineas spoke, he took out a check and slid it onto the table. “This is a check for 30 million dollars. If you give me the formula, then the money is yours. For people like you, this amount is enough for you to live without worry for the rest of your life!”

“Sorry, I’m not interested.” Dustin rejected it immediately.

“Why? Is it too little?” Phineas narrowed his eyes slightly. “I didn’t peg you for someone with a big appetite. Alright, why don’t I add on another 20 million dollars, which makes it 50 million dollars in total? Give me the formula.”

“Like I said, I’m not interested,” Dustin repeated indifferently.
 
Chapter 207

“Young man, I advise you to consider this carefully. I do not like to be rejected. If something catches my eye. I’ll do anything to get it.” Phineas began to ramp things up.

“If you agree, then not only will you get the money, you’ll also become a friend of the Laney family. If you ever run into trouble, our family will help you. Conversely, if you turn me down, you’ll become an enemy of the Laney family. You have to decide for yourself whether you want to be our friend or foe.”

Dustin couldn’t help but laugh when he heard that. “I don’t like to be threatened. If you’re going to speak like that, then we can only be enemies.”

“Hm?” Phineas‘ face darkened.

“Punk, are you sure you want to do this?”

“Of course.” Dustin nodded.

“Hmph! Don’t think you can go around fearlessly because you have the Harmons backing you. To tell you the truth, I have a hundred ways to deal with small fry like you. If you’re going to remain stubborn, I don’t mind playing this game with you,” Phineas threatened with a nasty expression.

“I’ll play with you to the end.” Dustin was not the least bit afraid.

“Good. I hope you won’t regret it!” Phineas snorted, got up, and left.

A country bumpkin actually had the guts to go against him? He must have a death wish!

The night went by uneventfully, but the next morning

“Ah!”

Dustin was rudely awoken by a scream.

When he opened his door, he found Caitlyn collapsed on the floor, her face white with fear.

“Mr. Rhys, Dusty is dead!” Caitlyn pointed at the door with tears in her eyes.

Dustin looked over to find a dead gray cat hanging from the top of the entrance of the medical center.

The cat had been disemboweled, its blood dripping onto the floor. It was a grisly sight.
This was the cat that Caitlyn brought back yesterday.

“Hmm?” Dustin frowned.

When he stepped outside to take a look, he discovered that dog blood had been splashed all over both sides of the main entrance, including the medical center’s sign.

Hanging a cat and splashing dog blood–this was no longer just humiliation. This was a blatant threat and provocation!

“Beep beep! At that moment, the Maybach from yesterday slowly pulled over at the side of the road.

The window rolled down to reveal Phineas‘ and Matt’s faces.

Both father and son had the same arrogant smirk on their faces.

“Did you do this?!” Dustin’s face turned stormy.

“Congratulations! You’ve got the right answer!” Matt grinned. “Dustin, oh, Dustin, we have already given you a chance. You didn’t appreciate it then, so don’t blame us for pulling some tricks!”

“You insist on fighting me?” Dustin’s eyes were icy.

“Fight? Heh Are you worthy of fighting us? You need to know that we’re still playing right now.” Matt sneered.

“Of course, all this is just a taste. The main event will come later! Aren’t you always on your high horse? I have plenty of time to play with you! Of course, I’m not just going to play with you but also with your woman. I know you still have feelings for Dahlia, but don’t worry. Once I get her in my bed. I’ll film a video for you to enjoy. I want you to watch me defile your woman! Tsk just the thought of it is wonderful!” At the end of the sentence, he even licked his lips.

“You’re asking for death!” Dustin was seeing red.

“Asking for death? Heh Are you capable of killing me? Do you think the Harmons would turn against the Laneys for you? Without Natasha’s protection, you’re fucking nothing! I’ll give you three days to think. Either you hand over the Immortunol formula, or you start shopping for your own coffin!” After Matt finished speaking. he wound up the car window and left.

With a dark expression, Dustin took out his phone and dialed a certain number. “Hey, I need a favor
 
Chapter 208

After hanging up, Dustin began to clean the medical center with Caitlyn.

Although she didn’t let out a word of complaint, Dustin could tell that the death of her pet cat had taken a huge toll on her.

Her eyes were constantly red, and she was trying her hardest to cry without making a sound.

This young woman had had such a tough life that she lived so pitifully and carefully that she didn’t even dare to cry.

She was such a good kid that it tugged at Dustin’s heartstrings.

The two of them worked together for a long time before the medical center was finally clean.

After a few moments, a silver Bentley pulled up at the entrance.

The door opened, and Natasha got out of the car, dressed in a red dress.

“Ms. Harmon?” When Caitlyn spotted Natasha, she immediately greeted her.

“Come on, Caitlyn, I’ve told you many times that you don’t need to be so formal with me. You can just treat me
as your sister.” Natasha smiled, patting Caitlyn’s head.

“Okay.” Caitlyn nodded obediently, but it would take some time for her to act casually with Natasha.

“Ms. Harmon, what can I do for you?”

Dustin walked over to Natasha from inside the medical center.

“Can’t I come to see you without a reason?” Natasha raised her eyebrows.

“Of course not. You can come whenever you like, and I’ll always welcome you.” Dustin smiled.

“Hehe… That’s more like it.” Natasha smiled gently. “Come on, let’s have lunch together today. I’ll introduce you to a big shot.”

“A big shot? Who is it?” Dustin was curious.

“You’ll know if you come.” Then, Natasha called out, “Caitlyn, come, let’s go eat together.”

“I won’t go this time. I want to stay and take care of Mr. Jones.” Caitlyn shook her head.

“In that case, that’s fine. I’ll have Dustin bring some food back for you.” Natasha didn’t force Caitlyn to tag along. Instead, she just tugged Dustin into 20 minutes later, the car pulled to a stop in front of the entrance to A’roma.

A’roma was a high–class Stonian restaurant that was also one of the Harmon family’s businesses,

Natasha would usually choose this place whenever she invited important guests for a meal.

The two of them walked up to the second floor and sat down at a table by the window.

Through the window, they had an amazing view of the garden outside.

“Ms. Harmon, I think you can tell me who we’re meeting now, right?” Dustin asked again.

“Roderick Brooks of Millsburg. Have you heard of him?” Natasha said, smiling lightly.

“Roderick Brooks? He sounds familiar.” Dustin gave it some thought.

“Roderick is the chairman of the Riversouth Bank and a renowned tycoon in Millsburg. Apparently, he controls one–third of the cash flow in Millsburg. That’s how he got his nickname. Big Bucks Brooks,” Natasha explained.

“Oh, so it’s him…” Dustin nodded. He was getting a rough idea of this person.

“It’s not known to others, but Big Bucks Brooks is actually suffering from an illness. He’s seen many doctors. but none of them could cure him. I heard that you’re an excellent healer, so I invited you here to meet him. I think he’ll be here soon,” Natasha explained.

As the two were talking, a female voice suddenly sounded from behind them. “Why, isn’t it Ms. Harmon?”

Turning her head, Natasha saw an elegant woman dressed up to the nines in an extravagant custom–made evening gown walking toward her, carrying a Hermes handbag.

“Oh, it’s you, Mrs. Brooks. Where’s Mr. Brooks?” Natasha glanced left and right.

“What, do you miss my Roderick that much? Ever since the last time you saw him, your heart is still set on him, huh?” Chloe Marshall said sarcastically.

She had never liked Natasha.

On the one hand, it was because they were business competitors.

On the other hand, it was because Natasha was an outstanding individual.

Not only was she born into a wealthy family, but she was also gorgeous, and her business was booming.

This made her very jealous.

Especially after she learned that Natasha had frequent contact with her husband, she felt even more threatened.

Hence, she had to establish dominance!

“Mrs. Brooks, you must have misunderstood me. Mr. Brooks and I only talk about business,” Natasha said indifferently.

“Oh, talking about business, are you? You want to talk about business in his bed, don’t you?” Chloe’s smile turned cold.

“Ms. Harmon, it’s not a good habit to constantly be lusting after the next best thing. You’re already keeping a gigolo, so why are you still thinking about my Roderick? Everyone says you’re as pure as the driven snow, but I don’t think so. If I remember right, Ms. Harmon, you’re almost 28 years old, right? This gigolo looks to be in his early twenties. In that case, aren’t you a cougar?”

She deliberately raised her voice to draw the attention of the people around her, letting them hear her words.

She was trying to damage Natasha’s reputation.

Natasha merely frowned lightly in response.

If she didn’t have a good relationship with Roderick, she would have gone up there and given her two tight slaps.

“Where did this witch come from? Are you sick in the head?” At that moment, Dustin couldn’t stop himself from speaking up. “If you are, then walk out the door, turn left, and go to the hospital to get your head checked. Don’t bother those of us eating here.”

“You gigolo, do you know who I am? How dare you talk to me like that?!” Chloe whipped her head to glare at him furiously.

“Does it matter who you are?” Dustin scanned her up and down. “You’re dressed like a person, yet you bark like a dog. Whenever you open your mouth, shit comes out. Your mouth stinks. You should go and brush your teeth, not make us gag here!”

“You ! How dare you insult me?!” Chloe widened her eyes, shocked and enraged.

She was the wife of Big Bucks Brooks!
Everyone kissed the ground she walked on.
However, this gigolo had the guts to insult her to her face. He really had huge balls!

“So what if I insult you? If you keep humiliating Natasha, I’ll slap you. You’d better believe it!” At that moment. Dustin had a domineering expression.

Meanwhile, Natasha looked at the scene with a tender gaze, cupping her cheek with one hand. There was a blissful smile on her face.

“Gigolo, I demand you get on your knees and apologize at once! Or else, there will be consequences!” Chloe was steaming out of her ears.

“Get on my knees and apologize? Are you worthy?” Dustin snickered.

“Also, don’t say I didn’t warn you, but you really should head to the hospital for a check–up. You’re really sick!”

“You’re the sick one! Your entire family is sick!” Chloe gritted her teeth..

“Don’t believe me? Then let me ask you this–have you been experiencing headaches, fever, weakness in the limbs, occasional nausea, and difficulty breathing these days?” Dustin asked indifferently.

“Yes, but so what? I just have a cold!” At first, Chloe was stunned, but she quickly stuck her nose in the air again.

“A cold? Heh… You’re quite the optimistic person.” Dustin shook his head. “I can see that you have shortness of breath, the lymph nodes in your neck are swollen, you look lethargic, and you have a rash on your body. If my guess isn’t wrong, then I think you have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.”

“The what syndrome?” Chloe was dumbfounded.

“Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS for short.”

As soon as he said that, Chloe turned to stone.
 
Chapter 209

“A–AIDS?”

Chloe was frozen in place, at a loss. She was truly shocked.

Not only because Dustin hit the nail on the head for all the symptoms she was experiencing, but mainly because she had gotten a new boy toy a while back.

When they were intimate, they hadn’t used protection.. Now, hearing his words, she couldn’t help but panic a little.

“Dustin, are you sure?” Natasha also looked surprised.

AIDS was not a trivial matter. Could it be that this was Roderick’s secret illness?

“Although I can’t be a hundred percent sure, I’m sure I’m not too far off,” Dustin replied.

“You. You’re bullshitting me!” Chloe shrieked. “I just had a medical checkup at the hospital this morning.

How can I have AIDS? Stop trying to scare me!

“It’s up to you whether you want to believe me.” Dustin shrugged his shoulders.

“Bastard, you’re scaremongering and humiliating me in public. I’ve got to teach you a lesson! Wally, beat him up!” Chloe flew into a rage and ordered the young bodyguard standing behind her to hit Dustin.

However, the bodyguard named Wally was rooted to the floor, his face pale. Cold sweat dripped down his face.

“Wally, what are you still standing there for? Do something!” Chloe shouted.

“What’s going on?!”

At that moment, a tan, obese middle–aged man suddenly walked in.

Two burly bodyguards trailed behind him.

“Huh Isn’t that Big Bucks Brooks of Millsburg? What is he doing here?”

“That seems to be his wife, Chloe Marshall. A good show is about to go down!”

“Big Bucks Brooks is known for spoiling his wife. It seems like that punk is going to get it today!”

The restaurant broke into a heated discussion when the middle–aged man appeared.

“Honey, you’re finally here!” The moment Chloe saw him, she immediately ran into his arms and started to sob. “That guy kept bullying me earlier. You have to help me!”

“Who’s the ballsy asshole brave enough to bully my wille?!” Roderick’s eyes turned fiery with anger.

Even though he knew his wife could be rather unruly, he still chose to dote on her unconditionally.

It’s that gigolo next to Natasha!” Chloe turned around to point at Dustin.

‘Hm?” Roderick narrowed his eyes, displeased, “Ms. Harmon, is that man your friend?”

‘This is Dustin, my boyfriend.” Natasha threw out straightforwardly..These words shocked Roderick.

Wasn’t Natasha’s man Tyler How come there’s another one now?And judging from her expression, it didn’t seem like she was joking.

“Honey, not only did that gigolo call me a shrew, but he also humiliated me and said that I have a disease. If you don’t stand up for me, I will be too ashamed to leave the house ever again!” Chloe put on a pitiful look.

As she spoke, tears spilled from her eyes.
It was like she was now a completely different person than her unruly self earlier.

She was a drama queen, plain and simple.

“Okay, calm down. I will definitely get justice for you.” After comforting his wife, he turned back to Natasha.

Ms. Harmon, I need an explanation.”

“What explanation? Your wife was the one spitting ugly words first. Dustin was just having a normal conversation with her,” Natasha responded indifferently.

Even though Roderick’s family was filthy rich, she wasn’t scared of it. If they could talk it out, then they would. If they couldn’t, then she’d let things get ugly. It was no big deal.

“You’re talking nonsense! It’s obvious that you’re the ones ganging up to bully me!” Chloe shouted.

“You have to speak from your conscience. I was just kindly letting you know that you’re sick,” Dustin said in a serious manner.

“See, honey! You heard it, right? He said I’m sick! He’s clearly insulting me!” Chloe was furious.

“I’m only speaking the truth when I say you’re sick. How is that insulting you?” Dustin asked back.

“Punk, you’re pretty arrogant, huh? Then I must ask–what disease does my wife have?” Roderick narrowed his eyes, his expression was livid.

“AIDS.” Dustin uttered casually.

“Bullshit!” Roderick’s face darkened. “I’ve always been clean, and I’ve never fooled around with anyone else. How could I possibly have contracted AIDS?”

“I know you haven’t, but your wile has,” Dustin said.

“What do you mean?” Roderick’s gaze was steely.

“It’s simple. Your wife is having an affair,” Dustin uttered those shocking words. The entire room broke out into pandemonium.

All of them pointed at Dustin as if they were looking at an idiot.

He’d just told Big Bucks Brooks to his face that his wife was having an affair. Wasn’t this just asking for death?

Everyone knew that Big Bucks Brooks was known for covering up his wife’s mistakes.

“Punk, do you know what you are saying?” Roderick gritted his teeth, his eyes ferocious.

If it wasn’t for Natasha, he would have shot this man in front of him already.

“Of course I know what I’m saying.” Dustin said, his expression remaining unchanging. “Mr. Brooks, your wife just hired that bodyguard, Wally, a few months ago, right?”

“So what? Roderick frowned.

“Based on my observation, his symptoms are much more severe than your wife’s. Hence, my guess is that he was the one who gave your wife AIDS,” Dustin said.

Hearing these words, Chloe and the young bodyguard could not help but tremble in fear. Panic flickered across their faces. Roderick also caught this strange reaction.

“You

That’s bullshit! By the time she returned to her senses, Chloe’s shame had transformed into rage.” You dog, you’re smearing my innocence! I’m going to beat you into a bloody pulp today!”

With that, she got ready to pounce on him and attack him.

At that moment, Roderick’s cell phone suddenly vibrated. A message arrived.

It was the result of the medical checkup this morning. Roderick perused it, and his face instantly turned stormy.

Veins popped on his forehead.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Chloe was feeling a little uneasy. Suddenly, a sharp slap rang out.

Roderick, who was known for being overbearingly protective of his wife, slapped Chloe with so much force that she staggered backward.

The blow caused her to bleed from her nose and mouth, and her cheeks began to swell.

The entire room was shocked!
 
Chapter 210

“Honey, why did you hit me?” Chloe cupped her face, looking hurt.

The others also looked at each other, unable to comprehend what had just unfolded.

No one expected that Big Bucks Brooks, the man who had always covered for his wife’s behavior, would smack her with his own hand.

“See for yourself!” With a dark look, he threw the phone straight at Chloe.

Chloe picked up the phone and took a look. Suddenly, her face turned ashen, as if she’d been struck by lightning.

It was the medical checkup report from the hospital, and the diagnosis was indeed AIDS!

“How could this happen? No, it can’t be!” Chloe shook her head frantically in utter disbelief. “This medical report must have been falsified! Honey, I don’t have AIDS. I really don’t!”

“Are you still trying to defend yourself at this point?!” Roderick roared, his blood was boiling.

Any man would not be able to stomach finding out they were cheated on.

Even worse, his wife had contracted AIDS because of it. This was simply humiliating!

“Honey, I’m sorry! I was just momentarily confused. I’m begging you, please forgive me!” With a thud, Chloe fell to her knees. Then, she pointed at the young bodyguard next to her and bellowed, “It’s all his fault! It’s all because he seduced me! It’s not me; I’m innocent!”

“Mrs. Brooks, you have to speak from your conscience. You were the one who came onto me, so how could you push the blame all on me?” Wally was a bit upset.

If he were to carry the blame for seducing a married woman, considering Big Bucks Brooks’s power, his life may be in danger. Naturally, he didn’t want to be the scapegoat.

“S–shut up! It was you! You seduced me! Not only that, but you also gave me AIDS, you animal!” Furious. Chloe stormed over to Wally and gave him a few huge slaps.

Afterward, she returned to her position on her knees in front of Roderick and begged, “Honey, I know I made a mistake. I won’t do it again. I’m begging you, we’re husband and wife, so please forgive me this time!” Roderick was unmoved, his face icy.

He loved his wife, but only on the condition that she was faithful to him.

If she couldn’t do the basics and remained loyal to him, then who was she to deserve his love?

“It’s all your fault! It’s all because of you two pieces of shit. I’m going to kill you!” Seeing Roderick’s lack of response, Chloe became infuriated and lunged straight toward Natasha.

She also purposely smeared her hand with the blood from her nose, intending to give Natasha a taste of AIDS.

“Get lost!” Dustin stepped forward and launched a kick straight at Chloe.

After getting sick, she still wanted to pass it on to others. She really deserved a beating.

“Honey, he–he hit me… Chloe held her stomach with a look of agony.

“Take Chloe home and keep an eye on her. Don’t let her leave the room for even a moment!” Roderick ordered with a cold expression.

“Roger!” Without another word, the two sturdy bodyguards immediately hauled Chloe up and left.

No matter how much the latter wailed and apologized, it was to no avail.

After the noise died down, Roderick couldn’t help but take a deep breath, Soon enough, he managed to suppress his anger.

He was far more adept at controlling his emotions than the average person.

“Ms. Harmon, I’m sorry for my wife’s poor behavior. I’m sure you were frightened,” Roderick apologized.

“What happened today was nothing but an accident.” Natasha smiled politely.
 
Chapter 211

“This young man must be the skilled healer you mentioned, Mr. Rhys, right? From what happened today, you do live up to your reputation,” Roderick said.

“I only hope you won’t take it too hard, Mr. Brooks,” Dustin said.

Any man wouldn’t be able to handle hearing that he’d been cheated on.

“Speaking of, I should be thanking you, Mr. Rhys. If it wasn’t for your sharp eyes, I don’t know how long I would have been lied to.” Roderick forced a smile.

In this case, it was better to rip the bandage off. Although it was a bit humiliating, it still beat getting cheated on repeatedly.

“Mr. Brooks, forgive me for asking, but could the secret illness you’ve been suffering from be the same as your wife’s?” Natasha asked tentatively.

Typically speaking, if his wife got it, then Roderick must have caught it too.

“Um. I probably don’t have it.” Roderick looked slightly embarrassed. “To be honest, because of how busy I have been with work, I haven’t slept with my wife for half a year.”

“That’s good. You dodged a bullet.” Natasha smiled.

“Mr. Rhys, can you tell what disease I have?” Roderick went straight to the point.

“Mr. Brooks, have you been experiencing back and knee pain, mood swings, and insomnia?” Dustin suddenly asked.

“How did you know?” Roderick raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Of course, I observed it.” Dustin smiled slightly. “Not only do I know that your body is weak and sickly, but I also know about the hidden injury at your lower back. If my guess isn’t wrong, you injured your lower back a few years ago, right?”

The moment Roderick heard those words, his face instantly grew solemn. The way he looked at Dustin also changed.

Indeed, he had gotten hurt a few years ago.

That time, he’d been on his way to a meeting to discuss a business deal when a hitman suddenly appeared, stabbing him in the lower back.

Fortunately, he didn’t lose his life, but ever since then, his injury had been causing him pain.

The problem was that he’d never told anyone about this, so how did Dustin find out?

“Mr. Rhys, you’re really amazing! But how could you tell?” Roderick was both shocked and suspicious.

“I’m a doctor. For most ailments, you can identify clues from the smallest details. For example, you were walking in a stiff manner earlier, putting less pressure on your left foot compared to the right. Evidently, you have a lower back injury.” Dustin replied.

“Hahaha… You’re truly a miracle doctor, Mr. Rhys! I acknowledge your talent!” Roderick said.

“What a compliment, Mr. Brooks. I’m just using my wits.”

“Mr. Rhys, could you take a good look and see whether this illness of mine can be cured?” Roderick extended his wrist.

Dustin felt for his pulse. Then, he responded, “It’s curable, but it will take some time. That knife injured your kidney, which has affected your ability to have children. Your reproductive ability has also greatly deteriorated. This is also why you still haven’t had children until now.”

When he said that, Natasha and Roderick paused, clearly taken aback.

“Mr. Rhys, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” Roderick frowned.

“That’s right, Dustin. Mr. Brooks has a four–year–old son,” Natasha added.

The reason why Roderick had doted on Chloe so much was because she’d borne him a son.

Being able to have a son as a middle–aged man, he naturally had a lot of love and care for both mother and child.

“Huh?” This time, it was Dustin’s turn to be confused.

He reached for Roderick’s wrist again and said with certainty, “It’s impossible! Your knife injury happened at least six years ago. The knife went all the way in, so there is no way you are fertile, unless

“Unless what?” Roderick found himself asking.

“Unless your son isn’t biologically yours.”

Roderick was speechless.
 
Chapter 212

Roderick stood there frozen, his face was pale.

He’d experienced all kinds of hardships all his life, but at that moment, he didn’t know what to do.

He thought it was bad enough that he’d gotten cheated on.

He didn’t expect that there’d be a bigger “surprise” that followed. His son wasn’t actually biologically his?

This revelation was even more severe than finding out he was being cheated on!

“Mr. Rhys, are… you sure?” Roderick’s eye twitched. He was clinging to the very last glimmer of hope.

“Mr. Brooks, it’s a hard pill to swallow, but based on your body’s current condition, you lost your ability to have children a long time ago. If you don’t believe me, you can go get tested yourself,” Dustin said firmly.

To be honest, he was starting to pity Roderick.

Although he was swamped with riches, his wife had an affair, and his son wasn’t his.

This double whammy would have driven any ordinary person insane.

“Alright. Thank you, Mr. Rhys. There are too many people here. Shall we find another place to talk?” Roderick asked, his face completely neutral.

“Of course.” Dustin caught Natasha’s eye and immediately agreed.

“Alright. Dan, take Ms. Harmon and Mr. Rhys to the Brooks Manor. I’ll be there after a while,” Roderick instructed his driver.

Dan hummed in response. Then, he led Dustin and Natasha to the Rolls Royce outside.

After the two left. Roderick’s expression finally turned gloomy. Whether his son was his or not, he would find out with a paternity test.

He could forgive his wife for her affair, but he couldn’t handle raising someone else’s child.

Dustin and Natasha walked around the garden at the Brooks Manor, gazing at the beautiful scenery surrounding them.

A few housekeepers trailed behind them, carrying trays of pastries and tea, ready to be called upon anytime.

After taking a stroll through the garden, they found a cool area to rest their feet.

“Ms. Harmon, do you think Mr. Brooks can handle this shocking truth?” Dustin asked out of the blue. Chloe hadn’t done something so demeaning, he actually wouldn’t have stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.

“Mr. Brooks has gone through all sorts of trials and tribulations. He should be fine. Of course, that’s if you can cure his secret illness.” Natasha smiled faintly.

For a man, the ability to produce children was very important.

“As long as Mr. Brooks believes me,” Dustin responded.

As he spoke, a large shadow suddenly fell over them. It was Roderick!

“Hello, you two. Sorry for making you wait so long.” Roderick wiped the sweat from his forehead, forcing a smile.

“Mr. Brooks, has the matter been settled?” Dustin asked cautiously.

“Yes, it’s settled.” Roderick nodded.

Thanks to the power of money, the results of the paternity test were out in less than an hour. As Dustin said, his son was indeed not his.

When he learned of the outcome, he was furious. He even had the urge to kill.

However, after so many years, he had developed some attachments to them.

In the end, he let the mother and son live. But from today on, they were not to appear before him ever again.

“Ah fate truly dealt me a rotten hand! All my life, I did only good deeds, so who would have thought that not only would I lose my ability to have children, but I would also end up parting ways with my wife and child.” Roderick heaved a long sigh.
 
Chapter 213

Despite running such a huge family business, Roderick didn’t even have an heir now. It was truly a tragedy.

“Mr. Brooks, don’t take it too hard. Although the knife injury damaged your fertility, it can actually be treated. Once you’re recovered, you can have another son, or even ten! It won’t be a problem.” Dustin smiled as he attempted to cheer Roderick up.

“Really?” Roderick trembled, his face expectant.

In the past six months, the main reason he hadn’t slept with his wife was because he couldn’t get it up.

However, because of his dignity as a man, he’d always kept it a secret.

So, to hear that he’d be able to rise up again, naturally, he was elated.

“Mr. Brooks, if I dare to say it, it means I can do it.” As Dustin spoke, he took out a tablet and said, “This is Gemiphen, which I created. It helps clear up circulatory pathways and heal internal injuries. Give it a try.”

“Okay!” Without another word, Roderick took the Gemiphen and swallowed it.

As soon as the tablet entered his system, it turned into a rush of warmth that spread through his body..

Instantly, he felt his mood lift, and his body felt better in a way he couldn’t explain.

The pain in his lower back had also improved significantly.

“Amazing This is amazing! Mr. Rhys, your miracle tablet is extraordinary!” After experiencing the fascinating changes in his body, Roderick was practically over the moon.

In an instant, he felt as if he’d gotten a brand–new body.

If he previously had doubts about Dustin’s abilities, then now, he was utterly convinced!
Any famous doctor was trash in comparison to Dustin!

“Mr. Rhys, take the Gemiphen once every three days. After a month, your body will completely recover.” Dustin took out a small glass bottle filled with Gemiphen and handed it to Roderick.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Rhys! I’ll remember your great kindness for the rest of my life!” Feeling emotional, Roderick knelt on the ground.

“Mr. Brooks, please get up It was nothing.” Dustin quickly helped him to his feet.

Since this all happened because of him, now that he was able to cure Roderick’s illness, there was at least a good ending.

“Mr. Rhys, you’re too humble. If it weren’t for your help, my life would have been over!” Roderick said, his face glowing with gratitude.

A man who couldn’t get it up wasn’t a real man.

Now that Dustin had given him the chance to regain his dignity as a man, It was as though he’d been given a new lease on life!

“Mr. Brooks, now that Dustin has cured your illness, how do you plan to repay him?” Natasha said, half joking.

As his other half, she knew that it was time to ask for remuneration.

“Name whatever you need, Mr. Rhys. If I can do it, I won’t say no!” Roderick said, placing his hand on his chest to show how genuine he was.

“I don’t need anything else. All I’m interested in are precious herbs such as heliotropes, cherusia, and flowers of Crimson Gem. If you have them, Mr. Brooks, I would be nothing but pleased,” Dustin said, naming his price.

“I’ve never collected precious herbs before, but no worries. I’ll send someone to check it out. Once I get any news. I’ll buy it for you right away, Mr. Rhys!” Roderick promised.

“Thank you, Mr. Brooks,” Dustin said.

“No, no. I should be the one thanking you, Mr. Rhys,” Roderick said in return.

He now had a profound sense of worship for Dustin’s impressive abilities.

“Sir… At that moment, an elderly butler suddenly walked over and reported, “Phineas Lacey and his son are here to see you. They say they have something to discuss with you.”

“Phineas Lacey? What is he doing here?” Roderick rubbed his chin.

“It’s such a small world. I never expected I’d run into them here.” Dustin narrowed his eyes when he heard their names.

“What, do you know these people, Mr. Rhys?” Roderick pressed.

“I do, and we even got into a conflict. Without leaving anything out, Dustin quickly recounted the entire story.

After Roderick listened to the whole incident, he couldn’t help but snort. “Those two bastards are truly arrogant bullies. I hate people like this the most! Come with me to see them, Mr. Rhys. Today, I’ll give them something to see!”
 
Chapter 214

At that moment, Phineas and Matt were in the Brooks Manor living room.

“Dad, do you think Big Bucks Brooks will lend us money?” Mall glanced around, looking worried.

“Big Bucks Brooks is filthy rich and generous to boot. He’s always had a good relationship with our family. It shouldn’t be a problem to borrow some money,” Phineas said, raising his cup and taking a sip. It was obvious that he was very confident.

Although the Lacey family hadn’t been restored to its previous glory, they were still above the average person. Outside, they still had some status.

“If it weren’t for our family’s capital chain rupture causing our businesses to suffer majorly, we would never have to borrow money from others,” Matt said, sighing.

Not long ago, they’d suddenly received terrible news.

Many of their big–shot partners had retracted their investments. All the business deals they’d made previously had gone bust.

Their entire family suffered serious damage overnight.

Now, they desperately needed a capital injection, or else the Lacey family would go bankrupt in less than a month.

At this point, the only one who could help them was Big Bucks Brooks.

“Speaking of that, it’s really strange how all of the investments were retracted collectively, and disaster struck from all sides. I bet somebody’s targeting our family,” Phineas rubbed his chin in thought.

“Who’s gutsy enough to go mess with our family?” Matt slammed his palm into the table.

Their original plan was to get the Immortunol formula in their hands and then use the investment funds to conduct their own research.

This way, the Lacey family would be restored to their former glory!

However, after everything that had happened, their plan was ruined.

“We still haven’t been able to look into it yet. Once we raise the funds we need and get through these tough times, we’ll drag that bastard out!” An evil glint flashed through Phineas‘ eyes.

“Dad, how much money does our family need to operate normally?” Matt asked uncertainly.

“At least three billion dollars!” Phineas put up three fingers.

“That much?” Matt’s expression drooped. “Would Big Bucks Brooks agree to loan us three billion in one go?”

“Big Bucks Brooks controls one–third of all the cash flow in Millsburg. What’re three billion dollars to him?” Phineas took a sip of tea and said casually, “Not to mention, I even came here personally. Would he dare to say no? He should be happy that our family is cozying up to him on our own accord instead.”

“That’s true.” Hearing those words, Matt let out a sigh of relief.

The Laney family did have prestige out there; Big Bucks Brooks had to give them some respect.

As the two were speaking, the door suddenly opened, and a few people entered.

The one in the lead was none other than Roderick.

The moment they met. Phineas stood up and extended a hand, his face full of smiles. “Hey, Mr. Brooks! Long time no see. You’ve gotten much more handsome!”

However, when he saw Dustin behind Roderick, his smile froze on his face. “Punk, what are you doing here?!”

“You’re here, so why can’t I be here too?” Dustin retorted indifferently.

“Hmph! And who are you? Can you even be compared to us?” Phineas” expression turned cold instantly.

“Dustin, are you here to also get a loan from Mr. Brooks?” Matt said with a suspicious look.

“Why I’m here doesn’t concern you.” Dustin’s expression remained unchanged.

“Mr. Brooks, we’ve always been friendly with each other. Don’t lend that punk any money! We have bad blood!” Phineas said, calling a spade a spade.

In his eyes. Roderick would never go against the Laney family for a small fry. So, he definitely won today.

“Phineas, are you sure that you have bad blood with Mr. Rhys?” Roderick smirked coolly.

“Of course!” Phineas puffed out his chest. “Mr. Brooks, to be frank, the two grudges I have with him can never be solved, so please don’t try to lobby for him!”
 
Chapter 215

The Immortunol formula would definitely be his soon.

“You’re mistaken. I don’t mean it that way.” Roderick uttered calmly.

“Huh?” Phineas was puzzled. “What do you mean, then?”

“Both of you are here to borrow my money, aren’t you?” Roderick asked back instead of answering.

Phineas let out a sheepish laugh. “Our family ran into some trouble recently, and we need some money to turn things around. That’s why we’ve come to you, Mr. Brooks.”

“How much do you need?”

“About three billion dollars?”

“Three billion!” Roderick raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, but no can do.”

“What?” Phineas shock quickly turned to dismay. “Mr. Brooks, three billion is nothing to you. Why can’t you lend us the money?”

“Technically, I’ve already lent the money to Mr. Rhys, so you’ll have to beg him for the money.” Roderick replied with a sarcastic smile.

“What? You lent it to him?” The father–son duo was stunned, unable to believe their ears.

There was no way Roderick would have lent that useless punk three billion dollars!

“You’re not pulling our leg, are you, Mr. Brooks?” Phineas asked again, eyes wide.

“Yeah! What are we supposed to do if you give the money to him?” Matt was dismayed.

“That’s none of my business!” Roderick responded frankly.

“Mr. Brooks, how could you lend your money to him instead of us? Considering our friendship, you’re carrying it too far. Do you think that brat is better than the Laney family?”

The Laney family was a noble family that was leagues above Dustin in terms of wealth and connections. Any normal person would know who to side with.

“Firstly, we’re not friends. Secondly, it’s my money. I decide who it goes to. I don’t have to ask anyone’s opinion. Lastly, who the fuck do you think you are? How dare you compare yourselves to Mr. Rhys! You should really look in a fucking mirror!” Roderick snapped scornfully.

“Mr. Brooks! Are you going to make the Laney family your enemy just because of that brat?” Phineas growled.

“Exactly! You should think this through carefully. Is the Laney family more important or that brat?” Matt quipped. They were sure that a businessman like Roderick would never turn his back on the Laney family.

“So what if we become enemies? A penniless family like yours is trying to threaten me? Ha! You must have a death wish!” Roderick curled his lip.

“I can cut off all your funds right now. I’ll make sure you never get a penny in this province!”

His words hit the lather–son duo like a bucket of ice. They’d been so agitated that they forgot that Bucks Brooks they were talking to, whose influence and wealth exceeded the Laney family a gazillion times.

Even when they had been at full power, they still had to lower their heads in front of Roderick, let alone now.

Nonetheless, they could never have dreamed that someone as powerful as Roderick would butt heads with their family for someone like Dustin.

Did Dustin have connections they weren’t aware of?
 
Chapter 216

“Mr. Brooks, why on earth are you willing to go against our family for him?” Phineas demanded with a threatening glare. He had approached Roderick confidently but never expected this outcome.

“To tell you the truth, Mr. Rhys is my savior and honored guest. If you have a problem with him, that means you have a problem with me! So, you either beg for his forgiveness, or your family is over!” Roderick declared: the aura he exuded was overwhelming.

“You want us to apologize to that asshole? In your dreams!” Matt yelled angrily.

“Then, get lost! I wonder how long your family can last.” Roderick kicked them out.

“Roderick Brooks, life has its ups and downs, so don’t look down on a broke man! You’ll regret it one day!” Matt forced through gritted teeth and stormed away.

“Mr. Brooks, you’ve incurred the wrath of the Laney family. I doubt my family can’t borrow merely three billion dollars elsewhere!” Phineas glared at Roderick before following his son.

“Arrogant fools!” Roderick sneered.

No one in the province would dare lend the Laney family money since Roderick already rejected them.

Matt and Phineas returned home displeased with the outcome.

“What’s wrong with Roderick Brooks today? He refused to help us because of that brat!” Matt seethed.

“It seems like that kid has some connections.” Phineas frowned.

“As if! He’s just a pretty boy who got lucky because of Natasha! I bet Roderick only went against us because of Natasha’s support too.” Matt was displeased.

“The Harmon family sure is bothersome. I have a feeling that our financial issues have something to do with. them.” Phineas pondered.

“What do we do now, Dad? Should we fight to the death?”

“No. We aren’t at the end of our rope yet. Let me make some calls. Phineas pulled out his phone and began asking for help. The Laney family still had some friends and partners, so they’d definitely pull through as long as he managed to raise the funds.

“Hey. Mr. Smith, it’s me. I’m kind of short on cash, so do you think you could help me out? I’ll pay you back with interest after the turnover.”

“Hi, Mr. Thompson. This is Phineas Lancy. I’m calling to ask for a lavor.”

“Hey, Mr. Johnson. I need your help.”

Phineas made call after call to any of his friends who were well off. However, his face darkened with each call he made.

As soon as they heard that he was trying to borrow money, these people who claimed to be his friends immediately changed their attitudes and came up with all sorts of excuses to refuse, and some even hung up without responding.

Phineas finally knew what fair–weather friends were like. After all the calls, he still couldn’t get any money. Instead, he stirred up more trouble.
 
Chapter 217

“How did it go, Dad? Is anyone willing to help us?” Matt asked tentatively.

“Fuck those bastards! They come wagging their tails as soon as they have something they want and call themselves my friends, but the moment they find out that our family is in trouble, they start running away! Those fucking fakes!” Phineas‘ face contorted with rage. He never thought that he, the head of the Laney family, would end up like this.

“Dad, everyone always says that misfortune shows you those who are not your real friends. Stop hanging out with them from now on. I’ll make them regret their choice after we pull through.” Matt swore solemnly.

“Matt, my contacts are useless now. You’re the only one I can rely on.” Phineas suddenly thought of someone. “Aren’t you close with Edwin Hummer’s daughter? Why don’t you ring her up and see if she can lend us some money?”

“Oh, right! I nearly forgot! The daughter of the wealthiest man in Swinton should be able to spare us three billion dollars easily. I’ll call her now.”

Matt pulled his phone out and dialed a number.

“My, my. If it isn’t Mr. Laney? How did you find the time to call me?” Someone grumbled over the phone.

“Don’t put it like that, Tina. I’ve been busy at work recently. I called you the second I got some free time,” Matt said with a smile. He was a professional when it came to coaxing women.

“Humph! At least you remembered to call me. So, why are you actually calling?” Tina smiled.

“Because I miss you so much, of course! Why else?” Matt teased.

Tine chuckled mirthlessly. “Right. I’m hanging up if you won’t tell me the truth.”

“Hold on, hold on. I do have a favor to ask you.” Matt cleared his throat. “My business ran into some financial issues recently, so we need some money to turn things around. Would you like to invest in us?”

“How much do you need?” Tina asked back.

“Not much. About three billion dollars.” Matt answered with a smile.

“Three billion isn’t a lot? You’re Joking, right?” Tina’s voice went up an octave.

“To others, it may be a lot. But you’re the daughter of the Hummer family, the prettiest and most talented woman in Swinton. Three billion can’t be much for someone like you.”

Tina was pleased with all the flattery. After all, who didn’t like to hear their lover praising them?

“I don’t mind getting you the money, but you have to tell me why.” Tina stated.

“To tell you the truth, someone ruptured our capital chain, and I have a feeling that the Harmon family was the one who did it,” Matt answered bluntly

“You and the Harmon family had always kept a wide berth. Why would they do something like that to you?” Tina asked curiously.

“Because of Dustin Rhys!”

Matt briefly explained everything to her.

“What? You threatened that psychopath?” Tina shrieked.

“That’s right! That shameless bastard tried to humiliate our family, so I had to teach him a lesson. I’ll destroy his family with your investment!” Matt fumed.

“Are you a fucking idiot? Why would you try to piss that psycho off?”

“Why are you so afraid? He’s just a country bumpkin. I’ll get rid of him easily.” Matt declared confidently.

“In your dreams, you moron! Don’t drag me along your death quest!”

With that. Tina hung up the phone.
 
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